Improve the human condition through plant science.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center directs its philanthropy toward plant science research, with a grantmaking record that includes substantial support for university and research-institution partners across the United States. Its largest listed awards in the recent grant set went to University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona Board of Regents, both for research, and other major recipients include Leland Stanford Junior University and the University of Kansas. The foundation’s giving aligns with its stated aim to improve the human condition through plant science, and its active programs extend that mission through fellowships, training, and research initiatives. The grant list shows a pattern of funding advanced research rather than broad charitable operating support. Recipients include major public universities, private universities, and scientific institutions, reflecting a portfolio centered on plant science capacity, crop-related inquiry, and translational research. The foundation also supports research infrastructure and technology translation through separate program lines, including fellowships for plant science graduate students and for researchers moving into the field. Recent awards to institutions such as University of Illinois, University of Rhode Island, and Michigan State University point to a broad national research network rather than a single campus-based focus.
Plant science research is the clearest throughline in the recent grant record. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center gave $1,251,187 to University of California, Berkeley for research, and $1,170,519 to Arizona Board of Regents for research, both fitting a pattern of support for large-scale scientific work at universities. Food-system and crop-oriented work also appears in the portfolio. The foundation awarded $881,742 to University of Kansas for research and $300,800 to Purdue University for research, both institutions that sit within the center’s stated focus on food security and global food production. Environmental and ecosystem science is another visible lane. The grant to Chicago Horticultural Society for research, along with support to Washington State University and the University of Rhode Island, sits alongside the foundation’s emphasis on agricultural sustainability, restoration ecology, and soil health research. STEM education is also present through active fellowship programs for graduate students and career-transition researchers.
$20.6M
$625.7M
$63.8M
$67.8M
Most grants fall between $43K and $265K, with a median of $141K.
25th Percentile
$43K
Median
$141K
75th Percentile
$265K
About 24% of grants go to recipients in IN.
JAMES CARRINGTON PRES A
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Typical awards are mid- to upper-five figures to mid-six figures, with a p25 of $43,128, a median of $141,141, and a p75 of $264,556. The recent grant list includes larger research awards above $1 million, but the center’s distribution still centers on smaller institutional grants within that band. The pattern looks recurring rather than one-off: the same universities appear in multiple years, including University of California, Berkeley; Leland Stanford Junior University; University of Kansas; University of Illinois; University of Rhode Island; and Washington State University. The organization makes program-related investments, and its active programs include both unsolicited and non-unsolicited fellowships and initiatives.
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the provided recent-grants data, with 87 grants to U.S. organizations. The center gives most often in Indiana by grant count, while 24% of grants go to recipients in Missouri. Recent recipients cluster around major research cities including Berkeley, CA; Tucson, AZ; Palo Alto, CA; Champaign, IL; Lawrence, KS; and St. Louis, MO. That mix suggests a national research footprint anchored by repeated university partnerships rather than a single-region strategy.
The recent grants are concentrated in universities and research institutions. Named recipients include University of California, Berkeley; Arizona Board of Regents; Leland Stanford Junior University; University of Kansas; University of Illinois; and Washington State University, with awards labeled for research.
The grant-size distribution is $43,128 at the 25th percentile, $141,141 at the median, and $264,556 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes awards above $1 million for specific research grants.
Its stated focus areas include plant science, food security and global food production, environmental sustainability, STEM education and outreach, research infrastructure and core facilities, and technology translation and startup/company support.
Yes. Active programs include the William H. Danforth Graduate Fellowship for plant science PhD students, Pivot to Plants Fellowship for researchers transitioning into plant science, and Pivot2Plants Fellows, a one-year training program in plant science or data science.
The grantmaking is national, and all of the recent-grants data shown is U.S.-based. By count, Indiana is the top state for giving, and 24% of grants go to recipients in Missouri.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS | LAWRENCE, KS | $881,742 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | PALO ALTO, CA | $796,710 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $477,329 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $468,409 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND | KINGSTON, RI | $388,146 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | PULLMAN, WA | $363,364 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | BERKELEY, CA | $353,564 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $339,011 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS | TUCSON, AZ | $312,137 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $300,800 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $265,431 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY | GLENCOE, IL | $254,985 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| THE LAND INSTITUTE | SALINA, KS | $223,299 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| ST LOUIS UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $178,661 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII | HONOLULU, HI | $147,480 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $96,033 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY | MANHATTAN, KS | $90,351 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT | BURLINGTON, VT | $88,243 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| BIOSTL | ST LOUIS, MO | $79,518 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR CENTER INC (TEC)T-REX | ST LOUIS, MO | $66,618 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY | AMES, IA | $51,208 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $43,769 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| TRUSTEES OF THE HAMLINE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | ST PAUL, MN | $42,461 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE FOUNDATION | EAST ST LOUIS, IL | $29,016 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA | GAINESVILLE, FL | $28,270 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| DEEP GRAIN LLC | ST LOUIS, MO | $27,500 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY | ST PAUL, MN | $14,826 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | COLUMBIA, SC | $14,130 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | PALO ALTO, CA | $1,104,904 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | BERKELEY, CA | $1,001,210 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILINOIS | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $649,854 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS | LAWRENCE, KS | $521,581 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND | KINGSTON, RI | $511,743 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $453,515 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | PULLMAN, WA | $377,846 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON | WASHINGTON, DC | $325,589 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $266,297 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY | GLENCOE, IL | $241,670 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $236,495 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| THE LAND INSTITUTE | SALINA, KS | $225,526 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS | TUCSON, AZ | $213,642 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $150,845 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA | GAINESVILLE, FL | $141,141 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| ST LOUIS UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $122,856 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| BIOSTL | ST LOUIS, MO | $120,380 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR CENTER INC (TEC)T-REX | ST LOUIS, MO | $86,681 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO | BOULDER, CO | $65,142 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT | BURLINGTON, VT | $58,713 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | NEWARK, DE | $52,811 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | COLUMBIA, SC | $48,630 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
$881,742RESEARCH
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
$796,710RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
$477,329RESEARCH
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$468,409RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
$388,146RESEARCH
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
$363,364RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$339,011RESEARCH
ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS
$312,137RESEARCH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$300,800RESEARCH
CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$265,431RESEARCH
CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
$254,985RESEARCH
THE LAND INSTITUTE
$223,299RESEARCH
ST LOUIS UNIVERSITY
$178,661RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
$147,480RESEARCH
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$96,033RESEARCH
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
$90,351RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
$88,243RESEARCH
BIOSTL
$79,518RESEARCH
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR CENTER INC (TEC)T-REX
$66,618RESEARCH
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
$51,208RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$43,769RESEARCH
TRUSTEES OF THE HAMLINE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$42,461RESEARCH
JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE FOUNDATION
$29,016RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
$28,270RESEARCH
DEEP GRAIN LLC
$27,500RESEARCH
HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY
$14,826RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$14,130RESEARCH
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
$1,104,904RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$1,001,210RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ILINOIS
$649,854RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
$521,581RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
$511,743RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$453,515RESEARCH
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
$377,846RESEARCH
CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON
$325,589RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$266,297RESEARCH
CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
$241,670RESEARCH
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$236,495RESEARCH
THE LAND INSTITUTE
$225,526RESEARCH
ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS
$213,642RESEARCH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$150,845RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
$141,141RESEARCH
ST LOUIS UNIVERSITY
$122,856RESEARCH
BIOSTL
$120,380RESEARCH
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR CENTER INC (TEC)T-REX
$86,681RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
$65,142RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
$58,713RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
$52,811RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$48,630RESEARCH