The WS Johnston Foundation appears to operate primarily as a vehicle for family-directed charitable giving rather than as an operating or program funder. Its only recorded grants are two equal donations to Schwab-managed donor-advised funds bearing family names, indicating the foundation routes philanthropic dollars into family DAFs for subsequent grantmaking. There is no evidence of direct programmatic funding or issue-specific grants in this record.
Very concentrated, large single-purpose grants directed to family donor-advised funds; appears to fund a small number of internal family DAFs rather than many external nonprofits.
The Ws Johnston Foundation’s recorded giving is shaped by family donor-advised funds: two 2025 grants of $96,474 each went to Schwab Donor Advised Fund Giving 360 accounts tied to the Johnston Rodgers Fund and the R Johnston Family Fund. That pattern places the foundation in a pass-through role, routing most of its documented charitable dollars into family-named DAFs rather than directly to operating nonprofits. Beyond those vehicles, the record shows smaller grants to a mix of organizations across arts, health, animal welfare, housing, and human services. Colorado Photographic Arts Center appears multiple times in the grant history, including support in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Other named recipients include Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Habitat for Humanity. The overall picture is of a foundation making broad charitable gifts with a strong family-directed structure, while also maintaining a steady stream of modest direct grants to nonprofits in the United States.
Several cause areas appear in the grant record, but none dominates all of the direct gifts. In the arts, the foundation gave $4,500 in 2023 and $3,750 in 2024 to Colorado Photographic Arts Center, then added another $3,000 in 2025. In healthcare and reproductive health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc received $3,000 in 2025 after a $2,750 grant in 2024. Animal welfare also appears through a $2,500 grant in 2025 to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The foundation’s human services and community support grants include $1,250 to Episcopal Commuity Services, $1,250 to Habitat for Humanity, and $1,250 to Share Our Strength, each recorded in 2024.
The typical grant is small: p25 is $1,125, median is $1,250, and p75 is $2,938. The distribution is bimodal because two 2025 charitable-giving transfers of $96,474 dwarf the rest of the record. Outside those transfers, most awards cluster at roughly $1,000 to $3,000. Recipients do repeat across years, including Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc, Habitat for Humanity, and the International Rescue Committee, which points to ongoing rather than one-time relationships. The foundation is not recorded as funding individuals and is not listed as making program-related investments.
$230K
$0
$2K
$210K
Most grants fall between $1K and $3K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$3K
About 14% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Notable grantees: R Johnston Family Fund - Schwab Donor Advised Fund, Johnston Rodgers Fund - Schwab Donor Advised Fund
The foundation gives nationally, and all recorded grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC appears frequently, including grants to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc and Share Our Strength. Philadelphia is another recurring city through Episcopal Commuity Services, while Norristown appears with Habitat for Humanity. Other recipient cities include Denver, New York, Boston, Albert Lea, Topeka, Stamford, and Moab. Colorado accounts for 14% of grants in the record, but the top state by grant count is DC.
Most recorded grants are modest. The distribution shows p25 at $1,125, median at $1,250, and p75 at $2,938. Two 2025 charitable-giving transfers of $96,474 each sit far above the rest of the record and shape the overall pattern.
Yes. Colorado Photographic Arts Center appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc appears in 2024 and 2025, and Habitat for Humanity and the International Rescue Committee each appear in both 2023 and 2024.
The record includes arts, healthcare and reproductive health, animal welfare, housing, and general charitable support. Named recipients include Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Habitat for Humanity, and Share Our Strength.
The foundation gives nationally, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. By state count, DC is the top giving state, while Colorado accounts for 14% of grants. Recipient cities in the record include Washington, Philadelphia, Norristown, Denver, New York, Boston, and Albert Lea.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHNSTON RODGERS FUND - SCHWAB DONOR ADVISED FUND GIVING 360 | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $96,474 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GIVINGS |
| R JOHNSTON FAMILY FUND - SCHWAB DONOR ADVISED FUND GIVING 360 | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $96,474 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GIVINGS |
| COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER | DENVER, CO | $3,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $3,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER (CPAC) | DENVER, CO | $3,750 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,750 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | NORRISTOWN, PA | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL COMMUITY SERVICES | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART | BOSTON, MA | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHARE OUR STRENGTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SKY MIND RETREATS | MOAB, UT | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER (CPAC) | DENVER, CO | $4,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TAMISCAL ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | LARKSPUR, CA | $2,250 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL COMMUITY SERVICES | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | TOPEKA, KS | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ELM PROJECT | STAMFORD, CT | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | NORRISTOWN, PA | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,125 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
JOHNSTON RODGERS FUND - SCHWAB DONOR ADVISED FUND GIVING 360
$96,474CHARITABLE GIVINGS
R JOHNSTON FAMILY FUND - SCHWAB DONOR ADVISED FUND GIVING 360
$96,474CHARITABLE GIVINGS
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER
$3,000ARTS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC
$3,000HEALTHCARE
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
$2,500ANIMAL CARE
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER (CPAC)
$3,750GENERAL SUPPORT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC
$2,750GENERAL SUPPORT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL COMMUITY SERVICES
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
SHARE OUR STRENGTH
$1,250GENERAL SUPPORT
SKY MIND RETREATS
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER (CPAC)
$4,500GENERAL SUPPORT
TAMISCAL ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
$2,250GENERAL SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL COMMUITY SERVICES
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ELM PROJECT
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC
$1,125GENERAL SUPPORT