The Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation appears to focus its philanthropy narrowly on supporting regional botanical/public garden work, demonstrated by a single large grant to the Delaware Botanical Gardens. Their giving suggests interest in local environmental, horticultural, and public green-space sustainability rather than broad multisector philanthropy. This one-time award indicates a preference for substantial, impact-oriented support to a single local institution.
Concentrated, one-off large grant to a single local recipient—focused, high-value support rather than many small or diversified grants.
Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation’s recent giving is marked by repeated support for Delaware Botanical Gardens, including grants of $250,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2024 and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs specific local institutions over time rather than spreading gifts broadly. The foundation also uses substantial awards for other Delaware organizations tied to community services, education, and public benefit, with many gifts at the $100,000 level and above. Recent recipients include Delaware Hospice, Faithful Friends, First State Squash, and the University of Delaware. In the data on file, the foundation’s work is overwhelmingly in Delaware, and the grant titles consistently frame support as financial assistance. Its grant list shows a mix of cultural, educational, and human-service organizations, alongside botanical and public garden work. The recurring grants to the same recipients suggest a pattern of multi-year institutional support, with individual awards sized to make a meaningful operating or program contribution.
Botanical and horticultural work stands out in the foundation’s recent grants. Delaware Botanical Gardens received $250,000 in 2023 for financial assistance, followed by $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also supported Historic Odessa Foundation with $97,000 in 2024, indicating interest in place-based stewardship and public-facing heritage sites. Education is another clear thread. The University of Delaware received $100,000 in 2023 and again in 2024, while Aspira Academy received $75,000 in 2025 and Delaware College Scholars received $75,000 in 2024 and 2025. Human services appear as well, with Delaware Hospice awarded $125,000 in 2025 and The Ministry of Caring Inc receiving $75,000 in 2023. Faith-based and community-serving organizations also appear in the grant list, including Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.
Typical grant size clusters around a $25,000 p25, $43,050 median, and $75,000 p75, while the recent grant list also includes awards of $97,000, $100,000, $125,000, and $250,000. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including Delaware Botanical Gardens, Faithful Friends, First State Squash, Delaware College Scholars, Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, Delaware Military Academy, and The University of Delaware, which signals recurring support rather than one-time-only giving. The foundation is organized as a private foundation and funds individuals, with grant labels often described as financial assistance. The public data does not indicate an application process.
$2.1M
$29.1M
$5.8M
$2.6M
Most grants fall between $25K and $75K, with a median of $43K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$43K
75th Percentile
$75K
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Notable grantees: Delaware Botanical Gardens
Giving is highly concentrated in Delaware, which accounts for 86% of grants in the HQ state and is also the top state by grant count. Wilmington appears frequently in recipient records, along with Newark, Dagsboro, Lewes, Odessa, and Newport. Outside the main city cluster, Dagsboro and Odessa show that support reaches beyond the Wilmington area but remains within the state. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 150 grants in the United States and none elsewhere in the provided data.
The recent grants list shows support for botanical and public garden work, education, human services, and community institutions. Examples include Delaware Botanical Gardens, The University of Delaware, Delaware Hospice, Faithful Friends, and First State Squash, all funded as financial assistance.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Delaware Botanical Gardens in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Faithful Friends in 2023 and 2024; First State Squash in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Delaware College Scholars in 2024 and 2025.
The distribution centers at $25,000 for the 25th percentile, $43,050 at the median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also shows larger awards, including $97,000, $100,000, $125,000, and $250,000.
Its giving is concentrated in Delaware, which is the top state by grant count. The data shows 86% of grants going to recipients in Delaware, with recipient cities including Wilmington, Newark, Dagsboro, Lewes, Odessa, and Newport.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and the grant records repeatedly use the label financial assistance, including awards to organizations that may channel direct help, education support, or other individual-level aid.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends of Newark Free Library | Newark, DE | $127,980 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Botanical Gardens | Dagsboro, DE | $124,500 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Historic Odessa Foundation | Odessa, DE | $100,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Food Bank | Newark, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Aspira Academy | Newark, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Faithful Friends | WIlmingotn, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| The Ministry of Caring Inc | WIlmington, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware College Scholars | WIlmingotn, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| EasterSeals De Eastern Shore | New Castle, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| First State Squash | WIlmington, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Museum of Natural History | WIlmington, DE | $61,925 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Tower Hill School | Wilmington, DE | $57,500 | 2026 | Scholarship Fund |
| Stratford Hall Historic Preserve | Stratford, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Salem County Humane Society | Penns Grove, NJ | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Wilmington Friends School | WIlmington, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Sunday Breakfast Mission | WIlmington, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Vision to Learn | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Brandywine Red Clay Alliance | West Chester, PA | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Newport Rowing Club | Newport, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Centreville Layton School | Wilmington, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Lyte Scholars | wilmingotn, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Ursuline Academy | WIlmingotn, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| KIbaoni Primary School Foundation | Green Bay, WI | $40,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Kalmar Nyckel Foundation | WIlmingotn, DE | $40,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Reading Assist | Wilmington, DE | $40,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Boys and Girls Club | Wilmington, DE | $35,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Christ Church Episcopal Preschool | Wilmingotn, DE | $31,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Friendship House | Wilmingotn, DE | $30,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Nativity Preparatory School of WIlmington | Wilmingotn, DE | $28,805 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Zoological Society | WIlmingotn, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Wilmington Youth Rowing Association | Wilmingotn, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Sam's Kids Fund | Newport, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Amanecer Counseling & Resource Center | Wilmington, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Nature Conservancy | Wilmingotn, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Amistad Mission | Nashville, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Alpha Sigma Foundation | Ithica, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Urban Promise | WIlmington, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Center for Horticulture | Wilmington, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| West End Neighborhood House | Wilmington, DE | $19,500 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| UNC Library Fund | Chapel Hill, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | Financial Library Assistance |
| Delaware Children's Museum | WIlmingotn, DE | $14,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Epilepsy Foundation | Newport, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Down Syndrome Associates of Delaware | Newark, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Devereux Pennsylvania Foundation | West Chester, PA | $5,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Christ Church Christiana | Wilmingotn, DE | $5,000 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| RCW Educational Foundation | Wilmingotn, DE | $1,500 | 2026 | Financial Assistance |
| Delaware Hospice | Newark, DE | $125,000 | 2025 | Financial Assistance |
| Urban Promise | WIlmington, DE | $100,000 | 2025 | Financial Assistance |
| First State Squash | WIlmington, DE | $100,000 | 2025 | Financial Assistance |
Friends of Newark Free Library
$127,980Financial Assistance
Delaware Botanical Gardens
$124,500Financial Assistance
Historic Odessa Foundation
$100,000Financial Assistance
Food Bank
$75,000Financial Assistance
Aspira Academy
$75,000Financial Assistance
Faithful Friends
$75,000Financial Assistance
EasterSeals De Eastern Shore
$75,000Financial Assistance
Stratford Hall Historic Preserve
$50,000Financial Assistance
Salem County Humane Society
$50,000Financial Assistance
Wilmington Friends School
$50,000Financial Assistance
Newport Rowing Club
$50,000Financial Assistance
Centreville Layton School
$50,000Financial Assistance
Ursuline Academy
$50,000Financial Assistance
KIbaoni Primary School Foundation
$40,000Financial Assistance
Reading Assist
$40,000Financial Assistance
Delaware Boys and Girls Club
$35,000Financial Assistance
Christ Church Episcopal Preschool
$31,000Financial Assistance
Friendship House
$30,000Financial Assistance
Nativity Preparatory School of WIlmington
$28,805Financial Assistance
Delaware Zoological Society
$25,000Financial Assistance
Wilmington Youth Rowing Association
$25,000Financial Assistance
Sam's Kids Fund
$25,000Financial Assistance
Amanecer Counseling & Resource Center
$25,000Financial Assistance
Nature Conservancy
$25,000Financial Assistance
Alpha Sigma Foundation
$25,000Financial Assistance
UNC Library Fund
$15,000Financial Library Assistance
Delaware Children's Museum
$14,000Financial Assistance
Epilepsy Foundation
$10,000Financial Assistance
Down Syndrome Associates of Delaware
$10,000Financial Assistance
Devereux Pennsylvania Foundation
$5,000Financial Assistance
Christ Church Christiana
$5,000Financial Assistance
RCW Educational Foundation
$1,500Financial Assistance
Delaware Hospice
$125,000Financial Assistance
Urban Promise
$100,000Financial Assistance