Proteus Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Proteus Foundation, based in Middleburg, Virginia, names Highland County, Virginia, Staunton, Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as its priority areas, and its stated themes are conservation and academic research.
- A local charity working on conservation or research in one of those places is the closest fit.
- Half of its 78 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less and the median grant was $5,000, so a request near that figure is realistic; the typical band is $5,000 to $50,000, but the largest grant was $170,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Around 70% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, so a new applicant should expect to be competing with organisations it already supports.
- Apply by sending a written request that sets out the purpose and the established need, and note that the filing gives no deadlines and states that the foundation accepts applications.
Overview
Proteus Foundation is a US private foundation based in Middleburg, VA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation describes support for local charities in Highland County, Virginia, Staunton, Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It also identifies promoting conservation programmes and activities, and computer programming in support of academic research into complex adaptive systems. Its grant record covers scientific research, scholarships and community outreach, arts centres, theatre and music, environmental restoration and education, urban forestry and land conservation. It also supports a broad range of community services, including health care, fire and rescue, home repairs, libraries, historic resources and disaster relief. Its giving therefore spans research, conservation, arts and practical community needs, through grants to charitable organisations.
Themes
- Conservation
- Academic research
Geographic Focus
Priority: Highland County, Virginia; Staunton, Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
How to apply
Send a written request detailing the purpose and established need.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 70% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 78 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: 8%
- The largest single recipient received 18% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to organisations Proteus Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 18% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 30 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- California Institute for Machine Consciousness · Support scientific research$100,0002024 tax year
- Community Foundation of Central Blue Ridge · For scholarship fund and other community outreach programs$50,0002024 tax year
- Fern Hollow Nature Center · Support enviromental educational programs$50,0002024 tax year
- Center for Open Science · Support scientific research$50,0002024 tax year
- Sweetwater Center for Arts · Support arts center$37,5002024 tax year
- Santa Fe Institute · Support interdisciplinary scientific research$25,0002024 tax year
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Support quest for intelligence project$25,0002024 tax year
- American Shakespeare Center · Support theatre$25,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kathleen Walker — Director
- Celia W Rutt — Director
- James P Rutt — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $553,398 | $450,000 | $8,799,808 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $525,387 | $416,000 | $10,139,916 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $648,027 | $520,000 | $10,140,713 | Filing for 2024 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Proteus Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (540) 662-3417
- Middleburg, VA
Applying to Proteus Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (540) 662-3417
- Middleburg, VA