The John L Nau III Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in large, targeted gifts supporting conservation and higher education. The foundation is a major funder of the National Park Foundation and a committed supporter of the University of Virginia through both the College Foundation of UVA and the university itself, indicating a dual interest in national park preservation/outdoor education and UVA-focused scholarship/academic programming. Grants are high-dollar and relationship-driven rather than broadly distributed.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants with repeat commitments to the same institutional partners (multi-million dollar gifts rather than numerous small grants).
The John L Nau III Foundation’s recent giving is defined by two large education-centered relationships: the National Park Foundation and the University of Virginia network. In 2023, the foundation gave $3,666,666 to the National Park Foundation for education, followed by another $2,666,668 in 2025. Alongside that national park support, it has also backed UVA through both The College Foundation of Uva and the University of Virginia itself, showing a sustained interest in higher education access and campus-related programming. The pattern is narrow rather than broad, with a small set of recipients receiving repeated, high-dollar support over multiple years. Its grantmaking also includes Texas-based educational institutions. The Ut Foundation in San Antonio received $206,106 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2025, while Sul Ross Borderland Research in Alpine received $160,163 in 2023 and $150,269 in 2025. Taken together, these grants show a foundation that uses large awards to support a handful of organizations across conservation education, university scholarships, and higher education initiatives.
National park preservation and public education are central to the foundation’s grantmaking. The clearest example is the National Park Foundation, which received $3,666,666 in 2023 and $2,666,668 in 2025 for education. Higher education support is another recurring theme. The College Foundation of Uva received $1,018,500 in 2023 and $401,492 in 2025, reflecting support for University of Virginia scholarship and access-related work. The University of Virginia also received direct support, including $852,137 in 2023 and $301,532 in 2025. The foundation also funds Texas-based education work. The Ut Foundation in San Antonio was granted $206,106 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2025, and Sul Ross Borderland Research in Alpine received $160,163 in 2023 and $150,269 in 2025.
Grant size is high and tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $206,106, the median is $852,137, and the 75th percentile is $1,018,500. That distribution fits a relationship-driven grantmaker rather than a broad, small-grant program. The recent record also shows repeat support across years, with the same organizations appearing in 2023 and 2025. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its giving is best read as concentrated institutional philanthropy, with a small number of education and conservation recipients receiving multi-year awards.
$9.6M
$34.8M
$26.8M
$3.8M
Most grants fall between $206K and $1M, with a median of $852K.
25th Percentile
$206K
Median
$852K
75th Percentile
$1M
About 40% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Notable grantees: National Park Foundation, The College Foundation of the University of Virginia, University of Virginia
All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients. Giving is most concentrated in Washington, DC, where the National Park Foundation is located, and in Charlottesville, VA, home to The College Foundation of Uva and the University of Virginia. Texas also appears repeatedly through San Antonio and Alpine recipients. The reported 40% share of grants to Texas recipients indicates a meaningful in-state presence, even though the foundation gives most often in DC.
The foundation’s recent grants center on national park preservation and education, higher education support tied to the University of Virginia, and Texas-based education-related institutions. The largest grants in the record go to the National Park Foundation, The College Foundation of Uva, and the University of Virginia.
Yes. The same organizations appear across 2023 and 2025, including the National Park Foundation, The College Foundation of Uva, the University of Virginia, The Ut Foundation, and Sul Ross Borderland Research. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts.
The grant-size distribution is large: the 25th percentile is $206,106, the median is $852,137, and the 75th percentile is $1,018,500. Recent awards also include multi-million-dollar gifts, such as the 2023 and 2025 grants to the National Park Foundation.
Recent grants go to education and conservation institutions rather than individuals. Recipients include the National Park Foundation, The College Foundation of Uva, the University of Virginia, The Ut Foundation, and Sul Ross Borderland Research.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,666,668 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION OF UVA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $401,492 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $301,532 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE UT FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SUL ROSS BORDERLAND RESEARCH | ALPINE, TX | $150,269 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,666,666 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION OF UVA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $1,018,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $852,137 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| THE UT FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $206,106 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| SUL ROSS BORDERLAND RESEARCH | ALPINE, TX | $160,163 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
$2,666,668EDUCATION
THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION OF UVA
$401,492EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$301,532EDUCATION
THE UT FOUNDATION
$200,000EDUCATION
SUL ROSS BORDERLAND RESEARCH
$150,269EDUCATION
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
$3,666,666EDUCATION
THE COLLEGE FOUNDATION OF UVA
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$852,137EDUCATION
THE UT FOUNDATION
$206,106EDUCATION
SUL ROSS BORDERLAND RESEARCH
$160,163EDUCATION