About Ronald L Mcdaniel Foundation
The Ronald L McDaniel Foundation concentrates its substantial giving into a small number of large, place-based recipients, with a clear emphasis on supporting a regional arboretum, youth services, and a family-associated research foundation. Grants are multi-hundred-thousand to multi-million dollar commitments, often repeated to the same organizations, indicating long-term, targeted investments rather than broad, one-off philanthropy.
Focus Areas
Regional arboretum and land conservation (Hayes Arboretum)After-school and youth development programs in Wayne County (Boys & Girls Club)Family-directed research and scholarship philanthropy (Stanley W. Hayes Research Foundation)
Who They Fund
youth in Wayne County (after-school participants)Wayne County residents / local community organizationsregional conservation sites and arboretum stewardship organizationsresearch scholars supported by family-affiliated foundation
Giving Approach
About Ronald L Mcdaniel Foundation
A defining feature of the Ronald L Mcdaniel Foundation is its repeated, high-dollar support for a small set of place-based organizations. The largest recent awards went to Stanley W Hayes Research Fdn Inc and Hayes Arboretum, each at $1.5 million, reflecting a pattern of sustained commitments rather than broad, one-time giving. The foundation also backs youth-serving organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County, which received $550,000 in 2025 after two prior grants of $525,000 in 2024 and 2023. Its grant history shows long-running support for organizations tied to Richmond, Indiana, alongside direct-service nonprofits in Illinois and a smaller set of recipients in South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Arizona. The mix includes an arboretum, youth development providers, food assistance organizations, housing-related charities, and child-focused service groups. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Hayes Arboretum, Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County, Bridge Communities, DuPage Children’s Museum, and Casa of DuPage. That repeat pattern suggests the foundation favors continuing relationships with organizations it already knows, especially where the work is anchored to a local community or a specific institution.
What Ronald L Mcdaniel Foundation Funds
Environmental and conservation-related giving appears through Hayes Arboretum, which received $1.5 million in 2024 and $750,000 in 2023. That support points to an interest in arboretum stewardship and land conservation. Youth development is another clear strand. Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County received $550,000 in 2025, following grants of $525,000 in both 2024 and 2023, showing multi-year backing for after-school and out-of-school-time services. The foundation also funds child and family support organizations in Illinois. Bridge Communities received $300,000 in 2025 and $300,000 in 2024 for charitable purposes, while Ronald Mcdonald House Charities in Chicago received $250,000 in 2025. Food access and basic needs show up as well through Loaves and Fishes in Naperville and Lowcountry Food Bank in Charleston.
How Ronald L Mcdaniel Foundation Gives
Typical awards sit at a $15,000 p25, $25,000 median, and $52,500 p75, though the recent grant record also includes much larger strategic gifts. The pattern is concentrated rather than diffuse: several recipients appear across multiple years, including Hayes Arboretum, Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County, Bridge Communities, DuPage Children’s Museum, and Casa of DuPage. That repetition points to ongoing relationships and multi-year support. The foundation operates as a grantmaker with invitation-only and competitive direct-service programs, and its active programs are one-year awards with evaluation reports required at completion. It does not fund individuals.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.9M
Total Assets
$22M
Total Revenue
$8M
Total Expenses
$5.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $53K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$53K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 45% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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