The Indian Paintbrush Foundation concentrates very large gifts to higher education institutions, select cultural/heritage programs and a small set of mission-driven nonprofits. A majority of dollars fund universities and college-related programs (both domestic and study-abroad), with substantial one-off gifts to organizations addressing antisemitism, conservation of national parks, and local healthcare. Their giving is highly targeted and top-heavy rather than broadly distributed.
Highly concentrated: very few grants overall with a small number of very large awards. Repeat, multi-million-dollar support to select higher-education institutions (notably recurring grants to DePauw) alongside occasional single large gifts to thematic nonprofits and fiscal/charitable vehicles.
A $60,050,000 general-support grant to National Philanthropic Trust stands out in Indian Paintbrush Foundation’s recent record and sets the tone for a portfolio built around large, selective gifts. The foundation’s giving is led by higher education: DePauw University received multiple educational-support grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including $50,407,232, $40,000,000, and $46,000,000. That pattern shows a funder comfortable with very large commitments over time rather than a broad spread of small awards. Beyond universities, the foundation has backed a small set of mission-driven nonprofits and institutions. It gave $37,500,000 in general support to Foundation to Combat Anti-semitism Inc and $10,000,000 to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation. It also funded College Year in Athens, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, and several health and community organizations. The portfolio mixes unrestricted support, educational support, and medical support, with a clear tilt toward large-scale institutional funding rather than individual grants or program-related investments. The overall pattern is targeted and top-heavy, with repeated awards to a few recipients and substantial one-off gifts to others.
Higher education is the clearest cause area in Indian Paintbrush Foundation’s grant history. DePauw University alone appears repeatedly, including $50,407,232 in 2024 and $46,000,000 in 2025 for educational support, alongside another $40,000,000 educational-support grant in 2024. International study-abroad support is another visible thread. The foundation gave College Year in Athens $5,000,000 in 2024 and another $2,800,000 in 2025, both for educational support. The foundation also funds health-related and community-serving organizations. It gave $1,000,000 in 2024 and another $1,000,000 in 2025 to St Johns Health Foundation for medical support, and it made general-support gifts to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Crohns and Colitis Foundation Inc, and Ali Forney Center. Cultural and public-interest support appears as well, including $1,000,000 to Sag-aftra in 2024 and $5,000,000 to Grand Teton National Park Foundation in 2024.
Indian Paintbrush Foundation’s grants are highly concentrated at the top end. The typical grant size is $31,250 at the 25th percentile, $137,500 at the median, and $2,375,000 at the 75th percentile, reflecting a strongly right-skewed distribution. The foundation is a large private foundation with annual grants of $292,309,732 and assets of $1,942,801,649. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same institutions across multiple years, including several years of support for a few recipients. It does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$102.9M
$1.9B
$194.7M
$114.8M
Most grants fall between $31K and $2.4M, with a median of $138K.
25th Percentile
$31K
Median
$138K
75th Percentile
$2.4M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
STEVEN M RALES
CHAIRMAN/DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT
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Notable grantees: DePauw University, National Philanthropic Trust, Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Inc, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation, College Year in Athens Inc
All listed grants in the recent sample go to U.S. recipients. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, driven in part by recipients in Cambridge and Foxborough. Other recurring recipient locations include Greencastle, Indiana; New York, New York; Santa Barbara, California; and Jackson, Wyoming. The foundation’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, but none of the recent grants in the sample went to recipients in DC.
Higher education institutions are the most prominent recipients in the recent record, especially DePauw University. The foundation also gives to health organizations, anti-antisemitism and Jewish-community efforts, conservation groups, and a smaller set of cultural or community nonprofits.
The grant-size distribution is very top-heavy. The 25th percentile is $31,250, the median is $137,500, and the 75th percentile is $2,375,000.
Yes. DePauw University received multiple educational-support grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025. College Year in Athens and St Johns Health Foundation also each appear more than once in the recent grants list.
The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the sample, with 51 grants to U.S. recipients. By state count, Massachusetts is the top location, followed by other recurring recipient sites including Indiana, California, New York, and Wyoming.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREENCASTLE, IN | $46,000,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION TO COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM INC | FOXBOROUGH, MA | $37,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,800,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JACKSON HOLE | JACKSON, WY | $2,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOHNS HEALTH FOUNDATION | JACKSON, WY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL SUPPORT |
| CROHNS AND COLITIS FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT INC | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALI FORNEY CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW AVENUES FOR YOUTH INC | PORTLAND, OR | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM - NY METRO | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER INC | JACKSON, WY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT DESERT 365 | NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES OF JACKSON HOLE | JACKSON, WY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREENCASTLE, IN | $50,407,232 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREENCASTLE, IN | $40,000,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | MOOSE, WY | $5,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JACKSON HOLE | JACKSON, WY | $2,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,000,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOHNS HEALTH FOUNDATION | JACKSON, WY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL SUPPORT |
| SAG-AFTRA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT INC | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM - NY METRO | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM | CHICAGO, IL | $125,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRANSITION HOUSE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SLOW MONEY INSTITUTE INC | BOULDER, CO | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BETHESDA COMMUNITY BASEBALL CLUB | BETHESDA, MD | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER INC | JACKSON, WY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HEARTS THERAPEUTIC EQUESTRIAN CENTER | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $12,500 | 2024 | MEDICAL SUPPORT |
| GANNA WALSKA LOTUSLAND | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST | JENKINTOWN, PA | $60,050,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREENCASTLE, IN | $10,000,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| WASHINGTON COLLEGE | CHESTERTOWN, MD | $500,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| TRANSITION HOUSE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK | COLLEGE PARK, MD | $75,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| BETHESDA COMMUNITY BASEBALL CLUB | BETHESDA, MD | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ALYN HOSPITAL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$46,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
FOUNDATION TO COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM INC
$37,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA
$5,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$5,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC
$2,800,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JACKSON HOLE
$2,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION
$1,500,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
ST JOHNS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$1,000,000MEDICAL SUPPORT
CROHNS AND COLITIS FOUNDATION INC
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA
$350,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE TREVOR PROJECT INC
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ALI FORNEY CENTER
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW AVENUES FOR YOUTH INC
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM - NY METRO
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT DESERT 365
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES OF JACKSON HOLE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$50,407,232EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$40,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
$5,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC
$5,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JACKSON HOLE
$2,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION
$2,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
ST JOHNS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$1,000,000MEDICAL SUPPORT
SAG-AFTRA
$1,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE TREVOR PROJECT INC
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$500,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM - NY METRO
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TRANSITION HOUSE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SLOW MONEY INSTITUTE INC
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BETHESDA COMMUNITY BASEBALL CLUB
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HEARTS THERAPEUTIC EQUESTRIAN CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
$12,500MEDICAL SUPPORT
GANNA WALSKA LOTUSLAND
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST
$60,050,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$10,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$10,000,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
WASHINGTON COLLEGE
$500,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
TRANSITION HOUSE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK
$75,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
BETHESDA COMMUNITY BASEBALL CLUB
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLLEGE YEAR IN ATHENS INC
$25,000EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ALYN HOSPITAL INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT