Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 54-1562993 · since 1990ctf.life·United States, Virginia·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$1.5M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,500 to $150k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$12,000

Typical grant (median)

29 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The foundation lists national initiatives as its geographic focus, with Virginia as its priority, and its stated areas are blood supply, transfusion safety, patient blood management, transfusion medicine education and blood banking insight, so work in those areas that serves Virginia is the closest fit.
About 8 in 10 of its 43 grants to organisations fall between $1,500 and $150,000, with a median of about $15,000 and a largest grant of about $475,000, so a modest request in that typical band suits it best, though larger requests are not ruled out.
Its filing shows that 64% of grant dollars to organisations in its latest year went to organisations it had also funded the year before, so repeat giving is substantial, but a first-time applicant can still apply by sending an unsolicited Letter of Inquiry at least 30 days before a December 31 or July 31 deadline and waiting for an invitation to submit a full application.
Read the Grant Information page first, because the foundation will not fund unrestricted grants, general fundraising, building or renovation, political or lobbying work, startup funding, or projects whose grantee is unwilling to share results openly, and an organisation that is not a 501(c)(3) should apply only if its work directly benefits transfusion medicine or laboratory science in Virginia.

Overview

Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation is a US private foundation based in Glen Allen, VA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation seeks to ensure Virginians’ well-being through reliable, sustainable innovations in transfusion medicine, superior staffing and better healthcare outcomes. Its stated priorities include an adequate blood supply, transfusion safety, patient blood management, transfusion medicine education and insight into changes in blood banking, with these priorities focused on Virginia. It offers student scholarships for aspiring medical laboratory science students, travel scholarships for blood-banking conferences, and programme grants for institutions and organisations advancing education and research, alongside equipment and supplies that enhance transfusion medicine. It may consider entities other than 501(c)(3) organisations when their work directly benefits transfusion medicine or laboratory science in Virginia.

Themes

Blood supply
Transfusion safety
Patient blood management
Transfusion medicine education
Blood banking insight

Geographic Focus

National initiatives. Priority: Virginia.

What They Don't Fund

Unrestricted grants
Grants for general fundraising
Grants for building or renovation projects
Grants to support political campaigns or lobbying efforts
Grants that do not support the Foundation’s mission
Grants to promote religious doctrine or tenets
Grants for organization startup or seed funding
Grants for projects where the Grantee is unwilling to openly share results
Program related investments
Mission related investments

How to apply

Organisations may submit an unsolicited Letter of Inquiry (LOI); if it is approved, they are invited to submit a full application.

Deadlines:

Full applications are due by December 31 or July 31 each year; submit Letters of Inquiry at least 30 days before the relevant application deadline.
Letters of Inquiry should be submitted at least 30 days before the application deadline.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 64% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 43 grants to organisations were about $15,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Applicants should review the Grant Information page before submitting a Letter of Inquiry.
The Board of Directors makes the final decision, informed by external reviewers when it requests a review.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Virginia45%

Tennessee37%

California13%

Maryland3%

Alabama2%

Georgia<1%

2 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 37% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2023, 64% of grant dollars went to organisations Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
<1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (South Africa, Rwanda).

Grants

29 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $12,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 29 grants in tax year 2023 by size

$1k–$2.5k34%

$2.5k–$5k0%

$5k–$10k10%

$10k–$25k24%

$25k–$50k0%

$50k–$100k17%

$100k–$250k7%

$250k–$500k7%

Median $12,000 (tax year 2023)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Blood Assurance · Equipment grant
$473,0002023 tax year
Valley Health Foundation · Equipment grant
$289,8202023 tax year
Blood Assurance · Sbb grant
$150,0002023 tax year
Virginia Commonwealth University · Scholarships
$139,0002023 tax year
Radford University Foundation · Scholarships
$81,0002023 tax year
Radford University Foundation · Research grant
$80,0002023 tax year
Old Dominion University Research Foundation · Research grant
$55,5812023 tax year
Old Dominion University Educational Foundation · Scholarships
$51,0002023 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

George Ford PhD — Member
Natalie Case — Member
James Daniel — Treasurer
Robert Carden PhD — President, C
Randy Beard PhD — Member
Freddy Cobb — Emeritus
Liz Culler MD — Secretary
William Haugh Mha — Vice Chair
Joe Fielden — Chair

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$2,206,256	$739,595	$31,587,888	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$2,919,897	$1,528,417	$36,374,701	Filing for 2023 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.