The Mann-Paller Foundation concentrates sizable, general-support gifts to education and performing arts institutions, with a clear preference for repeat, high-value grants. Their giving is regionally focused on the Washington, D.C. area (notably Sidwell Friends School and Arena Stage) while also supporting higher education outside the metro area. The foundation favors established institutions and unrestricted/general operating support over many small projects.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat institutional grantees; primarily general/operating support rather than many small or project-specific awards.
Mann-paller Foundation Inc. stands out for repeated seven-figure support to Sidwell Friends School, including $1,000,000 in both 2024 and 2025. That pattern fits a broader approach centered on established institutions, with general operating support used repeatedly rather than one-time project grants. The foundation gives across education and performing arts, and its recent record shows especially large commitments to private K–12 schools in the Washington, D.C. area, regional theaters, and select universities. Arena Stage is another clear anchor in the portfolio: the foundation backed it with $400,000 in 2024 and $750,000 in 2025. Alongside those major gifts, it has supported The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Theatre, and Wolf Trap Foundation, showing sustained interest in the region’s performing arts ecosystem. Outside the arts, the foundation has also made substantial general grants to higher-education and specialized institutions, including the University of Tulsa and National Cyber Security. The overall picture is of a funder making concentrated, institution-level gifts to organizations that already operate at scale.
Education is a core theme. In 2025, the foundation gave $352,000 to the University of Tulsa for general support, adding to its broader higher-education giving that also includes Bowdoin College at $100,000 in 2023. Independent schools are another consistent area, with Sidwell Friends School receiving $1,000,000 in 2025. Performing arts support is equally prominent. Arena Stage received $750,000 in 2025 for general support, while The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was funded at $250,000 in 2025. The foundation also supported Shakespeare Theatre with $100,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024. A smaller but visible set of grants goes to civic and public-serving organizations. So Others Might Eat received $50,000 in 2025, and The Ability Challenge received $100,000 in 2025.
Typical grant size sits at $13,750 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record includes much larger institutional gifts. The pattern is clearly repeat-oriented: Sidwell Friends School, Arena Stage, The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Urban Nation, Shakespeare Theatre, Wolf Trap Foundation, The Ability Challenge, and So Others Might Eat each appear across multiple years. Grants are made as general support. Mann-paller Foundation Inc. is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2.1M
$92.6M
$3.9M
$2.2M
Most grants fall between $14K and $100K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 9% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Mann-Paller Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 93 | $9.7M | 98.9% |
| 2 | Haiti | 1 |
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Notable grantees: Sidwell Friends School, Arena Stage, University of Tulsa
Giving is regional, with most grants landing in Virginia, while recipients in Maryland account for 8% of grants. Washington, DC appears frequently in the recent grants list, including recipients such as Sidwell Friends School, Arena Stage, The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Urban Nation, Shakespeare Theatre, So Others Might Eat, and the Smithsonian. Outside the metro area, the foundation also gave to the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. The recipient-country mix is overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with one grant to Haiti.
Recent grants go mainly to independent K–12 schools, performing arts organizations, and universities or higher-education institutions. The foundation also gives general support to civic and public-serving groups such as So Others Might Eat and The Ability Challenge.
The grant-size distribution is $13,750 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger gifts such as $1,000,000 to Sidwell Friends School and $750,000 to Arena Stage.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear in more than one year, including Sidwell Friends School in 2024 and 2025, Arena Stage in 2024 and 2025, and The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Shakespeare Theatre and Wolf Trap Foundation also recur.
Virginia is the top state by grant count, and Washington, DC shows up often in the recent grants list. Maryland recipients make up 8% of grants, while the recipient-country distribution is overwhelmingly U.S.-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| $2K |
1.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF TULSA | TULSA, OK | $409,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $120,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| URBAN NATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $110,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WETA | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE ABILITY CHALLENGE | CHEVY CHASE, MD | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION | VIENNA, VA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SHAKESPEARE THEATRE | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FAIRFAX COUNTY STARS | VIENNA, VA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SIBLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CONNECT OUR KIDS | FALLS CHURCH, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIAN | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| C&O CANAL TRUST | WILLIAMSPORT, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BLUME HAITI | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ARENA STAGE | WASHINGTON, DC | $750,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF TULSA | TULSA, OK | $352,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE JOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| URBAN NATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $120,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE ABILITY CHALLENGE | CHEVY CHASE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION | VIENNA, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SHAKESPEARE THEATRE | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL | PINE RIDGE, SD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SMITHSONIAN | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WORLD OF LEARNING | BRATTLEBORO, VT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SO OTHERS MIGHT EAT | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNITED STATES SPEEDSKATING | KEARNS, UT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HOUSE OF RUTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOUNDATION | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FAIRFAX COUNTY STARS | VIENNA, VA | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MARTHA'S TABLE | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL CHILD RESEARCH CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WAMU | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BLUE HAITI | MOULIN SUR MER, MO | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIAN | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MERCY SHIPS | GARDEN VALLEY, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| C&O CANAL TRUST | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONNECT OUR KIDS | FALLS CHURCH, VA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ARENA STAGE | WASHINGTON, DC | $400,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE JOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| URBAN NATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $120,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL
$1,000,000GENERAL
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
$409,000GENERAL
NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY
$120,000GENERAL
URBAN NATION
$110,000GENERAL
THE ABILITY CHALLENGE
$100,000GENERAL
SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
$100,000GENERAL
FAIRFAX COUNTY STARS
$35,000GENERAL
SIBLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$25,000GENERAL
SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY
$10,000GENERAL
CONNECT OUR KIDS
$5,000GENERAL
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIAN
$5,000GENERAL
BLUME HAITI
$3,000GENERAL
SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL
$1,000,000GENERAL
ARENA STAGE
$750,000GENERAL
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
$352,000GENERAL
URBAN NATION
$120,000GENERAL
NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY
$100,000GENERAL
THE ABILITY CHALLENGE
$100,000GENERAL
WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL
SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
$100,000GENERAL
RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL
SMITHSONIAN
$50,000GENERAL
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$50,000GENERAL
UNITED STATES SPEEDSKATING
$50,000GENERAL
FAIRFAX COUNTY STARS
$35,000GENERAL
NATIONAL CHILD RESEARCH CENTER
$5,000GENERAL
BLUE HAITI
$2,000GENERAL
MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIAN
$1,500GENERAL
MERCY SHIPS
$1,000GENERAL
CONNECT OUR KIDS
$1,000GENERAL
SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL
$1,000,000GENERAL
ARENA STAGE
$400,000GENERAL
URBAN NATION
$120,000GENERAL