
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an operating foundation dedicated to sharing the gifts and ideas of Rachel “Bunny” Mellon. Its mission is to support and inspire fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens and landscapes, and to perpetuate and share Mrs. Mellon’s residence, garden, estate, and the Oak Spring Garden Library to serve the public interest.
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation centers its grantmaking on plant science, plant conservation, and the cultural history of plants, while also supporting artists, scholars, and residents who use the Oak Spring resources for focused work. Its operating model is built around fellowships and residencies rather than large institutional awards, and the recent grant list shows repeated support for individual researchers, botanical artists, and bibliographic scholars. Awards of $10,000 appear throughout the program, with a higher $15,000 sabbatical award for advanced plant-science and conservation work. Two recurring examples are the Plant Science Research Fellowship and the Stacy Lloyd Fellowship for Bibliographic Study, each represented by multiple recent awards. The foundation also uses residency formats to support interdisciplinary work, botanical art, and culinary practice, pairing access to the estate, library, gardens, accommodations, and meals with smaller grants. Recent grants include awards to Anna Wyngaarden for the plant science research fellowship and to Joseph Litts for bibliographic studies, illustrating how the foundation funds individual work tied to its collection and landscape. It also makes occasional project-specific grants beyond its fellowship structure, including support connected to conservation and public-interest work.
Plant science and conservation are the clearest throughline in the recent awards. The foundation gave $15,000 to Scott Meiners for the Plant Conservation and Plant Science Research Sabbatical Program, and $10,000 awards to Anna Wyngaarden for the Fellowship in Plant Science Research, Erin Eichenberger for the Plant Conservation Biology Fellowship, and Leland Werden for the same fellowship. These grants support individual research rather than institutional programs. A second cluster is bibliographic and archival work. Oak Spring Garden Foundation awarded $10,000 to Joseph Litts for the Stacy Lloyd Fellowship for Bibliographic Studies and $10,000 to Allison Fulton for the same fellowship. Botanical art and artistic excellence are also present, with $10,175 to Panos Aprahamian and $10,000 to Sara Lindsay through the Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence. The foundation’s program list also includes residencies in botanical art, interdisciplinary practice, music, and culinary work.
$453K
$312.3M
$27.8M
$12.4M
Most grants fall between $800 and $2K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$800
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$2K
About 11% of grants go to recipients in WA.
Top 10 recipient countries by grant volume for Oak Spring Garden Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 195 | $397K | 88.6% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 4 | $7K |
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Typical awards are small and tightly clustered: p25 is $800, median is $1,600, and p75 is $2,000. That pattern fits a grantmaker focused on short-term individual support, while a smaller number of fellowship awards sit at $10,000 and the sabbatical award reaches $15,000. The recent record also shows repeat funding across years for named fellowship programs, especially plant science, plant conservation biology, and bibliographic study. Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an operating foundation, and it accepts unsolicited applications for several of its fellowship and residency programs.
Most grants go to recipients in the United States, and Virginia recipients account for 11% of grants. Washington is the top state by grant count, indicating the strongest concentration of giving, even though the foundation is headquartered elsewhere. Recent recipients also appear in Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, and New Hampshire. Outside the United States, the recipient country list includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Turkey, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Its recent awards center on plant science, plant conservation, bibliographic study, botanical art, and interdisciplinary residencies. Examples include $15,000 for plant conservation and plant science research sabbatical work and $10,000 fellowship awards for plant science research and bibliographic studies.
The grant-size distribution is small: p25 is $800, median is $1,600, and p75 is $2,000. Alongside that pattern, several named fellowship awards are set at $10,000, and a sabbatical award is $15,000.
Yes. Several active programs are listed as accepting unsolicited applications, including the Oak Spring Fellowships, the Fellowship in Plant Science Research, the Oak Spring Fellowship for Distinction in Fine Crafts and Design, and the Stacy Lloyd Fellowship for Bibliographic Study.
The foundation uses fellowships and residencies. Active offerings include plant science research, plant conservation biology, bibliographic study, fine crafts and design, botanical art residencies, interdisciplinary residencies, a culinary residency, and sabbatical awards in plant science and conservation.
Washington is the top state by grant count. Virginia recipients account for 11% of grants, and the recipient-country distribution is overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with 195 grants going to U.S. recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
1.8% |
| 3 | Germany | 2 | $20K | 0.9% |
| 4 | Brazil | 2 | $4K | 0.9% |
| 5 | Japan | 2 | $3K | 0.9% |
| 6 | Dominican Republic | 2 | $3K | 0.9% |
| 7 | Romania | 2 | $2K | 0.9% |
| 8 | Austria | 1 | $2K | 0.5% |
| 9 | Argentina | 1 | $2K | 0.5% |
| 10 | Italy | 1 | $2K | 0.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT MEINERS | MARTINSVILLE, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | PLANT CONSERVATION AND PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH SABBATICAL PROGRAM 2024 |
| PANOS APRAHAMIAN | — | $10,175 | 2025 | 2024 ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE |
| SARA LINDSAY | LILBURN, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE |
| ALLISON FULTON | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 STACY LLOYD FELLOWSHIP FOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC STUDIES |
| JOSEPH LITTS | ENFIELD, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 STACY LLOYD FELLOWSHIP FOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC STUDIES |
| LELAND WERDEN | PETERBOROUGH, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 PLANT CONSERVATION BIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP |
| ERIN EICHENBERGER | RALEIGH, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 PLANT CONSERVATION BIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP |
| LIMING CAI | AUSTIN, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP |
| SIERRA PEREZ | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP |
| DOC WEEK MIDDLEBURG | MARSHALL, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | 5/17/24 DOC WEEK MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL |
| MARIA PINTO | QUINCY, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| RACHAEL ANDERSON | NEW HAVEN, CT | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| ABBY SWIDLER | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| KIERAN TVERBAKK | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| MARTINE THOMAS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| SHEILA SCOVILLE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| PAULA BOHINCE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| JINEE SIENNIE LEE | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| JENNY CHAMARETTE | — | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| OMAR MENDOZA LINARES | — | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| NICOLE JAMES | RICHMOND, VA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| ROXANNE EVERETT | SEATTLE, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| JULIANE SHIBATA ARTS LLC | NORTHFIELD, MN | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| ALIYANA GEWIRTZMAN | CONIFER, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| SHANNON BUCKLEY | COLUMBUS, OH | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| JANICE NIEMANN | — | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| RACHEL K FAUTH | ASHEVILLE, NC | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| MAJEL CONNERY | ARVERNE, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| KIRK GORDON | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| JAMES LUCAS | STANLEY, VA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| ASUKA TANINO | — | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| CALDER KAMIN | AUSTIN, TX | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| STEPHANIE SIN-YUN SHIH DBA THISISSH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| MICHELLE ROBINSON | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| SOPHIA MCLAUGHLIN | IOWA CITY, IA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY DAYLILIES COHORT, |
| VALENTINA SOTO | — | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| ANDREW CATANESE | PALO ALTO, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | 2024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| VERONICA MARTIN | PORTLAND, OR | $1,800 | 2025 | 2023 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY |
| SASKIA POULOS | UPPERVILLE, VA | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 CULINARY RESIDENCY |
| THEODORA WILLIAMS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 CULINARY RESIDENCY |
| ESTER CASEY | BEACON, NY | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 WINTER PERENNIAL RESIDENCY SESSION |
| RICHARD VANDERPLAS DBA EDENOPOLIS L | NEW YORK, NY | $1,600 | 2025 | CULINARY RESIDENCY 2024 |
| KANDIS K PHILLIPS | GAITHERSBURG, MD | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 WINTER PERENNIAL RESIDENCY SESSION |
| NANCY HERSHBERGER | BREEZEWOOD, PA | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 PERENNIAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM |
| DOUGLAS TAYLOR | LAS VEGAS, NV | $1,600 | 2025 | 2024 CULINARY RESIDENCY |
| ETHAN A HENDERSON | TUCSON, AZ | $1,500 | 2025 | HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024 |
| SUSAN FRASER | BRONX, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024 |
| LEE B MCCAFFREE | ORINDA, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | 2024 BOTANICAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM |
| SAMUEL LEMLEY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024 |
| MARY ELLEN TAYLOR | — | $1,000 | 2025 | 2024 BOTANICAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM |
SCOTT MEINERS
$15,000PLANT CONSERVATION AND PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH SABBATICAL PROGRAM 2024
PANOS APRAHAMIAN
$10,1752024 ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
SARA LINDSAY
$10,0002024 ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
ALLISON FULTON
$10,0002024 STACY LLOYD FELLOWSHIP FOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC STUDIES
JOSEPH LITTS
$10,0002024 STACY LLOYD FELLOWSHIP FOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC STUDIES
LELAND WERDEN
$10,0002024 PLANT CONSERVATION BIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP
ERIN EICHENBERGER
$10,0002024 PLANT CONSERVATION BIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP
LIMING CAI
$10,0002024 PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
SIERRA PEREZ
$10,0002024 PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
DOC WEEK MIDDLEBURG
$2,5005/17/24 DOC WEEK MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL
MARIA PINTO
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
RACHAEL ANDERSON
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
ABBY SWIDLER
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
KIERAN TVERBAKK
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
MARTINE THOMAS
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
SHEILA SCOVILLE
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
PAULA BOHINCE
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
JINEE SIENNIE LEE
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
JENNY CHAMARETTE
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
OMAR MENDOZA LINARES
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
NICOLE JAMES
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
ROXANNE EVERETT
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
JULIANE SHIBATA ARTS LLC
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
ALIYANA GEWIRTZMAN
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
SHANNON BUCKLEY
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
JANICE NIEMANN
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
RACHEL K FAUTH
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
MAJEL CONNERY
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
KIRK GORDON
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
JAMES LUCAS
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
ASUKA TANINO
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
CALDER KAMIN
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
STEPHANIE SIN-YUN SHIH DBA THISISSH
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
MICHELLE ROBINSON
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
SOPHIA MCLAUGHLIN
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY DAYLILIES COHORT,
VALENTINA SOTO
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
ANDREW CATANESE
$2,0002024 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
VERONICA MARTIN
$1,8002023 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY
SASKIA POULOS
$1,6002024 CULINARY RESIDENCY
THEODORA WILLIAMS
$1,6002024 CULINARY RESIDENCY
ESTER CASEY
$1,6002024 WINTER PERENNIAL RESIDENCY SESSION
RICHARD VANDERPLAS DBA EDENOPOLIS L
$1,600CULINARY RESIDENCY 2024
KANDIS K PHILLIPS
$1,6002024 WINTER PERENNIAL RESIDENCY SESSION
NANCY HERSHBERGER
$1,6002024 PERENNIAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM
DOUGLAS TAYLOR
$1,6002024 CULINARY RESIDENCY
ETHAN A HENDERSON
$1,500HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024
SUSAN FRASER
$1,000HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024
LEE B MCCAFFREE
$1,0002024 BOTANICAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
SAMUEL LEMLEY
$1,000HONORARIUM LIBRARY REVIEW 2024
MARY ELLEN TAYLOR
$1,0002024 BOTANICAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM