The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation is based in Metairie, Louisiana, and its stated geographic focus is Louisiana and Mississippi, with priority given to the Jefferson Parish MSA, parts of the Louisiana coastline and the United States, so groups working in those areas are the natural fit.
- Its work centres on shelter and food security, basic science, medical research, STEM education, service learning and environmental research, and it favours core human-suffering initiatives over economic-development or recreational projects.
- It paid $5,489,501 in its most recent filing, but no grant range is stated, so build the request around one specific, defined project, since it prefers that to general operating support and favours its own programmes over unsolicited projects, rather than guessing a size from its total giving.
- Groups seeking funds for advocacy, lobbying, an endowment or capital campaign, a brick-and-mortar build-out, or work that re-grants money through another body should not apply, as the foundation does not fund these.
- Check its SupportSTEM window, typically November through mid-March, and be ready to show at least two complete years of well-documented operating history (three preferred), since it may contact past partners to check impact claims.
Overview
The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation is a US private foundation based in Metairie, LA.
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 mission is to alleviate human suffering and support educational initiatives. It describes its work as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and developing new treatments for the sick, alongside community-benefit and human-interest programmes. It supports basic science and medical research, and its education work includes K–12 initiatives with a strong preference for STEM and service learning. It supports quality projects across the United States, particularly in medical research and basic science, while directing a plurality of its annual giving to the Jefferson Parish MSA and parts of the Louisiana coastline. It generally prefers specific projects or programmes over general operating support and favours core human-suffering initiatives over economic-development or recreational projects.
Themes
- Shelter and food security
- Basic science
- Medical research
- STEM education
- Service learning
- Environmental research
Geographic Focus
Louisiana; Mississippi. Priority: Jefferson Parish MSA; parts of the Louisiana coastline; United States.
What They Don't Fund
- An advocacy-based program
- One engaged in governmental lobbying
- An endowment or capital campaign
- A brick and mortar build out
- Fiscal intermediary agencies or groups that re-grant out a monetary award
How to apply
Invited organisations receive a password or other instructions for completing the formal application.
Deadlines: The SupportSTEM application window typically runs from November through mid-March.
Application success factors
What the foundation says:
- The foundation favours core human-suffering initiatives, including medical research, over economic-development or recreational projects.
- It prefers objective impact measures linked to alleviating human suffering or furthering scientific knowledge.
- The foundation expects at least two complete years of well-documented, positive full-scale operating history and prefers three.
- It prefers a specific project or programme over general operating support.
- It considers an organisation’s main activities and does not stretch to fit it into a programme.
- The foundation favours programmes and initiatives it develops itself over unsolicited projects.
- It may investigate information in an LOI and contact groups the organisation has worked with to ask about impact or methodologies.
Officers and directors
- Ronald P Spencer — PRG / MBR
- Edwin K Hunter — PRG / MBR
- David B Spencer — Chair / PRG / MBR
- E F Hunter — President / PRG / MBR
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,289,702 | $3,065,781 | $140,091,017 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $6,083,925 | $4,275,313 | $157,737,077 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $7,388,663 | $5,489,501 | $168,040,411 | 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 The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation?
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Applying to The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required