The Brereton & Elizabeth J. Jones Charitable Family Foundation focuses on supporting community institutions in the Kentucky Bluegrass region, making unrestricted mission-support grants to a small set of local nonprofits. Their funding emphasizes higher education, regional health/cancer causes, historic preservation, and land conservation, often directed to established organizations rather than start-ups. Grants are meaningful in size and appear targeted to sustain core operations and mission delivery.
Concentrated, regional giving: a small number of moderately sized general-support grants, repeat funding to at least one health-focused grantee, and primary support for established local institutions rather than a wide spread of small or national charities.
A defining feature of the Brereton & Elizabeth Jones Charitable Family Foundation is its repeated support for Midway University and Markey Cancer Foundation, two recipients that appear across multiple years in the recent grants list. The foundation’s giving is centered on Kentucky community institutions and leans toward mission support rather than restricted project grants. That pattern shows up in education, health, historic preservation, and conservation. Midway University received $35,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $12,500 in 2025. Markey Cancer Foundation received $32,500 in 2023, $23,700 in 2024, and $15,000 in 2025. Other recipients include Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation, Bluegrass Conservancy, Kentucky Historical Foundation, American Farmland Trust, and Pisgah Presbyterian Church. The mix suggests a funder that works through established organizations serving the Kentucky Bluegrass region and nearby communities, with grants often framed as support for the organization’s mission. Across the recent record, the foundation’s awards are meaningful enough to support core operations and long-term programs, while still staying within a small circle of local nonprofits and charitable institutions.
In higher education, the foundation has backed Midway University with three separate grants of $35,000, $10,000, and $12,500, all described as support for the organization’s mission. In health, Markey Cancer Foundation received $32,500 in 2023, followed by $23,700 in 2024 and $15,000 in 2025. The foundation also funded conservation and land stewardship through Bluegrass Conservancy, including $20,000 in 2025 and $10,000 in 2024 and 2023, plus a grant to American Farmland Trust in 2025. Historic preservation is another recurring theme: Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation received $25,000 in 2024, while Kentucky Historical Foundation received $10,000 in 2025 and 2024, and another $10,000 in 2023. The grant descriptions consistently emphasize mission support.
Typical grants cluster tightly around a mid-sized operating level: p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $10,000. That indicates a strong concentration at one common award size, with occasional larger gifts above that level. The recent record also shows repetition across years, with several recipients appearing in more than one grant cycle. The foundation makes grants to organizations rather than individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its structure appears consistent with a family foundation using direct charitable grants for mission support.
$128K
$126K
$38K
$129K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Markey Cancer Foundation, Midway University, Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation, Bluegrass Conservancy
Giving is overwhelmingly Kentucky-based: 91% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s top state by grant count. The recipient list is concentrated in Midway, Lexington, Versailles, Frankfort, Simpsonville, and Louisville. Outside Kentucky, the recent grants list includes one recipient in Washington, DC and one in Louisiana. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 36 grants to U.S. recipients.
It supports established nonprofits and charitable institutions, especially those tied to higher education, cancer research and patient support, historic preservation, land conservation, and other community-serving work in Kentucky. The recent grants are mostly described as support for the organization’s mission, suggesting flexible operating help rather than narrow project-only funding.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Midway University received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Markey Cancer Foundation also received grants in all three years. Bluegrass Conservancy, Kentucky Historical Foundation, American Farmland Trust, Pisgah Presbyterian Church, Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, and Mentors and Meals also repeat in the recent record.
The grant-size distribution is centered on $10,000. The p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $10,000. That means most awards in the recent record fall at $10,000 or below, with a smaller number of larger grants such as $20,000, $23,700, $25,000, $32,500, and $35,000.
It gives primarily in Kentucky. The top state by grant count is KY, and 91% of grants go to recipients in that state. Recent recipient cities in Kentucky include Midway, Lexington, Versailles, Frankfort, Simpsonville, and Louisville.
No. The foundation funds nonprofit and charitable organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants are direct charitable grants to organizations such as universities, preservation groups, conservation nonprofits, and community institutions.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUEGRASS CONSERVANCY | LEXINGTON, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MARKEY CANCER FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MIDWAY UNIVERSITY | MIDWAY, KY | $12,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| LACEY'S LEGACY WESTERN RIDING | ST BERNARD, LA | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | VERSAILLES, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GRAYSON JOCKEY CLUB RESEARCH FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MIDDLE GROUND CAPITAL CHARITIBLE FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SPARK COMMUNITY CAFE | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY | SIMPSONVILLE, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MENTORS AND MEALS | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BLUEGRASS TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $25,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MARKEY CANCER FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $23,700 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BLUEGRASS CONSERVANCY | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GRAYSON JOCKEY CLUB RESEARCH FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MIDWAY UNIVERSITY | MIDWAY, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | VERSAILLES, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY | SIMPSONVILLE, KY | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SAFETY NET FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODFORD HUMANE SOCIETY | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MENTORS AND MEALS | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY | FRANKFORT, KY | $2,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MIDWAY UNIVERSITY | MIDWAY, KY | $35,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MARKEY CANCER FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $32,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | VERSAILLES, KY | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BLUEGRASS CONSERVANCY | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY | SIMPSONVILLE, KY | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODFORD HUMANE SOCIETY | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MENTORS AND MEALS | VERSAILLES, KY | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL | VERSAILLES, KY | $500 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
BLUEGRASS CONSERVANCY
$20,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MIDWAY UNIVERSITY
$12,500SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
LACEY'S LEGACY WESTERN RIDING
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND
SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MIDDLE GROUND CAPITAL CHARITIBLE FOUNDATION
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SPARK COMMUNITY CAFE
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MENTORS AND MEALS
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
BLUEGRASS TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
$25,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MIDWAY UNIVERSITY
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SAFETY NET FOUNDATION
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MENTORS AND MEALS
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
$2,500SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MIDWAY UNIVERSITY
$35,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
PISGAH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
KENTUCKY RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MENTORS AND MEALS
$5,000SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
WOODFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
$500SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION