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The Joseph S Bruno Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.5M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.1M
Decision Time
2mo

The Joseph S Bruno Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $549,500 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only proposals)
  • Decision Time: 60 days from application deadline
  • Grant Range: $3,000 - $50,000 (typical operating grants)
  • Geographic Focus: Greater Birmingham, AL area
  • Application Cycles: Two annual cycles (January and July)

Contact Details

Address: 2151 Highland Avenue South, Suite 240, Birmingham, AL 35205
Phone: (205) 313-4814
Website: https://jsbcf.org/
Email: csmith@jsbcf.org (Christie Smith, Program Manager)
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-Noon

Overview

Established in 1985, The Joseph S Bruno Charitable Foundation is a family foundation operated by fourth-generation members of the Bruno family. With assets of approximately $18 million, the foundation distributes around $550,000 annually to support Birmingham-area nonprofits. Joseph S. Bruno, the son of Italian immigrants, founded a small grocery store in 1932 during the Great Depression that grew into the multi-billion-dollar Bruno's supermarket chain (Piggly Wiggly and Food Fair). His philanthropic philosophy—"it is not the amount of money you give, but how much you give of yourself"—continues to guide the foundation's work. The foundation prioritizes the region's least-served and most vulnerable people across four key areas: education, health, community needs, and arts and culture. The foundation is a strategic partner in the Bold Goals Coalition of Central Alabama, working toward community-wide improvements in education and health outcomes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation offers three types of support through a competitive two-cycle application process:

  • General Operating Support Grants: $3,000 - $50,000 (median: $10,000-$15,000) - Core support for organizational operations
  • Multi-Year Grants: Available by invitation after consultation with Executive Director
  • Capital Grants: Limited availability, requires pre-application discussion with Executive Director

Application Method: Two annual cycles with letter of inquiry deadlines (January 31 and July 31), followed by invitation-only full proposals.

Priority Areas

Education (Primary Focus)

  • High-quality early childhood education programs
  • K-12 interventions to improve reading and math outcomes
  • Out-of-school enrichment and mentoring opportunities
  • Programs improving academic outcomes, graduation rates, and career readiness for underserved students

Health (Primary Focus)

  • Healthcare access for vulnerable and low-income communities
  • Mental health services
  • Nutrition and preventative healthcare programs
  • Exercise and wellness initiatives
  • Alignment with Bold Goals Coalition commitments: "good nutrition, quality healthcare and positive emotional environments"

Community Needs (Secondary Focus)

  • Human services and basic needs support
  • Recreation programs

Arts & Culture (Secondary Focus)

  • Arts programming, particularly serving underserved populations

Recent Grant Recipients: YMCA of Birmingham, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Foundry Ministries, Red Mountain Theater Company, Salvation Army, United Ability, Literacy Council of Central Alabama, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Space One Eleven, Birmingham Museum of Art, Studio by the Tracks, Dance Foundation, Birmingham Children's Theater, Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, Preschool Partners, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Meals on Wheels of Central Alabama, Southeastern Diabetes Education Services, and AIDS Alabama.

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside Greater Birmingham area
  • Individuals
  • Sponsorships or fundraising events
  • Individual schools (must be nonprofit organizations serving multiple schools)
  • Endowments or scholarships
  • Religious organizations for religious purposes
  • Political organizations or candidates

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership:

  • Marian L. Phillips - President
  • Jennifer B. Gray - Executive Director
  • Christie T. Smith - Program Manager

Board of Directors:

  • Megan LaRussa Chenoweth
  • Chelsey LaRussa Heslop
  • Benny M. LaRussa, Jr.
  • Karen L. Persinger
  • Thomas M. Persinger
  • Robert H. Sprain, Jr.

Joseph S. Bruno Legacy Impact Board: Created in 2017, this next-generation board comprises 15 fourth-generation Bruno family members who are "developing a new generation of philanthropists." Members include Olivia LaRussa Anderson, Siobhan Anderson, Mary Evelyn Barnette, and 12 other family members.

The foundation remains deeply rooted in Joseph S. Bruno's philosophy. He credited his success to faith, stating: "First and foremost, everything we have comes from God." His belief that philanthropy is about giving of yourself, not just money, continues to shape the foundation's approach to community partnership.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Letter of Inquiry

  • Submit online through Foundant grants management system
  • Two annual submission windows:
    • Cycle 1: January 1-31 (Due: January 31)
    • Cycle 2: July 1-31 (Due: July 31)
  • Brief inquiry form describing your organization and proposed project

Step 2: Review and Invitation

  • Foundation reviews all letters of inquiry
  • Notification sent approximately 2 weeks after deadline:
    • Cycle 1: February 13
    • Cycle 2: August 21
  • Only selected applicants invited to submit full proposals

Step 3: Full Application (by invitation only)

  • Complete detailed application through Foundant
  • Deadlines:
    • Cycle 1: February 27
    • Cycle 2: September 4

Pre-Application Recommendations:

  • Review "Grant Policies" and "Focus Areas" pages thoroughly before applying
  • For multi-year or capital grant requests, contact Executive Director Jennifer Gray before applying
  • Contact Christie Smith (csmith@jsbcf.org) for Foundant account setup issues

Decision Timeline

  • Decision timeframe: Within 60 days of full application deadline
  • Notification method: Email and through Foundant portal
  • The foundation made 38 awards in 2023, 45 in 2022, 29 in 2021, and 34 in 2020

Success Rates

The foundation does not publish specific success rate data. However, the invitation-only proposal process indicates competitive selection at the letter of inquiry stage. The foundation's preference for well-established organizations with proven track records suggests selectivity in grantmaking decisions.

Reapplication Policy

Important restriction: After receiving three consecutive years of funding, organizations must wait one year before reapplying. This policy ensures the foundation can support a diverse range of organizations and encourages grantees to develop sustainable funding models.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in future cycles—there is no waiting period for organizations that were not funded.

Application Success Factors

The foundation's website identifies key characteristics of successful applicants:

Organizational Strength:

  • Strong staff and board leadership
  • Sustainable operations and funding streams (demonstrating financial diversity)
  • Nonprofit status for at least 2 years
  • Broad financial support from multiple sources

Partnership and Collaboration:

  • Commitment to partnership with the foundation
  • Collaborative approaches that leverage impact
  • Alignment with community-wide initiatives like Bold Goals Coalition

Program Effectiveness:

  • Proven program effectiveness with measurable outcomes
  • Programs reaching Birmingham's least-served children, teens, and vulnerable populations
  • Focus on improving academic outcomes, graduation rates, and career readiness (education)
  • Programs increasing access to health and mental health services (health)

Strategic Alignment:

  • Clear alignment with foundation's primary focus areas (education and health)
  • Projects that address systemic barriers facing underserved communities
  • Programs supporting Bold Goals Coalition objectives

Recent Grant Examples: The foundation's 2019 trust distribution of $15.6 million in nine grants (separate from annual grantmaking) illustrates their support for transformative projects: Oasis Women's Counseling Center ($2.5 million for endowment), McWane Science Center ($1 million for plaza renovation), Auburn University ($2.5 million for study abroad program), and Children's Hospital of Alabama ($4.5 million for Pediatric Diabetes Fellowship Program). These major grants demonstrate the foundation's commitment to long-term impact and capacity building.

Foundation Philosophy: The foundation seeks to build "stronger communities" and create "a strong community that nurtures and supports all its families and children with access to opportunity, enrichment and achievement." Applications should demonstrate how proposed work advances this vision.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Start with alignment: The foundation prioritizes education and health; these areas receive strongest consideration. Community needs and arts are secondary priorities.
  • Geography matters: Must serve Greater Birmingham area. The foundation explicitly limits giving to Birmingham and a few surrounding towns.
  • Build sustainability first: Foundation values organizations with diverse funding streams and operational stability. Don't rely on JSBCF as sole or primary funder.
  • Two-year track record required: Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status for at least 2 years before applying.
  • Letter of inquiry is critical: Only invited applicants submit full proposals, so the initial letter must clearly demonstrate alignment, need, and organizational capacity.
  • Plan for multi-year or capital requests: Contact Executive Director before applying for these grants to discuss feasibility and fit.
  • Three-year funding limit: After three consecutive years of support, organizations must pause for one year. Plan succession funding accordingly.
  • Emphasize vulnerable populations: The foundation explicitly prioritizes "the region's least-served and most vulnerable people"—demonstrate how your program reaches these communities.
  • Connect to Bold Goals Coalition: If your work aligns with Bold Goals objectives in education or health, make this connection explicit.
  • Small to medium grants: Typical grants range $3,000-$50,000 with median around $10,000-$15,000. Match request to organizational size and foundation's giving patterns.

References

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