The Guilliams H Clamer Foundation concentrates its giving on large, unrestricted operating support for cultural and higher education institutions, primarily funding a major science museum and a liberal arts college. Grants are few but substantial and are paid repeatedly to the same organizations, indicating a preference for sustained core support rather than many small or project-specific awards. Despite the foundation’s St. Louis address, its largest recipients are in the Philadelphia region, suggesting either founder connections or an out-of-area focus on those institutions.
Highly concentrated giving: very few (6) grants but large dollar amounts split almost equally between two repeat grantees (3 grants each); emphasis on general operating support rather than project-specific funding.
The Guilliam H Clamer Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated general operating grants to two anchor institutions: The Franklin Institute and Ursinus College. Those awards recur across 2023, 2024, and 2025 at nearly identical levels, showing a pattern of sustained core support rather than one-time project funding. The foundation also appears as a smaller, continuing supporter of the University of Pennsylvania, where the grants listed are much lower than its main awards. The overall picture is of a grantmaker that favors unrestricted operating support for established educational and cultural organizations, with a particularly strong connection to Philadelphia-area institutions. Although headquartered in Saint Louis, the foundation’s visible grant activity is centered elsewhere, and its top recipients are all in Pennsylvania. Its recent history suggests a compact portfolio built around a few long-term institutional relationships, not a broad spread of many grantees.
In science and informal education, the foundation gave general operating support to The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia across multiple years, including grants of $509,621 in 2023 and $459,134 in 2025. In higher education, Ursinus College in Collegeville received the same pattern of operating support, with awards of $509,621 in 2023 and $483,361 in 2024. A third Philadelphia institution, the University of Pennsylvania, received smaller general operating grants of $1,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The recurring use of “general operating” language points to support for institutional stability rather than restricted projects. The named recipients also show a clear tilt toward Pennsylvania-based cultural and academic organizations.
The foundation’s typical grant size is polarized: the 25th percentile is $1,000, while the median is $459,134 and the 75th percentile is $483,361. That gap reflects a small number of very large operating grants alongside a narrow band of symbolic or supplemental awards. The recent record shows repetition across years for the same recipients, especially in 2023 through 2025, which indicates ongoing relationships rather than one-off transactions. The foundation does not make program-related investments and does not fund individuals. Its grants are local in scope, with all listed recipients in the United States.
$892K
$13.4M
$1M
$1M
Most grants fall between $1K and $483K, with a median of $459K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$459K
75th Percentile
$483K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in PA.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: The Franklin Institute, Ursinus College, Other small grantees receiving residual/administrative support
Grant activity is concentrated in Pennsylvania, which is the top state by grant count. The recent recipients shown are in Philadelphia and Collegeville, both in PA, with Philadelphia appearing multiple times. All listed grants go to U.S. organizations, and 100% of the grants in the sample are domestic. Although the foundation is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, none of the recent grants shown go to Missouri recipients.
The recent grants point to cultural and higher education institutions. The Franklin Institute, Ursinus College, and the University of Pennsylvania all received general operating support, showing a preference for established nonprofit organizations rather than individuals or project-only awards.
Yes. Every listed grant in the recent sample is labeled general operating. That includes repeated awards to The Franklin Institute, Ursinus College, and the University of Pennsylvania, indicating a clear operating-support pattern.
The grant-size distribution is highly split: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $459,134, and the 75th percentile is $483,361. In practice, that means the foundation makes a few very large awards and also a much smaller grant level.
Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count. The recent recipient cities shown are Philadelphia and Collegeville, and all listed grants in the sample go to U.S. organizations.
Yes. The Franklin Institute, Ursinus College, and the University of Pennsylvania each appear in more than one grant year. The repeated awards from 2023 through 2025 suggest ongoing institutional relationships.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| URSINUS COLLEGE | COLLEGEVILLE, PA | $445,659 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $445,659 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE TRUSTEES OF UNIV OF PA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| URSINUS COLLEGE | COLLEGEVILLE, PA | $459,134 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $459,134 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| URSINUS COLLEGE | COLLEGEVILLE, PA | $483,361 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $483,361 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $509,621 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| URSINUS COLLEGE | COLLEGEVILLE, PA | $509,621 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
URSINUS COLLEGE
$445,659GENERAL OPERATING
THE TRUSTEES OF UNIV OF PA
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING
URSINUS COLLEGE
$459,134GENERAL OPERATING
GENERAL OPERATING
URSINUS COLLEGE
$483,361GENERAL OPERATING
URSINUS COLLEGE
$509,621GENERAL OPERATING