The James W and Frances Gibson
Bristol, VA · EIN 26-3533035. Reported 117 grants totalling $14.0M to 63 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". The James W and Frances Gibson checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
4 of the organizations The James W and Frances Gibson funded make grants themselves, and it reported 4 grants totalling $152,500 to them. That is 2% of the $7,568,821 of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eo Companies | federated giving programme | Virginia | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 | Its form does not ask |
| Community Foundation of the Lowcountry | community foundation | South Carolina | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| United Jewish Appeal-Federation of | federated giving programme | New York | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 | Its form does not ask |
| Columbus Foundation | community foundation | Ohio | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $57,843. Half of everything it gave fell between $12,500 and $100,000; the smallest was $500 and the largest $1,000,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William & Mary Business School Foundation | Williamsburg, VA | $2,940,401 | 11 | 4 | 2024 |
| William & Mary Marshall Wythe School of Law Foundation | Williamsburg, VA | $2,939,244 | 11 | 4 | 2024 |
| Appalacian College of Pharmacy | Oakwood, VA | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Upmc Hillman Cancer Center | Pittsburgh, PA | $800,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $650,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mcv Foundation | Richmond, VA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Appalachian School of Law | Grundy, VA | $410,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Emory & Henry College | Emory, VA | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Foundation for Educational and Developmental Opportunities Inc | Bristol, VA | $375,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ecog-Acrin Medical Research Foundation Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $258,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Central Appalachia | Grundy, VA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Boy Scouts of America | Johnson City, TN | $130,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| United Way of Southwest Va | Abingdon, VA | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Communities in Schools of Appalachian Highlands | Bristol, VA | $110,700 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Evans Scholars Foundation | Glenview, IL | $105,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fellowship Chapel | Bristol, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| George W Bush Foundation | Dallas, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mountain Mission School Inc | Grundy, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Polish Christian Ministries | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Samaritan's Purse | Boone, NC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bristol Va Public Schools Education Foundation | Bristol, VA | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Communities in Schools of Sw Virginia | Bristol, VA | $54,569 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Care Center of Southwest Virginia | Richlands, VA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Milligan University | Milligan College, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St John's Episcopal Church | Naples, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Theatre Bristol | Bristol, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Communities in Schools of Virginia | Bristol, VA | $48,220 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Artis-Naples Inc | Naples, FL | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ascension St Vincent Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Abingdon Cycling Inc | Abingdon, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ballad Health Foundation | Johnson City, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bristol Va Public Schools | Bristol, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| For Zions Sake Ministires Inc | Bristol, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Heal Foundation Inc | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Symphony of the Mountains | Kingsport, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Shelter for Abused Women & Children | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wellmont Foundation | Kingsport, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Appalachian Literacy Initiative | Bristol, TN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Backpack Blessings Inc | Grundy, VA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Enhance Abingdon Foundation | Abingdon, VA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Foundation of the Lowcountry Inc | Hilton Head Island, SC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Vincent Hospital Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Young Life Collier County | Naples, FL | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| William King Museum of Art | Abingdon, VA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Golisano Childrens Museum of Naples | Naples, FL | $11,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Highlands Fellowship Church | Abingdon, VA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hopeworks | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Porter's Call | Franklin, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Chicago Lighthouse | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Jewish Appeal | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| YMCA of Bristol | Bristol, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood Health Clinic Inc | Naples, FL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pacific Ridge School | Carlsbad, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| John Battle High School | Bristol, VA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Speedway Childrens Charities | Bristol, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Columbus Foundation | Columbus, OH | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Assoc Inc | Charlotte, NC | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| John Battle High School Choral Boosters Assn | Bristol, VA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Medical College of Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Ark | Elkin, NC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
19 of 63 (30%) 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 43%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
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.
- Appalacian College of Pharmacy
PHARMACY EDUCATION TO ADDRESS HEALTH-RELATED NEEDS TO RURAL & UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES - St Jude Children's Research Hospital
SUPPORT FEDEX ST. JUDE INVITATIONAL FUNDRAISER - Upmc Hillman Cancer Center
FUND FOR HUMAN MELANOMA LAB RESEARCH - Mcv Foundation
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS - Ecog-Acrin Medical Research Foundation Inc
LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL MELANOMA PREVENTION TRIAL - Johns Hopkins University
SIDNEY KIMMEL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER FOR PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 73 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29 | $4,035,846 | $59,324 |
| 2022 | 27 | $3,064,033 | $69,387 |
| 2023 | 25 | $2,789,785 | $57,843 |
| 2024 | 36 | $4,156,470 | $31,250 |
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.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The James W and Frances Gibson has 6 of them, worth $1,350,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Emory & Henry College | Emory, VA | $400,000 |
| The Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $400,000 |
| The Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $200,000 |
| Emory & Henry College | Emory, VA | $200,000 |
| Appalacchian School of Law | Grundy, VA | $100,000 |
| Boy Scouts of America | Johnson City, TN | $50,000 |
Where its money goes
68% of its giving went to organizations in Virginia.
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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 a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The James W and Frances Gibson's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 1005 Glenway Avenue, Bristol, VA, 24201. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 26-3533035 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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