
This foundation directs virtually all of its philanthropic resources to a single recipient, Waterstone, providing large, repeated grants that appear intended as core or transformational support. The giving is highly concentrated geographically (based in Howey in the Hills, FL) and organizationally (one grantee classified under NTEE T31). The foundation functions more like a dedicated benefactor to Waterstone than a general grantmaker across multiple causes.
Concentrated giving: few, very large, repeat grants all to one organization (Waterstone), indicating long-term, possibly multi-year commitment and a preference for focused impact over broad diversification.
The John Stiger Ferry Charitable Fo directs its philanthropic resources to Waterstone, with repeated seven-figure general-support grants that function as core funding for the Colorado Springs organization. Across the most recent grants on file, the foundation gave Waterstone $2,100,000 in 2023, $2,020,000 in 2024, and $2,100,000 in 2025. That pattern shows a narrow, sustained relationship rather than a broad portfolio of small awards. The foundation’s active grantmaking is now sunsetting and limited to identified partner organizations. Its stated mission areas include integrity in the legal profession, religious liberty, the welfare of active military and veterans, disadvantaged youth, and humane treatment of animals. In practice, the recent record shows one recipient absorbing all documented grants, all in the United States. The organization’s profile reads less like a general-purpose grantmaker and more like a dedicated supporter of a small set of legacy-aligned institutions, with Waterstone as the clearest example in the public grant record.
A central thread in the foundation’s stated grantmaking is support for legal integrity and religious liberty. Those priorities appear in its active programs, which are described as funding organizations aligned with John Stiger Ferry’s legacy in the areas of integrity in the legal profession and religious liberty advocacy and defense. The foundation also names welfare of active military and veterans as a focus area, alongside programs for disadvantaged youth. Humane treatment and rescue of animals is another stated cause area, placing the foundation across several mission-driven categories rather than one narrow issue. The active grant programs are described as sunsetting, with identified partners selected to carry forward the foundation’s legacy. That makes the current grantmaking model unusually fixed: the emphasis is on continuing support for preselected organizations rather than building a new pipeline of applicants.
Grant size is tightly clustered at the multimillion-dollar level: p25 is $2,040,000, median is $2,060,000, and p75 is $2,080,000. The recent grants list also shows a repeated pattern of very large general-support awards rather than small project grants. The foundation appears to fund a small, identified set of partners over time. Waterstone appears in three separate grant years in the recent record, indicating recurring support rather than one-off giving. The foundation is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active grant programs are sunsetting and closed to new requests, with grants directed to identified partners.
$6.2M
$15.3M
$614K
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $2M and $2.1M, with a median of $2.1M.
25th Percentile
$2M
Median
$2.1M
75th Percentile
$2.1M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Notable grantees: Waterstone
Grantmaking is concentrated in the United States, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. The named recipient city in the recent record is Colorado Springs, CO, which appears repeatedly through Waterstone. The foundation’s own headquarters are in Howey in the Hills, FL, but its documented giving does not land in Florida. Top-state concentration in grant count is Colorado, reflecting the Colorado Springs recipient in the recent grants table.
Its stated grantmaking priorities include integrity in the legal profession, religious liberty, welfare of active military and veterans, programs for disadvantaged youth, and humane treatment of animals. The active programs are described as sunsetting and focused on identified partner organizations tied to John Stiger Ferry’s legacy.
Its grant-size distribution is very tight at the multimillion-dollar level: p25 is $2,040,000, median is $2,060,000, and p75 is $2,080,000. The recent grants record is consistent with that pattern, showing awards around $2.0 million.
No. The active grant programs are described as sunsetting, foundation-selected, and closed to new applicants or new grant requests. Remaining grantmaking is directed to identified partner organizations.
Yes. Waterstone appears in the recent grants record in 2023, 2024, and 2025, showing repeated support over multiple years rather than a single isolated grant.
The recent grants listed are all in the United States, and the top state by grant count is Colorado. The named recipient city in the recent record is Colorado Springs, CO.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATERSTONE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $2,100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WATERSTONE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $2,020,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WATERSTONE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $2,100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
WATERSTONE
$2,100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WATERSTONE
$2,020,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WATERSTONE
$2,100,000GENERAL SUPPORT