The Melville Foundation concentrates large, multi-year gifts to higher-education and cultural institutions—particularly business and scholarship programs at elite universities—while also supporting major botanical institutions and select local community nonprofits in Florida. Their portfolio mixes big endowment-style grants (business school, scholarship and health system support) with targeted cultural funding (New York Botanical Garden) and a few local community and youth investments.
Concentrated, large-dollar giving to a small set of repeat grantees and flagship institutions; several multi-grant relationships dominate total giving rather than many smaller, one-off awards.
The Melville Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated large commitments to the University of Virginia ecosystem, especially health, business, and scholarship support. A $1,000,000 grant in 2023 went to UVA Health System Development, and the foundation followed with $913,275 in 2025 and $406,080 in 2024 to the Darden School Foundation. That pattern places higher education and academic medicine at the center of its work. The portfolio also includes several significant gifts to the New York Botanical Garden, including $203,182 in 2025 and $200,000 in 2023, showing a continuing interest in major botanical institutions. Alongside those larger institutional grants, the foundation supports a smaller set of community organizations in Florida and Virginia, including Boys & Girls Club of Martin County, Lost Tree Village Charitable Found, and local schools and churches. Its grant list suggests a funder that combines institutional philanthropy with selective local giving, rather than a broad, dispersed portfolio.
Higher education appears in several forms. The Melville Foundation gave $196,640 to Jefferson Scholars Foundation in 2023, $50,000 to Episcopal High School in 2023, and $40,000 to Ron Brown Scholar Program in 2023, tying scholarship support to selective academic institutions and programs. In business education, the Darden School Foundation received $913,275 in 2025, $406,080 in 2024, and $500,000 in 2023. Cultural and botanical work is another clear thread: the foundation supported New York Botanical Garden with $203,182 in 2025 and $200,000 in 2023, and also made a $35,000 grant to Denver Botanic Gardens in 2023. In Florida, the portfolio includes $150,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Martin County in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024.
Typical grant size is modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: the 25th percentile is $2,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,625. At the same time, the recent grant list includes a small number of very large charitable grants, showing a wide spread between routine support and major institutional gifts. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including Darden School Foundation, UVA Health System Development, Boys & Girls Club of Martin County, Heterodox Academy, and Lost Tree Village Charitable Found. The foundation is a private foundation in North Palm Beach and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2M
$25.9M
$1.6M
$2.6M
Most grants fall between $2K and $11K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$11K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in VA.
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Notable grantees: Darden School Foundation, UVA Health System Development, New York Botanical Garden, Jefferson Scholars Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Martin County
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based, with 312 grants going to U.S. organizations. New York is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in North Palm Beach, Florida. Recent recipients include organizations in Charlottesville, Virginia; Bronx and New York, New York; Hobe Sound and North Palm Beach, Florida; and Denver, Colorado. Florida accounts for 16% of grants to recipients in the HQ state.
Recent grants show support for universities and scholarship programs, academic medicine, botanical institutions, and select community organizations. Examples include gifts to Darden School Foundation, UVA Health System Development, New York Botanical Garden, Boys & Girls Club of Martin County, and Lost Tree Village Charitable Found.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Darden School Foundation, UVA Health System Development, Boys & Girls Club of Martin County, Heterodox Academy, and Lost Tree Village Charitable Found. That suggests recurring support for some institutions rather than one-time grants only.
The grant-size distribution is centered on relatively small awards: the 25th percentile is $2,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $10,625. The recent grant list also shows occasional much larger awards, including seven-figure and six-figure gifts.
New York is the top state by grant count. Florida is also an important giving state, with 16% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients are spread across Charlottesville, Bronx, New York City, Hobe Sound, North Palm Beach, and Denver.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $913,275 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| UVA HEALTH SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $256,186 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS | BRONX, NY | $203,182 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| LOST TREE CHAPEL | NORTH PALM BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| HETERODOX ACADEMY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| LOST TREE VILLIAGE CHARITABLE FOUND | NORTH PALM BEACHG, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| KENT SCHOOL | CHERRY HILLS VILLIAGE, CO | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| THE JEFFERSON TRUST (DUNCAN BURN) | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH | PONTE VERDA BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MARTIN COUNTY | HOBE SOUND, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| VIRGINIA ATHLETIC FOUNDATION (MEN T | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| ST CHRISTOPHER'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION | RICHMOND, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| KENT DENVER SCHOOL | CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| US SKI & SNOWBOARD | PARK CITY, UT | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| RON BROWN SCHOLAR PROGRAM | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| THE GLASS HOUSE VISITOR CETER & DES ATT SCOTT DREVNIG | NEW CANAAN, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| BRAVO VAIL | VAIL, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| CHARLOTTESILLE DAY SCHOOL | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| WENDY NOVAK DIABETES | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NEW CANAAN LIBRARY | NEW CANAAN, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| CAMP HOLIDAY TRAILS | CHARLOTTESVILEE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| ROBERT E LEE MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION | STRATFORD, VA | $5,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| HOSPICE OF PIEDMONT | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| FOCUSED ULTRASOUND FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER ATTN JENNIFER RAYNER | NEW CANAAN, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NEW LIFE OF NEW YORK CITY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| LEGAL AID JUSTICE CENTER | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATI | WASHINGTION, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEA | PALM BEACH, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| SOUTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| BRAIN CHEMISTRY LABS | JACKSON, WY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION | TULSA, OK | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| EAST HARLEM SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| EVERGLADES FOUNDATION | PALMETTO BAY, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE | JUPITER, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| READWORKS | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| BOTANICAL GARDEN OF THE PIEDMONT | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NORTON MUSEUM OF ART | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| GRACE & HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHUR | RICHMOND, VA | $3,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| GREENS FARM ACADEMY (LINDSAY BURN) | WESTPORT, CT | $3,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| CCNC FOUNDATION | NEW CANAAN, CT | $3,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| NSCDA-VA | RICHMOND, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| KENT DENVER PARENTS ASSOCIATION ATTN PHILI KLEIN | DENVER, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| ALBEMARLE COUNTY POLICE FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTSEVILLE, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH CO | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
| URBAN INIATIVES | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GRANT |
DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$913,275CHARITABLE GRANT
UVA HEALTH SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
$256,186CHARITABLE GRANT
SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
$50,000CHARITABLE GRANT
LOST TREE CHAPEL
$50,000CHARITABLE GRANT
CHARITABLE GRANT
KENT SCHOOL
$30,000CHARITABLE GRANT
THE JEFFERSON TRUST (DUNCAN BURN)
$30,000CHARITABLE GRANT
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$25,000CHARITABLE GRANT
DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS
$25,000CHARITABLE GRANT
VIRGINIA ATHLETIC FOUNDATION (MEN T
$25,000CHARITABLE GRANT
EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL
$20,000CHARITABLE GRANT
KENT DENVER SCHOOL
$20,000CHARITABLE GRANT
RON BROWN SCHOLAR PROGRAM
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
THE GLASS HOUSE VISITOR CETER & DES ATT SCOTT DREVNIG
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
BRAVO VAIL
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
CHARLOTTESILLE DAY SCHOOL
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
WENDY NOVAK DIABETES
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
NEW CANAAN LIBRARY
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
CAMP HOLIDAY TRAILS
$10,000CHARITABLE GRANT
HOSPICE OF PIEDMONT
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER ATTN JENNIFER RAYNER
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
NEW LIFE OF NEW YORK CITY INC
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
BRAIN CHEMISTRY LABS
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
EAST HARLEM SCHOOL
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
READWORKS
$5,000CHARITABLE GRANT
GRACE & HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHUR
$3,500CHARITABLE GRANT
CCNC FOUNDATION
$3,000CHARITABLE GRANT
NSCDA-VA
$2,500CHARITABLE GRANT
KENT DENVER PARENTS ASSOCIATION ATTN PHILI KLEIN
$2,500CHARITABLE GRANT
ALBEMARLE COUNTY POLICE FOUNDATION
$2,500CHARITABLE GRANT
URBAN INIATIVES
$2,500CHARITABLE GRANT