Who funds American University?
111 private foundations reported grants to American University in Washington, District of Columbia totaling $10.9 million across 133 grants in tax years 2023 to 2025. The largest funder was The David and June Trone Family Foundation, with $1.5 million.
From the funders' IRS Form 990-PF filings.
- Foundation funders111
- Grants reported133
- Total received$10.9 million
- Funders taking applications35
Foundations that fund American University
| Foundation | Purpose given | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The David and June Trone Family Foundation | Trone family eminent scholar chair in neuroscience and behavior | 3 | $1.5 million |
| Laura and John Arnold Foundation | To support the postsecondary equity and economics research ("peer") project and its efforts on accountability and student loan research, policy development and technical assistance. | 1 | $1.1 million |
| Margaret A Cargill Foundation | Support to improve access to maternal and child health | 1 | $1.0 million |
| The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | For support of the program on legislative negotiation | 5 | $725,000 |
| The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | 80139 employing comedy as a cultural change strategy for social justice, health equity, and civic power | 4 | $671,863 |
| The Ford Foundation | Core support for the accountability research center to implement a series of learning exchanges on reimaging democracy | 2 | $550,146 |
| Alfred P Sloan Foundation | To develop and implement a community-oriented engagement approach on marine carbon dioxide removal (mcdr) in partnership with[c]worthy, a focused research organization | 1 | $501,463 |
| Samueli Foundation | General operations for peril | 1 | $500,000 |
| Perspective Media Initiatives Inc | State of the documentary field study | 2 | $354,533 |
| The David and Lucile Packard Foundation | Environment and Science | 1 | $300,000 |
| Wyncote Foundation | Support for current | 1 | $297,500 |
| John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | In support of the center for media and social impact (cmsi) | 3 | $285,000 |
| Endeavor Foundation Inc | Championing and expanding college civic and democracy learning | 1 | $275,000 |
| Foundation to Promote Open Society | To support the center for media & social impact's yes and ... Laughter lab housed at american university | 2 | $275,000 |
| Walton Family Foundation Inc | To enhance and expand the engagement strategies of the "Upstream, Downriver" documentary project. | 1 | $250,000 |
| Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation | To support the sylvia m. Burwell changemakers scholarship fund. | 1 | $250,000 |
| Park Foundation Inc | General operating support | 1 | $225,000 |
| Russell Sage Foundation | Escape from the criminal state | 3 | $140,000 |
| UW Harold S Geneen Charitable Tr | Scholarships | 1 | $140,000 |
| Carnegie Corporation of New York | For Post-Doctoral Fellows at American University and Life and Peace Institute | 1 | $124,900 |
| The Veloric Foundation | Contribution | 1 | $105,500 |
| Apgar Foundation Inc | Political theory institute/lincoln scholars | 1 | $100,000 |
| Litowitz Foundation Inc | Education | 1 | $100,000 |
| Duber Family Foundation | Duber hall pledge payment | 4 | $90,250 |
| Charles Stewart Mott Foundation | To improve the social and environmental outcomes of development finance institutions by holding them accountable to their own commitments for engaging affected communities. | 2 | $85,000 |
| Humanity United | Peacebuilding | 1 | $75,000 |
| The Alper Family Foundation Inc DBA the Teach to Work Foundation | Alper initiative for washington art endowed fund | 2 | $75,000 |
| Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship Foundation | To award one student a scholarship pursuant to the private foundation's individual grant-making procedures as approved under 26 usc 4945(g)(1) per irs determination letter | 1 | $71,546 |
| Once Upon A Time Foundation | General support | 1 | $66,500 |
| The James & Theodore Pedas Family Foundation Inc | To be used for exempt purpose | 1 | $60,000 |
| Hobsonlucas Family Foundation | Sylvia m burwell changemakers scholarship fund | 1 | $50,000 |
| The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation | Support for educational whitepapers and workshops on navigating emerging technologies | 1 | $50,000 |
| Marc Charitable Fund Inc | For the donee organizations charitable use | 1 | $50,000 |
| Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation Inc | Art program | 1 | $45,000 |
| Cora and John H Davis Foundation Inc | General operating support | 1 | $40,000 |
| The Knapp Family Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $35,000 |
| Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art | To renew support for the center for media and social impact's yes, and... Laughter lab (yall), a professional skill-building accelerator for diverse social-justice-focused comedians and comedy writers including u.s. Muslims. | 1 | $25,000 |
| The MCJ Amelior Foundation | For general operating support | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Stanley & Joyce Black Family Foundation | To support the advancement of knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community, and empower lives of purpose, service and leadership. | 1 | $25,000 |
| Ernest Wentcher Educational Fund | Education | 1 | $20,000 |
| JM Rubin Foundation Inc | Scholarship for the benefit of a particular student | 1 | $18,000 |
| The Empire Gives Back | Donation | 1 | $15,250 |
| Driggs Foundation Inc | General donation | 1 | $13,431 |
| Ibn Al-Haitham Endowment Fund | General purpose | 1 | $10,850 |
| Jenkins Family Charitable Institute | Support Independent Journalism | 1 | $10,000 |
| Marinus and Minna B Koster Foundation | Summer study grants for music majors- koster fdn | 1 | $10,000 |
| Bernard R & Carol Kossar Foundationinc | For general purposes | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Kresge Foundation | Trustee recognition grant | 1 | $10,000 |
| John P and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Robert I Schattner Foundation Inc aka Schattner Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $10,000 |
| Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation | Wamu | 1 | $10,000 |
| Richard & Shelley Birnbaum Family Foundation | To provide financial support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Fidelity Foundation | Fidelity matching gifts to education | 1 | $7,000 |
| Wenwach Foundation | to support the Hot Jazz Saturday Night and the Big Broadcast Sunday Night | 1 | $7,000 |
| Felicia M Delorenzo Scholarship Foundation Inc #0741869 | Scholarships | 1 | $6,000 |
| Chen Frame Foundation | Education | 1 | $6,000 |
| Alice M & William E Johnson Foundation | Educational scholarship | 1 | $6,000 |
| Benz William L & Margaret L Fdn | Scholarships | 1 | $5,100 |
| Esther H Hawks Trust #0717116 | All paid directly to colleges/universities for tuition & fees | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Austin Foundation Inc | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $5,000 |
| Ann B & Thomas L Friedman Family Found | All contributions made for the intent established by the various charities | 1 | $5,000 |
| The H & F Baker Foundation Inc | To promote the work of American University | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Schlegel Deibler Charitable Foundation Inc | Further mission of organization | 1 | $5,000 |
| Hecht-Levi Foundation Inc | General support | 1 | $5,000 |
| Los Padres Foundation | Donation | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Zients Family Foundation | General support- sylvia burwell fund | 1 | $5,000 |
| Slotnick Foundation | General | 1 | $5,000 |
| M K Reichert Sternlicht Foundation | General Support for Podcasts | 1 | $5,000 |
| Good Words Foundation | Wamu public radio | 1 | $5,000 |
| Gabelli Foundation Inc | Provide operating funds | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Lois & Irving Blum Foundation Inc | Scholarship | 1 | $4,000 |
| Jack B Sacks Foundation Inc | Educational | 1 | $4,000 |
| Roger S Phelps Scholarship | Scholarship award | 1 | $4,000 |
| The Rogers Foundation | Scholarships | 1 | $3,500 |
| Almond M Paine Trust | Scholarships | 1 | $3,400 |
| Quincy Women's Club Trust | Scholarships | 1 | $2,000 |
| HORACE HURLBUTT MEMORIAL FUND TRUST Wilmington Trust | Scholarship | 1 | $2,000 |
| Wall Foundation | General Purposes of Organization | 1 | $2,000 |
| Price Arthur E UW Schlrship FD | Scholarships | 1 | $1,500 |
| Polk Bros Foundation Inc | Matching | 1 | $1,250 |
| Bruce Ford Brown Memorial Trust | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $1,200 |
| Shell USA Company Foundation | 1008 | 1 | $1,008 |
| Lunder Foundation | Alumni fund | 1 | $1,000 |
| Nancy L Nixon Foundation | Scholarship Maggie McMillan | 1 | $1,000 |
| Kazickas Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $1,000 |
| Mario Pedrozzi Scholarship Foundation | Scholarships | 1 | $1,000 |
| Rittenhouse Foundation | General fund | 1 | $1,000 |
| Thomas E & Marcia W Philips Family Foundation | Education | 1 | $1,000 |
| Breitman Family Foundation Inc | Charitable contributions | 1 | $1,000 |
| Chubb Charitable Foundation | Matching Gifts | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Freedom Forum Inc | Free spirit scholarship | 1 | $1,000 |
| Dicarlo Plank Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $1,000 |
| Tarbell Family Foundation | Journalism Department of the School of Communications | 1 | $1,000 |
| Jpmorgan Chase Foundation | Matching contribution (general operating support) | 1 | $900 |
| Allotta Family Foundation PFDN | General operating | 1 | $800 |
| Verizon Foundation | Other civic / community | 2 | $750 |
| The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation | Miscellaneous | 1 | $600 |
| Essex Veterans of World War II Charitable Tru | Scholarship | 1 | $500 |
| The Sally M and Stephen Herman Foundation Inc | General charitable purposes | 1 | $500 |
| Hertog Foundation Inc | For providing educational opportunities | 1 | $500 |
Using this list
A foundation that already gives to American University gives in its field and region, so the list doubles as a prospect list for similar organizations in Washington. Open a foundation to see its application rules, typical grant and every other grant it paid.
Questions people ask
Who funds American University?
The David and June Trone Family Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Margaret A Cargill Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and 106 more, according to their IRS Form 990-PF filings.
How much does American University get from foundations?
$10.9 million in 133 reported grants from 111 private foundations in tax years 2023 to 2025. Government grants and gifts from individuals are not included.
Which of these funders accept applications?
The David and June Trone Family Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Ford Foundation and Alfred P Sloan Foundation say in their filings that they accept applications.