Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Organisations working in the Greater Birmingham area in education, health, arts and culture, or community needs fit the foundation's priorities, while those based or working outside that area should not apply, and nor should requests for individuals, sponsorships, fundraising events or conferences, endowments or scholarships, individual schools, religious purposes, or political causes.
- Most grants fall between $5,000 and $20,000 with a median of $10,000, so a request in that range is a realistic starting point, although the largest grant was $100,000 and that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- Submit a brief inquiry through the online grants system for either Cycle 1 (letter of intent by January 31, applications by February 27) or Cycle 2 (letter of intent by July 31, applications by September 4), and speak with the Executive Director before applying for a multi-year or capital grant.
- In the most recent filing, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations the foundation had also funded in earlier filings, so a first approach should show strong leadership, partnership with other nonprofits and government agencies, a broad base of financial support and proven programme effectiveness.
Overview
Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Birmingham, AL.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s primary commitment is an educated and healthy community, with education and health as its leading priorities. Its education resources target underserved students and programmes that improve academic performance, graduation rates and job readiness, as well as early childhood learning and school readiness. In health, it supports access to health and mental health care, healthy and affordable food, healthy lifestyles and preventive measures such as parks and greenspaces. Its secondary priorities are arts and culture, including access for school-aged children, and community needs: basic human services for at-risk children and adults living in poverty or with disabilities, safe places to live, and job training and workforce development. It provides financial and leadership support to organisations in the greater Birmingham area and, in some cases, considers general operating support, multi-year and capital grants.
Themes
- Education
- Health
- Arts and culture
- Community needs
Geographic Focus
Greater Birmingham area.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations outside the Greater Birmingham area
- Individuals
- Sponsorships, fundraising events or conferences
- Individual schools
- Endowments or Scholarships
- Religious organizations for religious purposes
- Political organizations or candidates
How to apply
Organisations submit a brief inquiry through the online grants system twice a year. The inquiry form requests information about the organisation and project.
Deadlines:
- Grant Cycle 1 letter of intent is due January 31 and applications are due February 27.
- Grant Cycle 2 letter of intent is due July 31 and applications are due September 4.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 69% 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 123 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Successful applicants have strong staff and board leadership.
- Successful applicants have a track record of sustainable operations and funding.
- Successful applicants are committed to working in partnership with other nonprofits and government agencies.
- Successful applicants have a broad base of financial support.
- Successful applicants demonstrate proven programme effectiveness.
- Successful applicants have held nonprofit status for at least two years.
- Applicants considering a multi-year or capital grant are strongly encouraged to speak with the Executive Director before applying.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 40 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs · Charitable$100,0002024 tax year
- Auburn University Foundation · Charitable$40,0002024 tax year
- YouthServe · Charitable$25,0002024 tax year
- Junior Achievement of Alabama · Charitable$25,0002024 tax year
- Foundations Early Learning and Family Center · Charitable$20,0002024 tax year
- Birmingham Talks · Charitable$15,0002024 tax year
- Wooley Institute for Spoken Language · Charitable$15,0002024 tax year
- Salvation Army · Charitable$15,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jennifer Gray — Executive Director
- Thomas Persinger — Board Member
- Megan Larussa Chenoweth — Board Member
- Karen Persinger — Board Member
- Marian L Phillips — Vice Chairman
- Robert H Sprain Jr — Secretary
- Benny M Larussa Jr — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $932,631 | $665,100 | $16,902,586 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $724,534 | $464,500 | $18,091,676 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $796,428 | $549,500 | $19,599,635 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (205) 313-4814
- csmith@jsbcf.org
- Birmingham, AL
- jsbcf.org
Applying to Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (205) 313-4814
- csmith@jsbcf.org
- Birmingham, AL
- jsbcf.org