The John W Anderson Foundation concentrates virtually all of its giving on local youth services and a small amount to higher education. Its grants are large, operational gifts focused primarily on supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, with a single sizable grant to the Indiana University Foundation. The foundation appears regionally focused on Valparaiso/Northwest Indiana and prioritizes sustaining core organizations rather than broad, distributed philanthropy.
Highly concentrated: very few, large operating grants with repeat multi-year support to a primary grantee (Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana) and occasional single large gifts to regional higher education.
The John W Anderson Foundation’s giving is built around long-running operating support for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, with repeated seven-figure grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern makes the foundation’s priorities unusually clear: it backs a small set of local organizations with sustained funding rather than spreading smaller gifts across many causes. A second major line of support goes to Indiana University Foundation, including both operating support and scholarships, which adds a higher-education component to the otherwise youth-centered portfolio. Beyond those two anchors, the foundation has also funded Northwest Indiana service providers and education institutions such as United Way of Northwest Indiana, Catholic Charities Gary, Crossroads YMCA, Purdue University, Purdue University Northwest, and Opportunity Enterprises. The recent grant list shows a mix of operating, capital, and scholarship support, suggesting the foundation’s role is not limited to project grants. The overall profile is local, concentrated, and centered on organizations serving youth, students, and community needs in Northwest Indiana and nearby Indiana communities.
Local youth development is the clearest theme in the John W Anderson Foundation’s recent grants. In 2025, it gave $4,380,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana Inc for operating support, after two prior operating grants of $4,320,000 in 2024 and 2023. It also supported Boys & Girls Clubs of Michigan City with a $210,000 operating grant in 2025. Higher education is another visible area. Indiana University Foundation received $1,010,000 for operating support in 2023, then $520,000 for scholarships in 2025 and $510,000 for operating support in 2024. Purdue University also appears with operating and scholarship support, including a $250,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also backs human services and community support organizations. Catholic Charities Gary received operating grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while United Way of Northwest Indiana received recurring operating support in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grant sizes are moderate to large, with a p25 of $7,500, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $30,000. The recent-grants list, however, shows that the foundation also makes a small number of much larger operating, capital, and scholarship grants to anchor institutions. Its giving pattern is highly recurring: the same organizations appear across multiple years, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Indiana University Foundation, United Way of Northwest Indiana, Catholic Charities Gary, Purdue University, and Purdue University Northwest. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals directly. Grant types include operating, capital, scholarships, and operating/capital combinations.
$14M
$358.7M
$24M
$16.4M
Most grants fall between $8K and $30K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Notable grantees: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Inc., Indiana University Foundation, Other local youth-serving organizations in Northwest Indiana (representative of regional focus)
The foundation gives almost entirely in Indiana, with 88% of grants going to recipients in its HQ state. The top recipient cities in the recent grants list include Portage, Valparaiso, Gary, Crown Point, Merrillville, Michigan City, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Hammond, and Indianapolis. Northwest Indiana is the core geography, especially Lake County and nearby communities. All recorded grants in the country distribution are in the US.
Its recent grants center on youth services and higher education, especially Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana and Indiana University Foundation. The list also includes community-service and human-services organizations such as United Way of Northwest Indiana, Catholic Charities Gary, and Opportunity Enterprises.
Recurring support is a clear pattern. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana received operating grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Indiana University Foundation, United Way of Northwest Indiana, and Catholic Charities Gary also appear in multiple years.
The foundation’s typical grant size is p25 $7,500, median $15,000, and p75 $30,000. The recent-grants record also includes several much larger awards, especially for operating support and capital needs.
Giving is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Indiana. 88% of grants go to recipients in Indiana, and the recent grants list shows repeated awards in Portage, Valparaiso, Gary, Crown Point, Merrillville, Michigan City, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Hammond, and Indianapolis.
Yes. The recent grants list includes scholarship support to Indiana University Foundation in 2025 and to Legacy Foundation in 2023. Purdue University also received a grant coded as scholarships/operating in 2023.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER NORTHWEST INDIANA INC | PORTAGE, IN | $4,560,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $900,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA | VALPARAISO, IN | $550,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES GARY | GARY, IN | $400,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $275,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER NORTHWEST INDIANA INC | PORTAGE, IN | $250,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST | HAMMOND, IN | $250,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST INDIANA | MERRILLVILLE, IN | $250,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| TRADEWINDS SERVICES INC | MERRILLVILLE, IN | $200,000 | 2026 | OPERATING/CAPITAL |
| CROSSROADS YMCA | CROWN POINT, IN | $200,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| OPPORTUNITY ENTERPRISES | VALPARAISO, IN | $200,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| VNA OF NWI | VALPARAISO, IN | $200,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| LAKESHORE PUBLIC MEDIA | MERRILLVILLE, IN | $200,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| SALVATION ARMY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $175,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| BALL STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MUNCIE, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL |
| CEREBRAL PALSY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA DBA CENTER FOR POSSIBILITIES | HOBART, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY | VALPARAISO, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| IVY TECH FOUNDATION | VALPARAISO, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS/OPERATING |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LAPORTE COUNTY | MICHIGAN CITY, IN | $125,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| INDEPENDENT COLLEGES OF INDIANA | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $125,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| YWCA OF NORTHWEST INDIANA | GARY, IN | $120,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| CRISIS CENTER INC | GARY, IN | $115,000 | 2026 | OPERATING/CAPITAL |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| MEALS ON WHEELS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA INC | MERRILLVILLE, IN | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| BROTHERS KEEPER INCORPORATED | GARY, IN | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING/CAPITAL |
| CENTER OF WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS | VALPARAISO, IN | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| GIBAULT INC | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER CHICAGO AND NORTHWEST INDIANA | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| SCOUTING AMERICA PATHWAY TO ADVENTURE COUNCIL | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| NORTHWEST INDIANA SYMPHONY SOCIETY INC | MUNSTER, IN | $85,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| METHODIST HOSPITALS INC | GARY, IN | $82,000 | 2026 | EQUIPMENT |
| VALPO FAMILY YMCA | VALPARAISO, IN | $80,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| CARING PLACE INC | VALPARAISO, IN | $80,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| CALUMET COLLEGE OF ST JOSEPH | WHITING, IN | $75,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| NORTHWEST INDIANA FORUM FOUNDATION | PORTAGE, IN | $70,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA | MERRILLVILLE, IN | $65,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| INDIANA LEGAL SERVICES INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $65,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| ST JUDE HOUSE | CROWN POINT, IN | $60,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| HAROLD HAL KELLEY RESPITE FOUNDATION INC | VALPARAISO, IN | $60,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| DUNELAND FAMILY YMCA | CHESTERTON, IN | $60,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| PORTAGE TOWNSHIP YMCA | PORTAGE, IN | $60,000 | 2026 | OPERATING/CAPITAL |
| FAMILY AND YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU | VALPARAISO, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| CITY LIFE CENTER | GARY, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| COACTION | VALPARAISO, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| HILLTOP NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE | VALPARAISO, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
| MAAC FOUNDATION INC | VALPARAISO, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL |
| SOUTH SHORE ARTS INC | MUNSTER, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING |
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER NORTHWEST INDIANA INC
$4,560,000OPERATING
CATHOLIC CHARITIES GARY
$400,000OPERATING
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$275,000OPERATING
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER NORTHWEST INDIANA INC
$250,000CAPITAL
PURDUE UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST
$250,000OPERATING
VNA OF NWI
$200,000OPERATING
SALVATION ARMY
$175,000OPERATING
CEREBRAL PALSY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA DBA CENTER FOR POSSIBILITIES
$150,000OPERATING
YWCA OF NORTHWEST INDIANA
$120,000OPERATING
BROTHERS KEEPER INCORPORATED
$100,000OPERATING/CAPITAL
SCOUTING AMERICA PATHWAY TO ADVENTURE COUNCIL
$100,000OPERATING
NORTHWEST INDIANA SYMPHONY SOCIETY INC
$85,000OPERATING
METHODIST HOSPITALS INC
$82,000EQUIPMENT
CALUMET COLLEGE OF ST JOSEPH
$75,000OPERATING
NORTHWEST INDIANA FORUM FOUNDATION
$70,000OPERATING
HAROLD HAL KELLEY RESPITE FOUNDATION INC
$60,000OPERATING
DUNELAND FAMILY YMCA
$60,000OPERATING
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP YMCA
$60,000OPERATING/CAPITAL
FAMILY AND YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU
$50,000OPERATING
COACTION
$50,000OPERATING
SOUTH SHORE ARTS INC
$50,000OPERATING
Current and upcoming funding from John W Anderson Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Proposals must support programs or activities serving Gary, Indiana residents and meet Legacy Foundation grant eligibility requirements.
Deadline: Rolling application; submit a Letter of Interest.
Who can apply: Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Lake County, Indiana residents and must demonstrate documented financial loss directly resulting from federal or state funding cuts, contract terminations, or related policy changes. Government agencies, schools, and educational institutions are not eligible. Capital projects are not eligible.
Deadline: Applications opened February 1, 2026 and are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are fully expended.
Who can apply: Applicants must be an eligible nonprofit or public entity. Activities must directly relate to disaster relief, response, or recovery from the August 11, 2026 storms in Lake County, Indiana; benefit storm-impacted individuals and communities; request reasonable disaster-relief expenses; and not duplicate assistance from insurance, FEMA, other funders, or disaster-relief programs.
Deadline: Rolling basis while funding is available.
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