The Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable Foundation appears focused on legal and policy advocacy to protect reproductive rights, as evidenced by a single grant to the Center for Reproductive Rights. The foundation favors rights-based reproductive health work, likely supporting litigation and advocacy efforts rather than local service delivery. Its giving to date is narrowly targeted and issue-specific, indicating a clear philanthropic priority on reproductive justice and legal defense of reproductive freedoms.
Highly concentrated: a single, sizable grant to one national advocacy organization; no evidence of diversified or recurring grantmaking.
The Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable Foundation has paired reproductive-rights litigation with a broader mix of education, conservation, and community support grants. Its largest recent award was $56,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York, followed by a $45,000 grant to the same organization in 2024, underscoring a repeated commitment to legal and policy advocacy around reproductive health. Beyond that core, the foundation has funded scholarships, internationalization work at a college, rural food support, and multiple environmental organizations, suggesting a portfolio that crosses issue areas while still favoring clear project purposes. The foundation’s recent giving also shows an interest in institutions that can deploy funds in specific, named ways rather than through broad open-ended programming. Examples include a $30,000 grant to the University of New Hampshire for psychiatric mental health education fund support in nursing and a $25,000 grant to DePaul University split between unrestricted support and scholarships. Another $25,000 grant went to St. Norbert College for an ACE internationalization lab. These grants point to a funder that uses targeted awards to back legal advocacy, higher education, and selected mission-driven community work.
In reproductive-rights advocacy, the foundation gave $56,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights in 2023 and $45,000 in 2024, both unrestricted. It also supported the National Abortion Federation with $11,000 and the National Network of Abortion Funds with $11,000, indicating attention to legal defense and abortion access organizations. In higher education, it funded DePaul University with a $25,000 grant that combined unrestricted support and scholarships, and it gave $30,000 to the University of New Hampshire for psychiatric mental health education fund support in nursing. It also backed St. Norbert College with $25,000 for an ACE internationalization lab. The foundation’s community-focused grants include $15,000 to Tomorrow's Kids Endowment Fund for Feed Our Rural Kids, showing a rural child food-security interest. Environmental grants include support for Trout Unlimited, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation, and Wilderness Watch.
$581K
$7M
$5.5M
$731K
Most grants fall between $1K and $9K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$9K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 309 | $2M | 98.7% |
| 2 |
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Notable grantees: Center for Reproductive Rights
Typical grant size is modest, with a p25 of $1,375, a median of $4,000, and a p75 of $9,250. The recent grants table shows repeated support to several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including the Center for Reproductive Rights, Trout Unlimited, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation, Land O'lakes Arts, National Resources Defense Council, Wilderness Watch, Nature Conservancy, National Park Foundation, Brennan Center for Justice, and Tomorrow's Kids Endowment Fund. That pattern points to recurring support rather than one-off awards. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, and the grants listed are mostly unrestricted, with some awards earmarked for scholarships or specific projects.
Grants are concentrated in the United States, which received 146 grants, or 98.7% of the total recipient-country distribution, with 2 grants going to Canada. Among recipient cities, New York, NY appears often through grants to the Center for Reproductive Rights, National Resources Defense Council, and Brennan Center for Justice. Other recurring locations include Washington, DC; Arlington, VA; and Missoula, MT. In Illinois, where the foundation is headquartered in Chicago, 14% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, showing that giving extends well beyond its home state.
The recent grants point to reproductive rights litigation and advocacy, higher education, rural child food support, and conservation. Named examples include the Center for Reproductive Rights, the University of New Hampshire, Tomorrow's Kids Endowment Fund, and organizations such as Trout Unlimited and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Center for Reproductive Rights, Trout Unlimited, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation, Land O'lakes Arts, National Resources Defense Council, Wilderness Watch, Nature Conservancy, National Park Foundation, Brennan Center for Justice, and Tomorrow's Kids Endowment Fund.
The grant-size distribution is relatively small: p25 is $1,375, the median grant is $4,000, and p75 is $9,250. The recent table also shows a few larger awards, including $56,000 and $45,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Giving is national, with 146 grants in the US and 2 in Canada. The top state by grant count is New Hampshire, and 14% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, where the foundation is headquartered in Chicago.
Most of the listed grants are unrestricted. A few exceptions are specifically directed, such as scholarships at DePaul University, the psychiatric mental health education fund at the University of New Hampshire, the ACE internationalization lab at St. Norbert College, and Feed Our Rural Kids at Tomorrow's Kids Endowment Fund.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 4 |
| $70K |
1.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DEPAUL UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | $5,000 UNRESTRICTED;$25,000 SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WILDERNESS WATCH | MISSOULA, MT | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHWOODS ALLIANCE | CONOVER, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LAND O'LAKES ARTS | LAND OLAKES, WI | $22,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TROUT UNLIMITED | WOOLLY BUGGER, WV | $20,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATIONAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $19,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATIONAL ABORTION FEDERATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $16,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FEED OUR RURAL KIDS | EAGLE RIVER, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION | CANMORE, AL | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ACLU FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,500 | 2026 | JR ANGLERS PROGRAM |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $12,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,500 | 2026 | GENERATIONS SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| PBS NORTHDULUTH SUPERIOR AREA ED TV | DULULTH, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SPORT FOR IMPACT INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| K9'S FOR WARRIORS | PONTE VERDA, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UCDS SCHOOLS | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY | COLOMA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOFFITT CANCER CENTER | TAMPA, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SEATTLE CHILDRENS GUILD ASSOCIATION | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNICORN FAMILY GUILD |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| EVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $8,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | TOPEKA, KS | $8,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN PRARIE | MALTA, MT | $8,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GARY SINISE FOUNDATION | NASHVILLE, TN | $8,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FREINDS OF THE BOUNDRY WATERS WILDE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $7,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YELLOWSTONE FOREVER | BOZEMAN, MT | $6,000 | 2026 | WOLF PROJECT |
| CRISIS TEXT LINE | NEW YORK, NY | $6,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHRISTMAS BELLES | LAND O LAKES, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY | WOODSTOCK, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WELLSPRING FAMILY SERVICE | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BARACK OBAMA FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | GIRLS OPPORTUNITY ALLIANCE |
| KUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $4,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE | BOSTON, MA | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION | ASHVILLE, NC | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UPPER PENINSULA ANIMAL WELFARE SHEL | GWINN, MI | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AM | PHOENIX, AZ | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CARBON 180 | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LOYOLA ACADEMY | WILMETTE, IL | $3,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $3,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO YOUTH PROGRAMS | CHICAGO, IL | $3,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DEERFIELD ACADEMY | DEERFIELD, MA | $3,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| URBAN INITIATIVES INC | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
WILDERNESS WATCH
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
NORTHWOODS ALLIANCE
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
LAND O'LAKES ARTS
$22,000UNRESTRICTED
TROUT UNLIMITED
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
NATIONAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
$19,000UNRESTRICTED
NATIONAL ABORTION FEDERATION
$16,000UNRESTRICTED
FEED OUR RURAL KIDS
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
ACLU FOUNDATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
PBS NORTHDULUTH SUPERIOR AREA ED TV
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
SPORT FOR IMPACT INC
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
UCDS SCHOOLS
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MOFFITT CANCER CENTER
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
EVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$8,000UNRESTRICTED
AMERICAN PRARIE
$8,000UNRESTRICTED
FREINDS OF THE BOUNDRY WATERS WILDE
$7,500UNRESTRICTED
CHRISTMAS BELLES
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
UPPER PENINSULA ANIMAL WELFARE SHEL
$4,000UNRESTRICTED
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AM
$4,000UNRESTRICTED
LOYOLA ACADEMY
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$3,000UNRESTRICTED