Mr & Mrs Sanford N Mcdonnell
Saint Albans, MO · EIN 43-1104889. Reported 203 grants totalling $1,400,250 to 69 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Mr & Mrs Sanford N Mcdonnell did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $2,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $1,000 and $5,000; the smallest was $100 and the largest $100,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characterorg | Sterling, VA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of New Mexico Foundation | Albuquerque, NM | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Characterplus | St Louis, MO | $217,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Salvation Army | St Louis, MO | $85,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Opera Theatre of Saint Louis | St Louis, MO | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Missouri Historical Society | St Louis, MO | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Transformational Prayer Foundation | Albuquerque, NM | $35,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Drake University (character Counts) | Des Moines, IA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Focus on the Family | Colorado Springs, CO | $23,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | $22,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Arts & Education Council | St Louis, MO | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nine Network of Public Media | St Louis, MO | $19,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Webster University | St Louis, MO | $17,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Donald Danforth Plant Science Center | St Louis, MO | $13,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Union Avenue Opera | St Louis, MO | $13,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Washington University | St Louis, MO | $13,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| United Way of Greater St Louis | St Louis, MO | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Winter Opera St Louis | St Louis, MO | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mighty Oaks Foundation | Montgomery, TX | $11,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | St Louis, MO | $11,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sappington House Foundation | St Louis, MO | $10,400 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Kilo Diabetes & Vascular Research Foundation | Saint Louis, MO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Museum of Transportation Foundation | St Louis, MO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Robert D & Billie Ray Center Drake University | Des Moines, IA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Samaritan's Purse | Boone, NC | $10,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Missouri-St Louis | St Louis, MO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| USO of Missouri Inc | St Louis, MO | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bach Society of Saint Louis | St Louis, MO | $9,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Student Mobilization | Conway, AR | $9,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Forest Park Forever | St Louis, MO | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund | Oceanside, CA | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wings of Hope | Chesterfield, MO | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Youth in Need | St Charles, MO | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Art Museum Foundation | St Louis, MO | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Zoo Annual Fund | St Louis, MO | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mount Royal Academy | Sunapee, NH | $6,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Parents Television and Media Council | Burbank, CA | $6,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Science Center | St Louis, MO | $6,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cardigan Mountain School | Canaan, NH | $6,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lake Sunapee Protective Association | Sunapee, NH | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Symphony | St Louis, MO | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra | Saint Louis, MO | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Trail Life-USA | Belton, SC | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Fenton, MO | $5,600 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Metropolitan Opera Association-St Louis | St Louis, MO | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Air Force Academy Foundation | Usafa, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Faith Lutheran Pyc | Ofallon, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Missouri- Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Cancer Society | St Louis, MO | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Navigators | Albert Lea, MN | $4,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Family Research Council | Washington, DC | $3,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mighty Oaks Foundation | Murrieta, CA | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Family Association | Tupelo, MS | $2,700 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| American Red Cross | St Louis, MO | $2,050 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Saint Louis Symphony Powell Hall | Saint Louis, MO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Usafa Endowment Fund | Usafa, CO | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Heart Association-St Louis | St Louis, MO | $1,700 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kearsarge Regional School District | North Sutton, NH | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Ann's Academy | Bridgeport, CT | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| College of the Ozarks | Point Lookout, MO | $1,300 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Metropolitan Opera Association- Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| State University of New York- Cortland | Cortland, NY | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Navigators | Colorado Springs, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| US Air Force Academy | US Air Force Academy, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kearsarge Regional High School | North Sutton, NH | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Miriam Foundation | Saint Louis, MO | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Saint Ann Parochial School | Bridgeport, CT | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Easter Seals | St Louis, MO | $400 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| American Heart Association- Missouri Chapter | Saint Louis, MO | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
54 of 69 (78%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 90%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Characterorg
FOR GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE ORGANIZATION. - University of New Mexico Foundation
FOR THE JOHN D. ROBB COMPOSERS SYMPOSIUM AND MUSICAL TRUST. - Transformational Prayer Foundation
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN D. ROBB - National Museum of Transportation Foundation
FOR THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. - Washington University
FOR THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC. - Webster University
FOR THE COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL AND LEIGH GERDINE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 119 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49 | $248,150 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | 49 | $341,950 | $1,500 |
| 2023 | 52 | $328,550 | $1,000 |
| 2024 | 53 | $481,600 | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 47% of this one's giving went to organizations in Missouri. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $2,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Missouri.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Mr & Mrs Sanford N Mcdonnell's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 110, Saint Albans, MO, 63073. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 43-1104889 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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