The Davis Family Foundation primarily channels very large, general-purpose gifts through donor-advised fund infrastructure, with nearly all dollars routed to Vanguard Charitable for redistribution. Outside that pass-through activity, the foundation has made a substantial unrestricted gift to Villanova University, suggesting interest in supporting Catholic higher education or a specific university relationship alongside its donor-advised giving model.
Highly concentrated: almost all assets were granted via a single intermediary (Vanguard Charitable) in a few very large grants, with one additional large direct institutional grant. The foundation appears to use DAF vehicles for most philanthropic activity rather than distributing many small or targeted grants.
A defining feature of The Davis Family Foundation Inc is the scale of its donor-advised giving: three grants to Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program totaled $137.3 million across 2023, 2024, and 2025, all marked for general use. That pattern makes the foundation’s recent activity look less like narrow program funding and more like a flexible capital stream moving through a donor-advised structure. Beyond that channel, the foundation has made large unrestricted gifts to institutions tied to Catholic higher education and health care. Villanova University received $4.7 million in 2024, and Johns Hopkins Medicine received $2.5 million in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The same recent-grants list also shows recurring support for Baltimore-based nonprofits and schools, including Catholic Charities, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore, and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Taken together, the foundation’s grant history points to a mix of very large general-purpose institutional support, repeat commitments, and regional giving centered on Maryland with broader national institutional ties.
General-purpose support is a major part of the foundation’s pattern. In 2025, it gave $56.3 million to Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program for general use, following $37 million in 2024 and $44 million in 2023 to the same recipient. Within education, the foundation awarded $4.7 million to Villanova University in 2024 for general use, and its active scholarship program, Davis Family Foundation, Inc. Scholarships, supports eligible students in Bridgeport, Ohio. Health and human services also appear in the recent grants. Johns Hopkins Medicine received $2.5 million in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Catholic Charities in Baltimore received $2 million in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Youth-serving work shows up in Baltimore as well, with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore receiving $2 million in 2025 and $1 million in 2024.
Typical grant size falls at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent-grants list also includes several very large awards in the million-dollar range and above. The foundation’s pattern is repeated support rather than one-off giving in several cases: Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Catholic Charities, and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore each appear across multiple years. It is classified as a regular funder, and the main recent activity is routed through donor-advised fund infrastructure rather than program-related investments or grants to individuals.
$72M
$1.6B
$120.7M
$74.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $250K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$250K
JAMES DAVIS
PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR
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Notable grantees: Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, Villanova University, Donor-advised fund beneficiaries (distributed via Vanguard Charitable)
Maryland is the top state by grant count, and 62% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Baltimore is the most visible city in the recent list, with grants to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Catholic Charities, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore, University of Maryland Medical System Corporation, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, and Center for Urban Families Inc. Outside Maryland, grants land in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Villanova, Bronx, Wellesley Hills, West Palm Beach, Malvern, Allentown, Glenview, Monterey, Cullman, and Lexington. All recent grants in the dataset are to U.S. recipients.
It combines very large general-use gifts with repeated support to a smaller set of institutions. The most prominent pattern is donor-advised giving through Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, alongside recurring awards to organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine and Catholic Charities.
The grant-size distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes million-dollar awards and several gifts above $2 million.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Johns Hopkins Medicine in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Catholic Charities in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Maryland receives the highest share of grants, with 62% of grants going to recipients in that state. Baltimore is a frequent recipient city in the recent-grants list.
Yes. The Davis Family Foundation, Inc. Scholarships program supports eligible students furthering their education and says it offers multiple scholarships, with two scholarships available for the 2026-2027 academic year. The program is focused on Bridgeport, Ohio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM | SOUTHEASTERN, PA | $56,300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF METRO BALTIMORE | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CHANEY FOUNDATION LTD | GAMBRILLS, MD | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE TOPPER FOUNDATION | ALLENTOWN, PA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM CORPORATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MALVERN PREPARATORY SCHOOL | MALVERN, PA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| WEST PALM GOLF COMMUNITY TRUST INC | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| ST BERNARD ABBEY | CULLMAN, AL | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| AMIGOS DE JESUS | MALVERN, PA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL FOUNDATION INC | MONTEREY, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE BOYS LATIN SCHOOL OF MARYLAND INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MERCY HIGH SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| SHEPPARD AND ENOCH PRATT FOUNDATION INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| TUITION SUPPORT FUND INC | CLEMENTON, NJ | $175,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| LOYOLA EARLY LEARNING CENTER INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF BALTIMORE INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION INC | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY | VILLANOVA, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MOTHER MARY LANGE CATHOLIC SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| PORT DISCOVERY | BALTIMORE, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MOTHER SETON ACADEMY INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY TRUST | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND | TOWSON, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | IRVING, TX | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| SERVICE ACADEMIES GOLF FOUNDATION INC | MCLEAN, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| AUGUSTINIAN FUND | VILLANOVA, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| HELPING UP MISSION | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE LORD'S PLACE INC | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| LUMINIS HEALTH ANNE ARUNDEL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION INC | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MAXIM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| MCDONOGH SCHOOL INCORPORATED | OWINGS MILLS, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| J WOOD PLATT CADDIE SCHOLARSHIP TRUST | BROOMALL, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $16,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| FAMILY LEAGUE OF BALTIMORE CITY INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH | PALM BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| THE BILLY ZIMMERMANN FOUNDATION | KENILWORTH, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| VALLEYS PLANNING COUNCIL INC | TOWSON, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| PATHFINDERS FOR AUTISM | HUNT VALLEY, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| CONCERNS OF POLICE SURVIVORS | CAMDENTON, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE INC | TOWSON, MD | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM | SOUTHEASTERN, PA | $37,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE |
| VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY | VILLANOVA, PA | $4,700,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE |
JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE
$2,500,000GENERAL USE
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
$2,000,000GENERAL USE
CHANEY FOUNDATION LTD
$1,000,000GENERAL USE
THE TOPPER FOUNDATION
$1,000,000GENERAL USE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM CORPORATION
$1,000,000GENERAL USE
ST BERNARD ABBEY
$500,000GENERAL USE
MERCY HIGH SCHOOL
$250,000GENERAL USE
SHEPPARD AND ENOCH PRATT FOUNDATION INC
$250,000GENERAL USE
TUITION SUPPORT FUND INC
$175,000GENERAL USE
LOYOLA EARLY LEARNING CENTER INC
$100,000GENERAL USE
CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF BALTIMORE INC
$100,000GENERAL USE
GENERAL USE
MOTHER MARY LANGE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL USE
MOTHER SETON ACADEMY INC
$50,000GENERAL USE
CHESAPEAKE BAY TRUST
$50,000GENERAL USE
PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND
$50,000GENERAL USE
NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
$35,000GENERAL USE
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$30,000GENERAL USE
SERVICE ACADEMIES GOLF FOUNDATION INC
$25,000GENERAL USE
AUGUSTINIAN FUND
$25,000GENERAL USE
THE LORD'S PLACE INC
$25,000GENERAL USE
MAXIM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
$25,000GENERAL USE
MCDONOGH SCHOOL INCORPORATED
$25,000GENERAL USE
CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$16,000GENERAL USE
THE BILLY ZIMMERMANN FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL USE
VALLEYS PLANNING COUNCIL INC
$5,000GENERAL USE
PATHFINDERS FOR AUTISM
$5,000GENERAL USE
BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE INC
$2,500GENERAL USE