Joseph Drown Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is in Los Angeles County and relates to education, the foundation's primary focus, it is worth approaching, though it also funds health and social services, medical and scientific research, and arts and humanities.
- Most of its grants to organisations fall in a typical band of $20,000 to $100,000, with a median of $30,000, so a request in that range fits best.
- Submit online by one of the deadlines of January 15, April 15, July 15 or October 15, registering for an account first.
- Repeat funding is substantial, with 64% of grant dollars to organisations going to groups it had already funded in the filing's earlier years, so a new applicant should expect most support to go to existing grantees.
- Do not apply for capital campaigns, building funds, endowments, annual meetings, conferences or special events, religious programmes, fundraising event tickets, or grants to individuals.
Overview
Joseph Drown Foundation is a US private foundation based in Los Angeles, CA.
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 focus is education, particularly quality public education and programmes seeking solutions to problems in Los Angeles area schools. It supports work to educate children and young people in grades K–12, with particular interest in charter schools, teacher professional development and college access; grants may go directly to schools or to non-profit organisations working in the field. It also makes some grants to independent secondary schools for student financial assistance. In community health and social services, it supports education and family support, health services, leadership and character development, and considers programmes that address poverty and assist economically disadvantaged people to promote social mobility. Medical and scientific research grants are initiated by the Foundation. Arts and humanities are a lesser focus, with grants primarily for outreach and education. Most grantmaking is limited to programmes or organisations in Los Angeles County, though special projects related to its mission may fall outside established interests or geographic limitations.
Themes
- Education
- Health & social services
- Medical & scientific research
- Arts & humanities
Geographic Focus
Priority: Los Angeles County.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Endowments
- Capital campaigns
- Building funds
- Annual meetings, conferences or special events
- Religious programs
- Purchase tickets to fundraising events
How to apply
Organisations submit proposals online by the recurring deadlines. The online application accepts supporting documents; new users need to register for an account.
Deadlines: January 15; April 15; July 15; and October 15.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 64% 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 251 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation favours programmes that address or prevent poverty and assist economically disadvantaged people to promote social mobility.
- The Foundation’s primary focus is education, with particular interest in charter schools, teacher professional development and college access.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 7% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 64% of grant dollars went to organisations Joseph Drown 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 91 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $35,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Lulu's Place · Operating support$500,0002024 tax year
- Great Public Schools Now · Operating support$250,0002024 tax year
- KIPP SoCal Public Schools · Operating support$200,0002024 tax year
- Step Up Tutoring · Operating support$200,0002024 tax year
- College Track · College completion program$150,0002024 tax year
- EdVoice Institute for Research and Education · Operating support$150,0002024 tax year
- LA Promise Fund · Operating support$150,0002024 tax year
- UCLA Foundation · Watts leadership institute$125,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ann Miller — CFO & Executive Director of Investment
- Deborah Krakow — Secretary, Director
- Jean Kaplan — Director
- Eric Fleiss — Treasurer, Director
- Marlene Canter — Director
- Nadine Bell — Director
- Alyssa Santino — Executive Director of Programs
- Wendy Wachtell — Chairman & CEO, Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,965,162 | $3,199,500 | $88,513,386 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $7,649,661 | $5,139,500 | $94,025,800 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $6,518,289 | $5,286,600 | $94,820,956 | 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 Drown Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (310) 277-4488
- anamaria@jdrown.org
- Los Angeles, CA
- jdrown.org
Applying to Joseph Drown Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (310) 277-4488
- anamaria@jdrown.org
- Los Angeles, CA
- jdrown.org