The Robert and Ardis James Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education and international policy institutions, making large, strategic gifts to endowments, capital campaigns, and program development. Recipients are primarily elite colleges, graduate schools, and a major international think tank, often with repeat multi-million-dollar commitments that support facilities, endowment growth, and online graduate programming.
A defining feature of Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc’s grantmaking is its repeated use of large, multi-installment commitments. The foundation has made $10 million and $4 million pledge structures, alongside endowment, capital campaign, and program support across universities, graduate schools, and select nonprofit institutions. Carleton College appears as a central recipient, with grants for general support, a named scholarship, a student health center, a research fellowship, and faculty collaboration. Harvard-related gifts also stand out, including support for Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduate School of Education online master’s degree work, Harvard Business School, and the Religion and Public Life program at Harvard College. The foundation’s pattern is not limited to higher education. It also backs institutions with mission-specific funding such as Readworks, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Stamford Hospital’s women and babies campaign, and the International Quilt Museum endowment. Across the recent record, the grants are usually directed to institutional priorities rather than broad public appeals, with many awards tied to named funds, endowed positions, campaigns, and strategic initiatives. That mix points to a funder that favors targeted, long-horizon support for organizations already pursuing defined projects.
Higher education is the clearest throughline. The foundation gave $2,500,000 to Carleton College for the Paglia Family Endowed Scholarship and another $1,250,000 to the same college for the Paglia Family Post-Bac Research Fellowship, showing support for student aid and post-baccalaureate research. At Harvard, it provided $2,000,000 for the Harvard Graduate School of Education Online Master’s Degree Support Fund and $300,000 for the Catherine James Paglia (MBA 1976) Search Fund Fellowship. It also funds institutional infrastructure and campaign work. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace received $2,000,000 in 2025 for its capital campaign, while Catholic Charities of Fairfield County was awarded $400,000 for the TMC Capital Campaign. In health-related philanthropy, Stamford Hospital received $250,000 for The Campaign for Women and Babies. The foundation additionally backed Readworks with $500,000 for strategic plan support, indicating interest in education-adjacent operating development as well.
$18.2M
$169.6M
$32.8M
$22.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $118K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$118K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Highly concentrated, few very large grants (multi-million-dollar) with repeat funding to several flagship institutions; gifts tend to support endowments, capital campaigns, and program development rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Carleton College, Harvard Graduate School of Education / President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard Business School, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Typical grant size sits at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $117,500 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record also includes multi-million-dollar awards and pledge installments. The pattern is strongly repeat-based: Carleton College, Harvard-related entities, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Readworks, Stamford Hospital, and the University of Nebraska Foundation all appear more than once across the recent grants. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it funds individuals directly. Grantmaking is largely structured through named funds, endowments, campaigns, and installment payments rather than only one-time discretionary awards.
Giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and recent awards reached Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and East Sandwich. Other repeated recipient locations include Northfield, Minnesota; Washington, DC; and New York, New York, with additional grants in Bridgeport and Stamford, Connecticut, and Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation’s geographic footprint is therefore broad, but concentrated in a small set of academic and institutional hubs.
The recent record centers on colleges, graduate schools, and other institutions such as think tanks, hospitals, museums, and education nonprofits. Carleton College, Harvard-related entities, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Readworks, Stamford Hospital, and the University of Nebraska Foundation all appear in the recent grants list.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Carleton College, Harvard Business School, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Readworks Inc, Stamford Hospital, and the University of Nebraska Foundation. The grants also recur through installments and pledge agreements.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $117,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent file also includes much larger commitments, including $2,500,000 grants and multi-year pledge installments.
Massachusetts is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities there include Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and East Sandwich, alongside other frequent locations such as Northfield, Washington, DC, New York City, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Lincoln.
Yes. The foundation’s profile identifies that it funds individuals directly, and the recent grants list includes support for named scholarships and fellowships such as the Paglia Family Endowed Scholarship, the Paglia Family Post-Bac Research Fellowship, and the Catherine James Paglia (MBA 1976) Search Fund Fellowship.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $2,500,000 | 2025 | Paglia Family Endowed Scholarship. |
| CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000,000 | 2025 | the Carnegie Endowment's capital campaign |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $1,375,000 | 2025 | the Class of 1974 Student Health Center. |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $1,250,000 | 2025 | The Paglia Family Post-Bac Research Fellowship. |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION | LINCOLN, NE | $1,000,000 | 2025 | the International Quilt Museum Endowment Fund |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $685,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | BOSTON, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | support of Religion and Public Life, to be added to the Public Life Program Fund. |
| READWORKS INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | to support the strategic plan |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY INC | BRIDGEPORT, CT | $400,000 | 2025 | TMC Capital Campaign |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $300,000 | 2025 | Incentivizing Faculty Interdisciplinary Exploration and Collaboration |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $300,000 | 2025 | the Catherine James Paglia (MBA 1976) Search Fund Fellowship |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $300,000 | 2025 | Carleton Alumni Annual Fund |
| READWORKS INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $275,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| STAMFORD HOSPITAL | STAMFORD, CT | $250,000 | 2025 | The Campaign for Women and Babies |
| P E F ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | ENDOWMENT CHALLENGE |
| COOKE SCHOOL AND INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Second and final installment in a capital grant |
| P E F ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | to support Sikkuy-Aufoq |
| THE YANKEE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY STUDIES INC | WETHERSFIELD, CT | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| WALLIN EDUCATION PARTNERS | SAINT PAUL, MN | $200,000 | 2025 | for the 2022/2023 Academic Year |
| CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| LEO INC | LYNN, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH | GREENWICH, CT | $200,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $168,300 | 2025 | research project Plant-Microbe Interactions in Soils: Big Roles for Small Molecules by Professor Darcy L. McRose. |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $165,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $125,000 | 2025 | Emerging Leaders Program |
| PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC | SALEM, MA | $125,000 | 2025 | to support the Facilities Project. |
| HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL | NEW YORK, NY | $110,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHEAST ARC INC | DANVERS, MA | $103,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| TENACITY INC | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| VMTS EDUCATION INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | to support the Anesthesia Initiative Fund. |
| FRAXA RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC | NEWBURYPORT, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | Payment for 2023 Challenge Grant |
| UNITED WAY OF GREENWICH INC | GREENWICH, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| RIVERVIEW SCHOOL INC | EAST SANDWICH, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| MANHATTAN INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Philanthropic outreach |
| CONCUSSION ALLIANCE | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUMMER SEARCH BOSTON | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | the Dream.See.Do campaign. |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION | LINCOLN, NE | $100,000 | 2025 | Robert and Ardis James Foundation Quilt House Operations Fund |
| FRIENDS OF NGONG ROAD | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $100,000 | 2025 | Class of 1974 Student Health Center Class Challenge. |
| PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC | SALEM, MA | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW COVENANT CENTER | STAMFORD, CT | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MT KISCO | MT KISCO, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORWALK, CT | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PLATTE INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH INC | OMAHA, NE | $65,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ABILIS INC | GREENWICH, CT | $60,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS FOUNDATION INC | NEWTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE
$2,000,000the Carnegie Endowment's capital campaign
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION
$1,000,000the International Quilt Museum Endowment Fund
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
$500,000support of Religion and Public Life, to be added to the Public Life Program Fund.
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$500,000GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
Incentivizing Faculty Interdisciplinary Exploration and Collaboration
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$300,000the Catherine James Paglia (MBA 1976) Search Fund Fellowship
GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE
$200,000General & Unrestricted
LEO INC
$200,000GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH
$200,000General & Unrestricted
research project Plant-Microbe Interactions in Soils: Big Roles for Small Molecules by Professor Darcy L. McRose.
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$165,000General & Unrestricted
NORTHEAST ARC INC
$103,000GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
to support the Anesthesia Initiative Fund.
RIVERVIEW SCHOOL INC
$100,000GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL
$100,000Philanthropic outreach
CONCUSSION ALLIANCE
$100,000General & Unrestricted
SUMMER SEARCH BOSTON
$100,000the Dream.See.Do campaign.
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Quilt House Operations Fund
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL & UNRESTRICTED
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MT KISCO
$75,000General & Unrestricted
NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$75,000General & Unrestricted