The Nicholl Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on higher education and medical research institutions in Maryland, primarily providing large unrestricted donations to major universities. Giving is highly concentrated geographically (Baltimore area) and institutionally, with Johns Hopkins University receiving the bulk of support and repeated awards. The foundation appears to prioritize institutional-strengthening gifts to research-intensive universities and medical centers rather than many small community grants.
The Nicholl Family Foundation Inc. gives at a scale that is unusually concentrated for a regional funder: a single Baltimore institution, Johns Hopkins University, received $750,000 in 2025 and $640,000 in both 2024 and 2023. That pattern signals a foundation that uses large, repeated gifts to reinforce a small set of institutions rather than spreading support across many unrelated causes. Much of the giving centers on Maryland’s research and medical ecosystem, with the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc. also receiving six-figure support and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital appearing repeatedly in the recent grants list. The foundation’s recent awards also show support for education and health-related institutions in Baltimore, including Mother Seton Academy and Healthcare for the Homeless. Outside Maryland, the portfolio includes grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, The Carter Center in Atlanta, and Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, but the overall pattern remains anchored in large institutional donations, especially to universities and medical centers. The result is a profile of sustained support for research-intensive organizations, clinical programs, and higher-education infrastructure.
Higher education and medical research are the clearest throughlines in the foundation’s recent grants. In 2025, it gave $200,000 to The University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc. (umbf) in Baltimore, following $100,000 gifts in 2024 and 2023. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore received $750,000 in 2025, building on $640,000 awards in both 2024 and 2023. Clinical and public-health related support also appears in Baltimore. MedStar Union Memorial Hospital received $100,000 in 2025 and 2024, after a $100,000 gift in 2023. Healthcare for the Homeless received $25,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also funded education and youth-serving organizations, including Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore with $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Beyond Maryland, it made $50,000 gifts to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis across three years.
The reported grant-size distribution shows a wide spread, with p25 at $10,000, median grant size at $20,000, and p75 at $100,000. The recent record suggests a two-tier pattern: a small number of very large institutional gifts and a larger set of repeat grants at $10,000 to $25,000. Giving is recurring rather than one-off for several recipients. Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc., MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Mother Seton Academy, Healthcare for the Homeless, The Carter Center, Free Wheelchair Mission, and Children’s Roads to Recovery Inc. each appear across multiple years. The foundation is a private family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$3.5M
$13.4M
$2.4M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $10K and $100K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 59% of grants go to recipients in MD.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Very concentrated: few, large grants primarily to the same flagship institutions (repeat major gifts to Johns Hopkins), regional focus on Baltimore/ Maryland higher-education and medical centers.
Notable grantees: Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc., Other Baltimore-area universities and medical research centers (representative of the foundation's pattern)
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 41 grants in the country. Maryland dominates the portfolio: 59% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Baltimore is the main city in the recent grants list. Other recipient cities include Memphis, Atlanta, Irvine, Franklin, and St. Louis. The geographic pattern is regional, but the center of gravity remains Baltimore and nearby Maryland institutions.
The recent grants point to higher education, biomedical research, medical education, and university-based public-health or clinical programs. Baltimore-area institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc., MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and Mother Seton Academy appear repeatedly in the recent grant list.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the median, with p25 at $10,000 and p75 at $100,000. The recent list also includes several much larger institutional gifts, including a $750,000 award in 2025 and multiple $640,000 and $200,000 grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc., MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Mother Seton Academy, Healthcare for the Homeless, The Carter Center, Free Wheelchair Mission, and Children’s Roads to Recovery Inc.
Maryland is the top giving state, with 59% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Baltimore is the main city in the recent grant list, and the overall pattern is regional rather than national.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $750,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF) | BALTIMORE, MD | $200,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MOTHER SETON ACADEMY | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE CARTER CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION | IRVINE, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CAMP GLOW | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BRIDGING LIFECARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE | WESTMINSTER, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CRITTER CALVARY RESCUE | FRANKLIN, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES | WESTMINSTER, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $640,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MOTHER SETON ACADEMY | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF) | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION | IRVINE, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE CARTER CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE | WESTMINSTER, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CAMP GLOW | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES | WESTMINSTER, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $640,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF) | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| MOTHER SETON ACADEMY | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| THE CARTER CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION | IRVINE, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| CAMP GLOW | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| CARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE | WESTMINSTER, MD | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| WINGS OF LOVE INC | LOA ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES | WESTMINSTER, MD | $5,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$750,000DONATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF)
$200,000DONATION
MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$100,000DONATION
MOTHER SETON ACADEMY
$100,000DONATION
ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL
$50,000DONATION
HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS
$25,000DONATION
THE CARTER CENTER
DONATION
FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION
$20,000DONATION
CAMP GLOW
$10,000DONATION
THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA
$10,000DONATION
BRIDGING LIFECARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE
$10,000DONATION
CRITTER CALVARY RESCUE
$10,000DONATION
CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC
$10,000DONATION
THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES
$5,000DONATION
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$640,000DONATION
MOTHER SETON ACADEMY
$100,000DONATION
MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$100,000DONATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF)
$100,000DONATION
ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL
$50,000DONATION
HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS
$25,000DONATION
FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION
$20,000DONATION
THE CARTER CENTER
$20,000DONATION
CARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE
$10,000DONATION
CAMP GLOW
$10,000DONATION
THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA
$10,000DONATION
CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC
$10,000DONATION
THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES
$5,000DONATION
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$640,000DONATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE FOUNDATION INC (UMBF)
$100,000DONATION
MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$100,000DONATION
MOTHER SETON ACADEMY
$100,000DONATION
ST JUDE'S CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL
$50,000DONATION
HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS
$25,000DONATION
THE CARTER CENTER
$20,000DONATION
FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION
$20,000DONATION
THE MARIANISTS OF AMERICA
$10,000DONATION
CHILDREN'S ROADS TO RECOVERY INC
$10,000DONATION
CAMP GLOW
$10,000DONATION
CARROLL COUNTY HOSPICE
$10,000DONATION
WINGS OF LOVE INC
$10,000DONATION
THE LEAST OF THESE MINISTRIES
$5,000DONATION