The Alison Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education, making large, targeted grants to a small set of colleges and universities—most prominently St. John’s College and the University of Rochester—supporting curriculum and student education. A small portion of funding goes to healthcare-related philanthropy. The foundation favors deep, recurring investments in a handful of institutional grantees rather than broad, many small grants.
Alison Foundation’s largest recent grants show a clear pattern of concentrated, high-value support for a small number of institutions. In 2023 and 2024, St. John’s College received $1,000,000, $300,000, and $700,000 for curriculum support based on its Great Books approach, making it the most prominent grantee in the recent record. The foundation also gave $250,000 in both 2023 and 2024 to the University of Rochester for student education, indicating repeated support for a selective university setting. That same institution-focused style appears in other awards, including healthcare philanthropy, music programming, youth experiences, scholarly research, and museum preservation. The giving profile is not broad-based or grassroots; it is centered on large institutional grants with recurring relationships. Alongside academic support, Alison Foundation has also backed organizations such as Roper St. Francis Foundation, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Agassiz Village, George Eastman Museum, and The Sembrich, showing a mix of education, care, arts, youth development, and cultural preservation within a regional grantmaking pattern.
Higher education is the foundation’s core emphasis. St. John’s College received multiple awards totaling $2,000,000 across 2023 and 2024 to support its curriculum based on the Great Books tradition, while the University of Rochester received $500,000 over the same two years to provide education to students. The foundation also supports health-related philanthropy: Roper St. Francis Foundation received $200,000 in 2024 for healing all people with compassion. Beyond classrooms and care, Alison Foundation funds cultural and educational enrichment. Charleston Symphony Orchestra received $60,500 in 2024 to promote the enjoyment of music, and Agassiz Village received $60,000 in 2024 to create an experience to help teens. These grants suggest a focus on institutions that deliver structured programs rather than short-term assistance.
Alison Foundation’s grant sizes are large: the typical award falls between $60,125 at the 25th percentile and $287,500 at the 75th percentile, with a median grant of $225,000. The recent record shows repeated support to the same institutions across multiple years, including St. John’s College and the University of Rochester. It is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF or program-related investor, and it does not fund individuals. The pattern is concentrated rather than dispersed, with a relatively small number of institutional grants carrying most of the activity.
$1.8M
$25.3M
$4.4M
$1.8M
Most grants fall between $60K and $288K, with a median of $225K.
25th Percentile
$60K
Median
$225K
75th Percentile
$288K
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Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants with repeat funding to the same higher-education institutions; predominantly education-focused with occasional one-off health-related grants.
Notable grantees: St. John’s College, University of Rochester, Roper St. Francis Foundation
Alison Foundation gives regionally, with recipients concentrated in the United States. New York is a major recipient state, accounting for 40% of grants, while South Carolina is the top state by grant count. Recent awards reached Annapolis, Maryland; Rochester, New York; Ladson, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Norwood, Massachusetts; and Bolton Landing, New York. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
It mainly funds colleges and universities, especially institutions receiving support for curriculum and student education. Recent grants also include a healthcare philanthropy foundation, a symphony orchestra, a youth-serving village program, and museum organizations, but higher education is the clearest recurring emphasis.
Yes. St. John’s College received three grants in the recent record across 2023 and 2024, and the University of Rochester received two grants in those same years. That repeat pattern shows ongoing institutional relationships rather than one-time awards.
The typical grant size is $60,125 at the 25th percentile, $225,000 at the median, and $287,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards include several grants at or above $250,000, which fits that larger institutional-giving profile.
Its top giving state by grant count is South Carolina. New York also appears strongly in the recent record, with 40% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $845,045 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T |
| AGASSIZ VILLAGE | NORWOOD, MA | $260,000 | 2026 | TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FDN | CLEVELAND, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $200,000 | 2026 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS |
| ROPER ST FRANCIS FOUNDATION | LADSON, SC | $200,000 | 2026 | HEALING ALL PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION |
| CHARLESTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHARLESTON, SC | $60,000 | 2026 | TO PROMOTE THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC |
| GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM | ROCHESTER, NY | $19,550 | 2026 | PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH |
| CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON | CHARLESTON, SC | $7,000 | 2026 | ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH ARTS |
| TOUCHSTONE DISCUSSION PROJECT | STEVENSVILLE, MD | $500 | 2026 | TO ENHANCE LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION |
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $900,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T |
| GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM | ROCHESTER, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS |
| ROPER ST FRANCIS FOUNDATION | LADSON, SC | $200,000 | 2025 | HEALING ALL PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION |
| CHARLESTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHARLESTON, SC | $60,000 | 2025 | TO PROMOTE THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC |
| AGASSIZ VILLAGE | NORWOOD, MA | $60,000 | 2025 | TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN |
| CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON | CHARLESTON, SC | $7,000 | 2025 | ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH ARTS |
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $700,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $250,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS |
| ROPER ST FRANCIS FOUNDATION | LADSON, SC | $200,000 | 2024 | HEALING ALL PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION |
| CHARLESTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHARLESTON, SC | $60,500 | 2024 | TO PROMOTE THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC |
| AGASSIZ VILLAGE | NORWOOD, MA | $60,000 | 2024 | TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN |
| GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM | ROCHESTER, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH |
| THE SEMBRICH | BOLTON LANDING, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | PRESERVE & PROTECT MUSEUM COLLECTION |
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $1,000,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T |
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $300,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS |
ST JOHN'S COLLEGE
$845,045TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T
AGASSIZ VILLAGE
$260,000TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN
CLEVELAND CLINIC FDN
$200,000TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$200,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS
TO PROMOTE THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM
$19,550PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON
$7,000ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH ARTS
TOUCHSTONE DISCUSSION PROJECT
$500TO ENHANCE LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION
ST JOHN'S COLLEGE
$900,000TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T
GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM
$300,000PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$250,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS
AGASSIZ VILLAGE
$60,000TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN
CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON
$7,000ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH ARTS
ST JOHN'S COLLEGE
$700,000TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$250,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS
AGASSIZ VILLAGE
$60,000TO CREATE AN EXPEREINCE TO HELP TEEN
GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM
$50,000PROVIDE MEANS FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
THE SEMBRICH
$2,500PRESERVE & PROTECT MUSEUM COLLECTION
ST JOHN'S COLLEGE
$1,000,000TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T
ST JOHN'S COLLEGE
$300,000TO SUPPORT THE CURRICULUM BASED ON T
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$250,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS