John and Julie Schmidt Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application will not be considered; a small charity should seek an introduction first.
- Its recorded grants cover faith communities, community-development and basic-needs groups, arts and cultural bodies, youth groups, libraries and literacy, environmental and land conservation, and health and social-service charities, mostly for general support, with some capital-campaign and charitable-event giving.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $1,000 and $51,000, the median is $10,000, and half of its grants to organisations were $10,000 or less, so a modest request fits its usual giving, though its largest grant was about $1,100,000 and the band is not a ceiling.
- Around 91% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had already funded, so a newcomer should expect relationship-building to matter.
- The filing shows grants mainly in Wisconsin and Kenya, but no geographic focus is stated, so that pattern is not a rule about where applicants must be based.
Overview
John and Julie Schmidt Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
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
Across the recorded grants, most stated purposes are general and unrestricted, alongside capital-campaign and charitable-event support. Recipients include faith communities, community-development and basic-needs organisations, arts and cultural institutions, youth-serving groups, libraries and literacy organisations, environmental and land-conservation bodies, and health and social-service charities. The recorded giving thus spans a range of nonprofit organisations and includes both general support and contributions connected with capital projects and charitable events. It is a description of past grants rather than a statement of eligibility or a public invitation to apply.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Wisconsin and Kenya.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 91% 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 83 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 44%
- The largest single recipient received 44% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to organisations John and Julie Schmidt Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 44% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Kenya).
- 6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 28 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $7,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- First Congregational United Church of Christ · General & Unrestricted$100,0002024 tax year
- Riverview Gardens · General & Unrestricted$65,6502024 tax year
- Victory Community Development Centre · General & Unrestricted$64,4972024 tax year
- Kenya Works · General & Unrestricted$50,6002024 tax year
- Basic Needs Giving Partnership · General & Unrestricted$50,0002024 tax year
- Trout Museum of Art · Capital Campaign for New Museum$50,0002024 tax year
- Music That Matters · General & Unrestricted$25,0002024 tax year
- Valley Packaging Industries · Capital Campaign$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
- Soyona Rafatjah — Vice President
- Zachary Schmidt — Vice President
- Samuel Schmidt — Vice President
- Luke Schmidt — Vice President
- John A Schmidt — Director, Co- President
- Daniel Schmidt — Vice President
- Chelsea Schmidt — Vice President
- Julie A Schaller-Schmidt — Co- President, Director, Secretary, Treasurer
- Greg Groggel — Vice President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $442,951 | $413,000 | $5,755,397 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,882,888 | $1,842,210 | $13,136,821 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $668,773 | $571,197 | $24,651,639 | 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 John and Julie Schmidt Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
Applying to John and Julie Schmidt Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE