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Also known as: FOUNDATION
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Supports public charities in seven key areas: graduate theological education (US and Canada); performing arts in Richmond, VA; Asian art museums (acquisition, conservation, and education); LGBTQ inclusion and programs within faith communities; community health nursing and hospice care in select cities (Worcester, Richmond, Philadelphia); and general charitable support in specific communities where Carpenter Co. operated.
E Rhodes And Leona B Carpenter Foundation is a private corporation based in WAYNE, PA. The foundation received its IRS ruling in 1975. The principal officer is Jaoconnorjr & Dl Colli. It holds total assets of $251.7M. Annual income is reported at $117.2M. Total assets have grown from $178.3M in 2011 to $251.7M in 2024. The foundation is governed by 4 officers and trustees. Tax records are available from 2020 to 2024. The foundation primarily funds organizations in Virginia and California. According to available records, E Rhodes And Leona B Carpenter Foundation has made 786 grants totaling $36.4M, with a median grant of $25K. The foundation has distributed between $10.6M and $14.1M annually from 2020 to 2022. Grantmaking activity was highest in 2021 with $14.1M distributed across 262 grants. Individual grants have ranged from $750 to $2M, with an average award of $46K. The foundation has supported 504 unique organizations. The foundation primarily supports organizations in Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, which account for 27% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 37 states. Contributions to this foundation are tax-deductible.
The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation is not a general-purpose philanthropist — it is a family-created instrument designed to perpetuate the specific charitable passions of its founders. Established in 1975 from the wealth of E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter, co-founders of Carpenter Company (a major foam cushioning manufacturer headquartered in Richmond, Virginia), the foundation reflects the founders' personal relationships, geography, and values rather than a broad social agenda. Grant seekers must understand this origin before drafting a single word of their application.
The foundation organizes its grantmaking into seven discrete, non-overlapping silos: (1) organizations that held direct personal relationships with Leona or Rhodes Carpenter during their lifetimes; (2) graduate theological education at U.S. and Canadian public charities; (3) performing arts in Richmond, Virginia specifically; (4) Asian art museums nationwide; (5) LGBTQ+ support for persons of faith and faith communities seeking inclusion; (6) community health nursing in Worcester MA, Richmond VA, and Philadelphia PA — from a preselected pool only; and (7) charitable needs in the Carpenter Company's historic manufacturing communities: Conover NC, Temple TX, Tupelo MS, Russellville KY, and Riverside CA.
First-time applicants must honestly assess which single silo their work fits. Stretching a mission to cover multiple buckets is a red flag; the foundation's grantee history shows that winning organizations do exactly one thing within these priorities exceptionally well. The Richmond Symphony, Virginia Repertory Theatre, and Richmond Ballet are sustained across multiple grant cycles because they are central to the foundation's Richmond arts mission — not because they diversify their asks.
Relationship progression varies by silo. Performing arts and theological education grantees most often evolve into multi-year relationships, with grants renewed two to five times over consecutive cycles. Manufacturing community grants tend to be shorter-cycle capital projects — fire trucks, building renovations, youth center vehicles — addressing discrete one-time needs. LGBTQ faith grants typically provide annual or biennial program operating support.
The board meets twice yearly. There is no online portal, no site visit disclosure in the guidelines, and no public grant database. The foundation communicates decisions by phone or letter. New entrants should approach their first application as the beginning of a relationship-building process, not a single transaction.
The foundation distributed approximately $14.3 million in FY2023 (grants paid: $11.6M) across 296 awards, and 310 awards in 2024. The historical grantee dataset shows 786 total grants averaging $46,318 per grant. The foundation's disclosed typical grant profile shows a median of $30,000, average of $53,759, and a range of $2,500 to $2,000,000.
Annual giving has been remarkably consistent over a decade: $12.4M (2012), $14.4M (2014), $14.7M (2015), $13.2M (2019), $14.2M (2020), $16.9M (2021), $13.6M (2022), $14.3M (2023). The 2021 spike to $16.9M coincided with a record $42M investment return year on the foundation's ~$250M asset base.
By program area (estimated from grantee data):
The top single grant in the dataset is $3,000,000 to Johns Hopkins University (Pinkard Building renovation, 3 payments), demonstrating willingness to make transformative capital commitments to long-standing institutional partners.
The Carpenter Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among private foundations — a multi-silo structure with highly specific geographic and thematic restrictions that reflects a family's personal philanthropic biography rather than a broad issue agenda. Its $251M asset base and ~$14M annual giving place it firmly in the mid-size private foundation tier, comparable to foundations with defined program areas and biannual grant cycles.
| Foundation | Assets | Annual Giving | Primary Focus | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation | $251.7M | ~$14M | Theology, performing arts (Richmond), Asian art, LGBTQ faith, community health, manufacturing communities | Mail letter only; Jan 31 / Jul 15 |
| Henry Luce Foundation | ~$900M | ~$35M | Theology, Asia/Pacific, higher education, American art | Mostly invited; open LOI for select programs |
| Arthur Vining Davis Foundations | ~$350M | ~$16M | Graduate theological education, healthcare, higher education | Open to select categories; letter of inquiry |
| Arcus Foundation | ~$400M | ~$30M | LGBTQ social justice, great apes conservation | Open proposals; two cycles per year |
| Windgate Foundation | ~$500M | ~$30M | Studio arts, crafts, arts education | Open applications; semi-annual review |
Carpenter deploys approximately 5.6% of assets annually — near the IRS minimum payout requirement for private foundations — compared to Luce's higher effective payout ratio. This means Carpenter's annual grant pool is finite and competition within each silo is real, though the silos are narrow enough to limit the total applicant universe substantially. Theological education and Richmond performing arts applicants face the greatest competition from repeat grantees; Asian art museum and manufacturing community requests encounter a more limited applicant pool. Carpenter is also notably more restrictive in its application format than peers — Arcus and Windgate both accept electronic submissions, while Carpenter requires physical mail exclusively.
The foundation maintains an intentionally low public profile. There is no press room, grant announcement blog, or social media presence. News of grants surfaces almost exclusively through recipient press releases and 990 filings, not foundation announcements.
The most recent documented activity:
Timing is the first critical decision. The foundation reviews applications at two annual meetings. Applications must be postmarked or private-carrier-dated by January 31 for the spring meeting and July 15 for the fall meeting. For performing arts organizations with June 30 fiscal years, the January 31 deadline typically aligns best with upcoming season programming requests. Theological education applicants with academic-year funding needs often find July 15 — reviewed in autumn — more practical for aligning with enrollment cycles.
The letter format is non-negotiable and specific. Mail two (2) physical copies — not scanned PDFs, not emails. Number every page. The very first element of the letter must be a 50-word-or-fewer description of your project and the dollar amount requested. Treat this as your pitch to a board member who may read nothing else. Follow with a brief organizational history and a fuller project description. Do not attach financials, tax letters, or supplemental materials unless specifically requested — the published guidelines call for a letter only.
Use the foundation's exact vocabulary. For LGBTQ faith grants, frame your work around "persons of faith" and "faith community inclusion or affirmation" — this is distinct from general LGBTQ social services. For theological education grants, confirm you are offering graduate-level study at a public charity (not a local congregation or private secondary school). Asian art grants must involve a "permanent collection" — traveling-exhibition-only institutions are unlikely to qualify.
Acknowledge the founders. The foundation's identity is inseparable from E. Rhodes Carpenter and Leona B. Carpenter personally. Reference them by name and demonstrate genuine familiarity with the foundation's founding history and specific program silos. Multi-year grantees in the top 50 all reflect organizations that understood this from their first interaction.
Request within the realistic range. The median grant is $30,000 and most awards stay under $100,000. First-time applicants should anchor requests between $25,000 and $75,000 unless a specific capital project (building, equipment) with a clear cost basis justifies more. The largest grants in the dataset — $3M to Johns Hopkins, $2M to Hampden-Sydney — are longstanding institutional partners, not first-time applicants.
What to avoid: Do not apply for private secondary education support, individual fellowships, or general operating support for a local congregation. Do not submit more than one application per year. Do not email a pre-application letter of inquiry as a substitute for reading the guidelines — if you have a genuine eligibility question, contact admin@carpenterfoundation.us.
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Smallest Grant
$3K
Median Grant
$30K
Average Grant
$54K
Largest Grant
$2M
Based on 262 grants from the most recent 990-PF filing.
No program descriptions are available for this foundation. Many private foundations report program activities in their annual 990-PF filings — check the Tax Filings section below for the most recent filing.
The foundation distributed approximately $14.3 million in FY2023 (grants paid: $11.6M) across 296 awards, and 310 awards in 2024. The historical grantee dataset shows 786 total grants averaging $46,318 per grant. The foundation's disclosed typical grant profile shows a median of $30,000, average of $53,759, and a range of $2,500 to $2,000,000. Annual giving has been remarkably consistent over a decade: $12.4M (2012), $14.4M (2014), $14.7M (2015), $13.2M (2019), $14.2M (2020), $16.9M (2021), $13.
E Rhodes And Leona B Carpenter Foundation has distributed a total of $36.4M across 786 grants. The median grant size is $25K, with an average of $46K. Individual grants have ranged from $750 to $2M.
The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation is not a general-purpose philanthropist — it is a family-created instrument designed to perpetuate the specific charitable passions of its founders. Established in 1975 from the wealth of E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter, co-founders of Carpenter Company (a major foam cushioning manufacturer headquartered in Richmond, Virginia), the foundation reflects the founders' personal relationships, geography, and values rather than a broad social agenda. Gr.
E Rhodes And Leona B Carpenter Foundation is headquartered in WAYNE, PA. While based in PA, the foundation distributes grants to organizations across 37 states.
| Name | Title | Compensation | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diane L Collins | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | $355K | $67K | $422K |
| Joseph A O'Connor | DIRECTOR/CO-EXE.DIR. | $281K | $15K | $296K |
| Ann B Day | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | $60K | $278 | $60K |
| Paul B Day Jr | DIR./V. PRES./SECRETARY | $60K | $278 | $60K |
Total Giving
N/A
Total Assets
$251.7M
Fair Market Value
N/A
Net Worth
$251.7M
Grants Paid
N/A
Contributions
N/A
Net Investment Income
N/A
Distribution Amount
N/A
Total Grants
786
Total Giving
$36.4M
Average Grant
$46K
Median Grant
$25K
Unique Recipients
504
Most Common Grant
$10K
of 2022 grantees were first-time recipients
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian ChurchCHARITABLE PURPOSES | Russellville, KY | $102K | 2022 |
| Flint Institute Of ArtsHELP WITH COSTS OF CONSERVING TWO IMPERIAL CHINESE ROBES DATING FROM THE REIGN OF QIANLONG AND THE COSTS OF FABRICATING AND CONSTRUCTING CASES IN THE INSTITUTE'S ARTS OF ASIA GALLERGY TO DISPLAY THE TWO ROBES | Flint, MI | $53K | 2022 |
| Johns Hopkins UniversitiyCOSTS OF RENOVATION OF AND ADDITION TO PINKARD BUILDING | Baltimore, MD | $1M | 2022 |
| City Of RussellvilleHELP WITH THE COSTS OF PURCHASING A NEW FIRE TRUCK | Russellville, KY | $300K | 2022 |
| Hadwen Park Congregational United Church Of ChristHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE LGBT ASYLUM TASK FORCE | Worcester, MA | $275K | 2022 |
| Scott And White Health Care FoundationHELP WITH COSTS OF 22 GRADUATE NURSES IN THE HOSPITAL'S GRADUATE NURSE RESIDENCY PROGRAM | Temple, TX | $250K | 2022 |
| Johns Hopkins UniversityENDOWED GIFT TO BE HELD IN PERPETUITY FOR A PROFESSORSHIP BEAING THE NAME OF THE LEONA B. CARPENTER CHAIR IN HEALTH DISPARITIES | Baltimore, MD | $250K | 2022 |
| Temple Community Free Clinic$75,000 TO HELP WITH THE COSTS OF HIRING A CASE MANAGER/PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND CONDITIONALL APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 TO HELP WITH THE COSTS OF RELOCATING THE CLINIC'S FACILITIES (GRANT TO BE PAID WHEN CLINIC CERTIFIES IT HAS RAISED BALANCE NEEDED) | Temple, TX | $200K | 2022 |
| Virginia Repertory TheatreHELP WITH COSTS OF (I) ITS 2022-23 SEASON PROGRAMMING, (II) ITS EDUCATIONAL TOUR TO TITLE I RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND (III) ITS NEW THEATRE ARTS LEARNING LEAGUE (TALL) PROGRAM | Richmond, VA | $185K | 2022 |
| Good Samaritan Health ServicesHELP WITH THE COSTS OF RENOVATION OF THE CLINIC BUILDING AT 420 MAGAZINE STREET. | Tupelo, MS | $150K | 2022 |
| Academy Of Natural SciencesCOSTS OF CONSERVING THE HABITAT DIORAMA OF THE TIBETAN WILD YAK | Philadelphia, PA | $125K | 2022 |
| Riverside Art MuseumHELP WITH THE COSTS OF DEVELOPING A MAJOR EXHIBITION AND CATALOGUE ABOUT ARCHITECT, JULIA MORGAN | Riverside, CA | $120K | 2022 |
| Philadelphia Museum Of ArtHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE EXHIBITION, "THE SHAPE OF TIME: KOREAN ART AFTER 1989" SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN THE FALL OF 2023, AND THE ACCOMPANYING CATALOGUE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING | Philadelphia, PA | $100K | 2022 |
| Create FoundationHELP WITH THE COST OF ITS NEW BUILDING PROJECT | Tupelo, MS | $100K | 2022 |
| The Ohel Minyan IncGENERAL CHARITABLE AND RELIGIOUS PURPOSES | Northampton, MA | $100K | 2022 |
| Walters Art Museum FoundationHELP WITH COSTS OF THE REINSTALLATION OF THE MUSEUM'S ASIAN ART TO BE ENTITLED, "ACROSS ASIA: ARTS FROM EAST ASIA, SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD" TO BE COMPLETED NEXT SPRING | Baltimore, MD | $100K | 2022 |
| Vna Care Hospice IncHELP WITH THE COSTS OF (I) HOSPITAL CERTIFICATION PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR STAFF, (II) CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT TO THE ROSE MONAHAN HOSPICE HOME, AND (III) GENERAL OPERATIONS | Worcester, MA | $100K | 2022 |
| Virginia Opera Assoc IncHELP WITH THE COSTS OF PROGRAMMING AND OPERATIONS FOR THE 2022-2023 SEASON | Norfolk, VA | $100K | 2022 |
| Northeastern UniversityHELP WITH THE COSTS OF ITS "SACRED WRITES" PROGRAM | Boston, MA | $95K | 2022 |
| Health BrigadeIN SUPPORT OF ITS "INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SERVICES MODEL" | Richmond, VA | $90K | 2022 |
| Vanderbilt UniversityFUND SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS FOR THREE STUDENTS COMPLETING A THREE-YEAR MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE | Nashville, TN | $85K | 2022 |
| School Of The Performing Arts In The Richmond CommunitySUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: NEW VOICES FOR THE THEATER AND FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS; LIVE ART; AND SPECTRUM | Richmond, VA | $85K | 2022 |
| Wake Forest UniversityHELP WITH TWO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MDIV | Winstonsalem, NC | $83K | 2022 |
| Northstar AcademySUPPORT OF ITS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR ITS NEW FACILITY AND CAMPUS SITE | Glen Allen, VA | $80K | 2022 |
| Science Museum Of Virginia FoundationHELP WITH OPERATIONAL COSTS FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2021-2023 | Richmond, VA | $80K | 2022 |
| Southern New England Conference United Church Of ChristTO FUND TWO LEVELS OF CLERGY COACH TRAINING FOR 15 PASTORS IN RURAL OR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES OVER TWO CALENDAR YEARS | Framingham, MA | $80K | 2022 |
| Childrens Defense FundHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE FUND'S GRADUATE-LEVEL THEOLOGICAL CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND INSTRUCTION AT ITS CHILD ADVOCACY MINISTRY INSTITUTE (SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR INSTITUTE FOR CHILD ADVOCACY MINISTRY) | Washington, DC | $75K | 2022 |
| Auburn Theological SeminaryGENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | New York, NY | $75K | 2022 |
| Convergence NetworkHELP WITH THE COSTS OF ITS DIGITAL MINISTRY FELLOWS INITIATIVE | Decatur, GA | $75K | 2022 |
| Asia SocietyIN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JAPANESE ART SOCIETY OF AMERICA TO HELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, 'MEIJI MODERN: FIFTY YEARS OF NEW JAPAN" | New York, NY | $75K | 2022 |
| Bethlehem Community Fire And Rescue IncHELP WITH COST OF PURCHASE OF A QUICK RESPONSE VEHICLE | Taylorsville, NC | $70K | 2022 |
| Claremont Rescue SquadHELP WITH COSTS OF REPLACING ITS LARGE ANIMAL RESCUE EQUIPMENT AND HORSE TRAILER | Claremont, NC | $70K | 2022 |
| Belton Christian Youth CenterHELP WITH THE COSTS OF PURCHASING A NEW MINI-BUS AND TO HELP WITH THE CENTER'S OPERATING EXPENSES | Belton, TX | $70K | 2022 |
| St Stephens Fire DepartmentHELP WITH THE COSTS OF UPDATING ITS RESCUE/EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT AND OF REPAIRING THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM ON ITS FIRE/RESCUE BOAT | Conover, NC | $70K | 2022 |
| Riverside Educational Enrichment FoundationHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION'S VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS IN THE RIVERSIDE UNITED SCHOOL DISTRICT | Riverside, CA | $70K | 2022 |
| University Of RichmondHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S MODLIN CENTER'S SIX 2022-2023 PERFORMANCES, ARTISTS' RESIDENCIES, ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING OUTREACH AND BUILDING AUDIENCES ON CAMPUS, DOWNTOWN AND WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS | Richmond, VA | $70K | 2022 |
| Cathedral Of The Sacred HeartHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE E. RHODES AND LEONA B. CARPENTER SERIES OF INSTRUMENTAL, VOCAL AND ORGAN PERFORMANCES BY WORLD-CLASS ARTISTS AND ACCOMPLISHED LOCAL ARTISTS, OFFERED FREE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FISCAL YEARS 2022-2024 | Richmond, VA | $70K | 2022 |
| University Of ChicagoTO BE APPLIED FOR POST-DOCTORAL AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE BIBLE COMPONENT OF THE CEDAR PROJECT WITH BALANCE TO BE USED GENERALLY TO FUND THE CEDAR PROJECT | Chicago, IL | $65K | 2022 |
| Hebrew Senior Life IncSUPPORT OF ITS LGBTQ CHAPLAINCY RESIDENT PROGRAM | Boston, MA | $64K | 2022 |
| Post Oak Baptist ChurchGENERAL AND RELIGIOUS PURPOSES RE DISASTER RELIEF | Russellville, KY | $60K | 2022 |
| Communities In Schools Of Greater Central Texas IncHELP WITH COSTS OF PROVIDING SERVICES AT TWO HIGH-RISK CAMPUSES WITHIN THE TEMPLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: HECTOR P. GARCIA ELEMENTARY AND TEMPLE HIGH SCHOOL | Killeen, TX | $60K | 2022 |
| California Lutheran UniversityHELP WITH COSTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 15 STUDENTS | Berkeley, CA | $56K | 2022 |
| Interfaith Center Of Greater PhiladelphiaHELP WITH COST FOR TWO YEARS OF THE CORE PROGRAMMING OF ITS "INTER-SEMINARY INITIATIVE" | Philadelphia, PA | $55K | 2022 |
| Hazon IncSUPPORT OF COHORT 5 OF CLERGY LEADERSHIP INCUBATOR PROGRAM | New York, NY | $53K | 2022 |
| Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeHELP WITH THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING THE CURRICULUM AND PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORTS FOR RRC STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMER TERM | Wyncote, PA | $50K | 2022 |
| Moravian CollegeHELP WITH THE COSTS OF THE ACCREDITATION FEE OFFSET AND LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT | Bethlehem, PA | $50K | 2022 |