Three Graces Foundation Inc.

Three Graces Foundation Inc. is a family-controlled private foundation based in Fulton, Maryland (Howard County), led by Bruce Bainum (President/Chairman) alongside his spouse Charlene Bainum (Director/VP) and three adult children — Brian, Blake, and Brooke Bainum — all serving as unpaid directors. This governance structure means grantmaking reflects family values and relationships rather than a professional program staff with published criteria.

The foundation's IRS filings explicitly state it 'only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.' This is not a soft guideline — it is the governing policy. First-time applicants must understand that conventional grant prospecting tools (submitting an LOI, registering on a grants portal) will not work here. The only viable path is a genuine relationship with someone in the Bainum network.

The foundation's known geographic grantmaking footprint — two grants in California (including Loma Linda), one in Washington, DC, and one in Missouri — suggests strong institutional ties to organizations in those regions. Loma Linda, CA is home to Loma Linda University Health, a premier Seventh-day Adventist academic medical center, and the presence of multiple California grants points toward a possible Adventist affiliation or alignment. Missouri grants likely reflect Kansas City-area connections; DC grants may relate to the family's Maryland-area civic roots.

Organizations most likely to be considered are those already embedded in the Bainum family's existing philanthropic and social networks — established nonprofits in healthcare, education, or faith-affiliated services in California, DC, or Missouri that have board or leadership overlap with the foundation's directors. There is no public evidence of a formal LOI stage, proposal review cycle, or site visit protocol, which is consistent with a relationship-based, pre-negotiated grantmaking model. Building a presence in the same civic or institutional circles as the Bainum family over time is the only credible long-term strategy for consideration.

Three Graces Foundation has grown from a modest family vehicle into a mid-size private foundation over roughly 12 years. Total assets rose from $4.2M in FY2012 to $8.3M in FY2014 (after a $4M contribution), plateaued near $30M from FY2019-2023, and then surged to $50.1M in FY2024 following $19.9M in new revenue — the largest single-year intake on record.

Annual grantmaking has tracked asset growth: $134K (FY2012), $159K (FY2013), $620K (FY2015), $1.83M (FY2019), $2.34M (FY2020), $1.98M (FY2021), $3.54M (FY2022), $3.49M (FY2023), and approximately $1.93M (FY2024, per Grantmakers.io). The apparent dip in FY2024 giving relative to FY2022-2023 may reflect timing — the large capital infusion arrived late in the fiscal year. If the foundation distributes at the standard private foundation minimum of 5% of assets, the $50.1M asset base would require approximately $2.5M in annual grants going forward, though the foundation has historically given above that floor.

The four grants captured in the database aggregate to $11,395,965 with an average of $2,848,991 — well above the $142K-level grants made in the foundation's early years. The geographic breakdown (CA: 2 grants, DC: 1, MO: 1) confirms the foundation concentrates giving in a small number of institutions rather than broad portfolio distribution. A single grantee in Loma Linda, CA received approximately $1.93M in FY2024.

Grant count per year appears to be 1-3, with a strong preference for large, concentrated investments in trusted institutions. There is no evidence of small exploratory grants ($25K-$100K range). The foundation does not give broadly across cause areas — it funds a small cluster of preselected organizations at scale. Payout as a percentage of assets averaged roughly 8-10% in FY2019-2023, indicating the foundation gives well above the IRS 5% minimum when it has established grant relationships.

The five peer foundations identified share a narrow band of total assets (all near $50M) and are all classified under NTEE T22 (Private Grantmaking Foundations), but differ substantially in geography, accessibility, and likely focus areas.

Among these peers, Three Graces Foundation is notable for its higher transparency through ProPublica filings and for the clarity of its geographic giving pattern. Robinwood Foundation (NJ) maintains a website at robinwoodfoundation.org and may offer a slightly more accessible entry point for organizations in the Northeast. Three Graces' FY2024 asset growth to $50.1M — driven by a $19.9M revenue year — puts it at the higher end of this cohort by liquidity, suggesting potential for materially larger grants in FY2025-2026 than its historical average.

Three Graces Foundation filed its FY2024 Form 990-PF on November 5, 2025, revealing a transformative year financially. Total revenue reached $19,941,346 — more than six times the FY2023 figure of $3,158,554 — and total assets climbed from $30,304,896 to $50,097,976. This suggests a major capital contribution or investment event in FY2024. No public announcement was made regarding the source of the capital.

On the governance side, the FY2024 filing introduced two new directors (Andrew Martin and Amanda Nguyen) alongside the core Bainum family board, and replaced Christine A. Shreve with Mary C. Acker as Secretary/Treasurer. This is the first documented addition of non-Bainum family members to the board in recent filings, which may indicate a modest move toward broader advisory input.

Grantmaking in FY2024 totaled approximately $1,930,000, with at least one grant of $1,928,452 confirmed to a recipient in Loma Linda, California — consistent with the foundation's historical pattern of concentrated giving to California-based institutions. No public press releases, news articles, or grantee announcements were found for calendar years 2025 or 2026. The foundation's registered website (threegraces.org) was not operational as of May 2026. All intelligence on this funder must be derived from IRS 990-PF filings available through ProPublica and Grantmakers.io.

Because Three Graces Foundation explicitly funds only preselected organizations, the conventional grant application playbook does not apply. The following tips are specific to navigating this type of relationship-only funder.

Do not submit cold outreach. The foundation's own 990-PF states it does not accept unsolicited applications. An unsolicited LOI or email to Bruce Bainum will not be considered and may close the door permanently.

Mine the 990-PF grantee schedule. Download the full Form 990-PF PDF from ProPublica (EIN 20-0472407) for the most recent three years. The Part IX grantee schedule will list specific recipients by name, amount, and purpose. Identifying these organizations tells you: (a) what institutional types the Bainum family trusts, (b) which geographic communities matter to them, and (c) potential warm introduction pathways through those grantee organizations' board or staff.

Research Bainum family civic affiliations. The Bainum family is based in Howard County, Maryland. Research Bruce and Charlene Bainum's board memberships, event appearances, and institutional affiliations (particularly any Seventh-day Adventist institutional ties suggested by the Loma Linda grantee) to identify shared circles. Attend the same conferences, galas, or advisory committees.

Align with demonstrated geographies. The four documented grants span California (Loma Linda), Washington, DC, and Missouri. If your organization is headquartered in or serves one of these regions, lead with that alignment in any eventual relationship-building conversation.

Monitor the FY2025-2026 filings. Given the $19.9M FY2024 revenue spike, future 990-PF filings (expected late 2026) may reveal a step-change in grantmaking. A new or larger grantee in that cycle could signal an opening in a new program area.

If a connection is made: Follow the foundation's lead entirely. Do not ask for a specific amount; let them name the figure. Have audited financials, a board list, and a concise organizational overview ready but do not send them unrequested.