The Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation concentrates philanthropic resources on high-impact, institution-scale projects rather than many small grants. Its giving is dominated by major support for medical research and capacity-building at VCU School of Medicine—specifically endowments and funding for a Liver Institute—while making a much smaller but notable gift to national environmental advocacy through the Sierra Club Foundation. The foundation appears to favor large, potentially permanent investments (endowed chairs, institute funding) and is locally anchored in Richmond, VA with some national environmental interest.
Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation’s largest recent commitments center on the same long-running medical project: three consecutive annual grants to VCU School of Medicine totaling $54 million across 2023, 2024, and 2025, each tied to the Liver Institute and endowed chairs. That pattern makes the foundation stand out as a funder of institution-scale, long-horizon academic medicine rather than a broad small-grants program. In Richmond, its giving has supported medical research infrastructure with multi-year consistency, while also extending to other causes through selected grants outside health. The foundation’s recent portfolio shows a mix of permanent and project-specific support. It has backed endowed academic positions and institute-building in hepatology, and it has also made substantial general-purpose gifts to environmental and civic organizations. A $1.3 million grant to Sierra Club Foundation and a $600,000 grant to Southern Environmental Law Center indicate that climate and environmental advocacy sit alongside its medical philanthropy. Recipients in Virginia appear frequently, but the foundation’s activity also reaches organizations in California, New York, Texas, Maryland, Florida, and New Mexico.
Medical research and institutional capacity are the clearest themes in Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation’s recent grants. The foundation gave $22 million to VCU School of Medicine in 2025, $17 million in 2024, and $15 million in 2023, all to fund the Liver Institute and endow two chairs. It also supported Southwestern Medical Foundation with a $100,000 general-purpose grant in 2023. Beyond health, the foundation backed environmental advocacy and conservation. It awarded $1.3 million to Sierra Club Foundation in 2023 and $100,000 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in 2025 for the Just Transition Fund. Additional environmental and conservation grants went to Earth Justice, Environmental Defense Fund, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Conservation Fund. Animal welfare and reproductive health also appear in the recent record. Grants include $100,000 to Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation in 2025, $90,000 to Espanola Humane in 2025, and support for REPRO-Rising Virginia Foundation and NARAL-Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation.
$23.2M
$425.7M
$38.6M
$27.1M
Most grants fall between $50K and $100K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Highly concentrated: very few, very large grants (three major gifts to a single medical school totaling the vast majority of assets) with repeat funding to core grantees and occasional one-off national environmental grant(s). Emphasis on endowments and durable institutional support rather than many small program grants.
Notable grantees: VCU School of Medicine (multiple large grants for Liver Institute and endowed chairs), Sierra Club Foundation
Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation’s typical grant size falls in a fairly tight institutional range: p25 is $50,000, median is $75,000, and p75 is $100,000. That distribution fits a profile of meaningful grants with a few much larger commitments, including multi-million-dollar awards tied to the Liver Institute. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grantmaking shows repetition over time. VCU School of Medicine appears in three consecutive years with large awards, and several other recipients also recur across multiple years, including Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Wildlife Center of Virginia, Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation, VIMS Foundation, and NARAL-Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation. The grants listed are mostly general-purpose, with some clearly designated for specific initiatives.
Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation gives most often in Virginia, which also accounts for half of its grants. Richmond is a recurring recipient city, along with Alexandria, Charlottesville, Gloucester Point, and Waynesboro. Outside Virginia, the foundation has written grants to organizations in New York, California, Texas, Maryland, Florida, and New Mexico. All listed grants go to U.S. recipients. The geography is therefore regional rather than national or international, with a strong Virginia core and a smaller set of out-of-state partners.
The recent record centers on medical research and academic capacity, especially the Liver Institute and endowed chairs at VCU School of Medicine. Environmental advocacy is the other major theme, including support for Sierra Club Foundation, Southern Environmental Law Center, Earth Justice, and Environmental Defense Fund.
Yes. VCU School of Medicine received major grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the same Liver Institute and endowed-chair effort. Other recurring recipients include Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Wildlife Center of Virginia, Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation, VIMS Foundation, and NARAL-Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation.
The typical grant size is concentrated around institutional giving: p25 is $50,000, median is $75,000, and p75 is $100,000. The distribution also includes much larger awards, including several seven- and eight-figure grants to VCU School of Medicine.
Virginia is the top state by grant count, and 50% of grants go to recipients in Virginia. Richmond appears repeatedly among recipient cities, alongside Alexandria, Charlottesville, Gloucester Point, and Waynesboro.
The recipients include a medical school, environmental and legal advocacy groups, animal welfare organizations, and reproductive health nonprofits. Examples from the recent list include VCU School of Medicine, Sierra Club Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation, and REPRO-Rising Virginia Foundation.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCU School of Medicine | Richmond, VA | $22,000,000 | 2025 | To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs. |
| VA Institute Marine Science Foundat | Gloucester Point, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Just Transition Fund |
| Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation | Richmond, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Espanola Humane | Espanola, NM | $90,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas | Dallas, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| James River Association | Richmond, VA | $75,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Union of Concerned Scientists | Cambridge, MA | $75,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| REPRO-Rising Virginia Foundation | Alexandria, VA | $75,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Environmental Law Alliance Worldwid | Eugene, OR | $75,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Partnership Project Inc | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | Equitable & Just Nat'l Climate Forum |
| American Assoc Study of Liver Disea | Alexandria, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Virginia Conservation Network | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Partnership for Smarter Growth | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Capital Region Land Conservancy | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Dogwood Alliance | Asheville, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Tramp's Rescue | Bowling Green, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| VCU School of Medicine | Richmond, VA | $17,000,000 | 2024 | To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs. |
| VIMS Foundation | Gloucester Point, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation | Richmond, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| James River Association | Richmond, VA | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Union of Concerned Scientists | Cambridge, MA | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Environmental Law Alliance Worldwid | Eugene, OR | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas | Dallas, TX | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Naral-Pro-Choice Virginia Foundatio | Alexandria, VA | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Espanola Humane | Espanola, NM | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Partnership Project Inc | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Dogwood Alliance | Asheville, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Capital Region Land Conservancy | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Virginia Conservation Network | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Partnership for Smarter Growth | Richmond, VA | $50,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Tramp's Rescue | Bowling Green, VA | $30,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| AASLD | Alexandria, VA | $25,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Tri Country Animal Rescue | Boca Raton, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| VCU School of Medicine | Richmond, VA | $15,000,000 | 2023 | To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs. |
| Sierra Club Foundation | Oakland, CA | $1,300,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Southern Environmental Law Center | Charlottesville, VA | $600,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Earth Justice | San Francisco, CA | $500,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Conservation Fund | Arlington, VA | $400,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Tri Country Animal Rescue | Boca Raton, FL | $375,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Environmental Defense Fund | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation | Annapolis, MD | $200,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation | Richmond, VA | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| VIMS Foundation | Gloucester Point, VA | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Southwestern Medical Foundation | Dallas, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
| Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purpose unless otherwise stated |
VCU School of Medicine
$22,000,000To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs.
VA Institute Marine Science Foundat
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Espanola Humane
General Purpose unless otherwise stated
American Assoc Study of Liver Disea
$50,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Partnership for Smarter Growth
$50,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Tramp's Rescue
$30,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
VCU School of Medicine
$17,000,000To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs.
VIMS Foundation
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Naral-Pro-Choice Virginia Foundatio
$75,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Espanola Humane
$75,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Partnership for Smarter Growth
$50,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Tramp's Rescue
$30,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
AASLD
$25,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Tri Country Animal Rescue
$25,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
VCU School of Medicine
$15,000,000To Fund the Liver Institute and Endow two Chairs.
General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Earth Justice
$500,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Conservation Fund
$400,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Tri Country Animal Rescue
$375,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated
VIMS Foundation
$100,000General Purpose unless otherwise stated