About Jeffris Family Foundation
The Jeffris Family Foundation concentrates its giving on capital preservation of architecturally and historically significant sites, funding restoration projects for landmark buildings, historic homes, and community museums. Grants are directed to local community foundations and historical societies—often in the Midwest—and are clearly targeted to specific restoration campaigns rather than general operating support.
Focus Areas
Restoration of architecturally significant public buildings (e.g., Louis Sullivan and Saarinen-designed structures)Rehabilitation of historic homes and house museums (e.g., Deere‑Wiman House, Ellwood House)Support for local historical societies and community foundations’ capital campaignsRestoration and adaptive reuse of historic theaters and cultural landmarks
Who They Fund
local community residentshistoric sites / preservation organizationsarts and cultural organizationsfaith congregations
About Jeffris Family Foundation
Jeffris Family Foundation Ltd puts its largest recent grant behind the restoration of the Louis Sullivan building in Newark, Ohio, a clear example of how the foundation supports capital work for architecturally and historically significant places. That pattern appears across its recent awards: a $500,000 grant for the Saarinen Tower in Columbus, Indiana, $330,000 for the Deere-Wiman House in Moline, Illinois, and $325,000 for Ellwood House in DeKalb, Illinois. The foundation’s giving is built around preservation campaigns rather than open-ended support, with grants routed through historical societies, local foundations, and site stewards working on specific restoration projects. Its portfolio includes landmark public buildings, historic homes and house museums, theaters, museums, and other community-serving structures. Recent awards also show support for planning-heavy preservation work and capital campaigns, which indicates a funder that often backs projects at the point where restoration plans have been developed and funding needs are ready to be assembled. Smaller grants appear alongside the large project awards, suggesting the foundation also maintains a layer of modest community support connected to local history, commemorative work, and preservation-related activities.
What Jeffris Family Foundation Funds
Historic preservation is the foundation’s core theme. It gave $220,000 to Logan County Landmark Preservation Inc for restoration of the Holland Theatre Phase II, and $50,000 to the City of Dubuque Iowa for restoration of Eagle Point Park. It also supported church and civic heritage work, including $12,450 to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio for Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and $23,500 to the Clinton County Historical Society for restoration of Rombach Place. Beyond buildings, the foundation has backed commemorative and local-history work through smaller grants such as $2,000 to Rock County Historical Society for the Holiday Tree Show and $1,000 to Kewaskum Remembers 9 11 Inc for a memorial granite brick.
How Jeffris Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants are modest at the lower end and then jump sharply for capital projects: the p25 and median are both $1,000, while the p75 is $33,220. That spread matches a pattern of many small community grants alongside larger restoration commitments. The foundation also appears to repeat support for some recipients; Rock County Historical Society and School District of Janesville each received multiple grants in the recent list. Program structure matters here: the Jeffris Heartland Fund offers matching grants for advanced planning studies, while Capital Campaign Challenge Grants are invited awards for projects ready to launch a campaign. Funding is project-based and often tied to preservation planning or restoration phases.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1M
Total Assets
$15.5M
Total Revenue
$3M
Total Expenses
$1.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1K and $33K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$33K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Jeffris Family Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime