Grantmakers › District of Columbia
American University
Washington, DC · EIN 53-0196549. Reported 171 grants totalling $13.2M to 90 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For American University, the IRS classifies it under education rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE B43) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 90 distinct organizations, with 7% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 62% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 57% median for grantmaking charities -- noticeably lower than the 67% private foundations manage. Organizations like this one rotate more of their list each year, which is where an opening for a newcomer tends to be.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $48,000. Half of what it reported fell between $22,987 and $100,000; the smallest was $5,350 and the largest $681,887. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
57 of those grants were non-cash -- goods, property or services worth $4,962,652 in total. In-kind giving is real support but it is not a cheque.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | $960,717 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $852,130 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | $839,138 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical Co | Baton Rouge, LA | $518,208 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX | $444,994 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $402,409 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | $400,995 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| I Earn Inc | New York, NY | $397,474 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Partnership for a Secure America Inc | Washington, DC | $327,314 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Trustees of Boston University | Boston, MA | $305,127 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Pytho LLC | Brooklyn, NY | $296,244 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Insight Crime Incorporated | Washington, DC | $293,672 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| University of the District of Columbia | Washington, DC | $282,593 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Maryland Institute | Baltimore, MD | $260,091 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $252,714 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Massachusetts Association of Health Boards Inc | Duxbury, MA | $231,149 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | Urbana, IL | $229,784 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | $226,819 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | $226,791 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Arkansas System | Fayetteville, AR | $222,233 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Trinity College | Washington, DC | $210,677 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| George Washington University | Ashburn, VA | $201,980 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Regents of the University of California | Oakland, CA | $193,047 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | Somerville, MA | $188,316 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Howard University | Washington, DC | $169,341 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Nova Southeastern University Inc | Ft Lauderdale, FL | $157,490 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | $149,429 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Regents of the University of California Davis | Los Angeles, CA | $140,045 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Arizona | Tempe, AZ | $140,024 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Brown University of Providence | Providence, RI | $137,369 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | $128,691 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Research Foundation for the State University of New York | Albany, NY | $127,371 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Gallaudet University | Washington, DC | $126,731 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| University of Arkansas | Little Rock, AK | $121,129 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Florida International University Board of Trustees | Miami, FL | $120,783 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | $117,585 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Washington University | St Louis, MO | $116,872 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| World Wildlife Fund Inc | Washington, DC | $113,407 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | $111,080 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC | $108,343 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Bard College | Annandale, NY | $105,200 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Knowledge Ecology International Inc | Washington, DC | $102,083 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Building Bridges Across the River | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Environmental Protection Network | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Freshfarm Markets Inc | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Jessica Stuart Media Inc | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| DC Central Kitchen Inc | Washington, DC | $96,741 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Temple University-of the Commonwealth System of Higher Educ | Philadelphia, PA | $95,625 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia, SC | $93,330 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | Somerville, MA | $88,608 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University at Albany | Albany, NY | $82,624 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Inspire Project Inc | Alexandria, VA | $76,495 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wesley Theological Seminary of the Methodist Church | Washington, DC | $69,875 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | $64,412 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Childrens Research Institute | Washington, DC | $63,148 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Connecticut | Portland, ME | $56,081 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Leadership Council for Healthy Communities Inc | Washington, DC | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Georgia State University Research Foundation Inc | Atlanta, GA | $54,227 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Trustees of Purdue University | West Lafayette, IN | $49,428 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| National Opinion Research Center | Chicago, IL | $48,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL | $46,589 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists Inc | Cambridge, MA | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rhode Island Hospital | Providence, RI | $43,662 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Regents of the University of Colorado | Denver, CO | $41,582 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Iearn Inc | New York, NY | $40,850 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $39,995 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boise State University | Boise, ID | $35,208 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Texas A&m University | College Station, TX | $33,318 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | $30,651 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC | $28,936 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Science Systems and Applications Inc | Lanham, MD | $27,310 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The George Washington University | Washington, DC | $26,247 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Houston System | Houston, TX | $25,494 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Hawaii | Honolulu, HI | $24,835 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Connecticut | New Haven, CT | $23,754 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Urban Outreach Ministries Inc | Washington, DC | $22,987 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Inspire Project Inc | Alexandria, VA | $22,615 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Urban Institute | Washington, DC | $22,341 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY | $17,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Texas A&m University | College Station, TX | $16,421 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $16,391 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Trabajadores Unidos De Washington DC | Washington, DC | $15,510 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $13,974 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Regents of the University of California at Berkeley | Riverside, CA | $13,868 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $13,650 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $12,590 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Regents of the University of California at San Diego | La Jolla, CA | $10,105 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Abt Global Inc | Rockville, MD | $9,412 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA | $8,672 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Texas | Austin, TX | $6,952 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
45 of 90 (50%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 45 of 90 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 32 | $1,950,539 | $41,916 |
| 2021 | 35 | $2,027,180 | $46,000 |
| 2022 | 47 | $4,247,231 | $53,820 |
| 2023 | 57 | $4,962,652 | $46,008 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
27% of its giving went to organizations in District of Columbia. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available 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 grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $48,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in District of Columbia.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from American University's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 55 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 2 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 4400 Massachusetts Ave Nw, Washington, DC, 20016.
EIN 53-0196549 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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