Open Foundations · Georgia

Robert W Woodruff Foundation Inc

Atlanta, Georgia · EIN 581695425. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $188.3M across 25 grants in 2025, a median of $1.0M each.

All Georgia foundations · All states

$188.3M
paid in 2025
25
grants paid
$1.0M
median grant
16%
to first-time recipients
$1.9B
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
Erik S Johnson President
Address
191 Peachtree St NE Suite 3540, Atlanta, GA, 30303
Phone
4045226755
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
Application form not required. Proposals should be submitted via the Foundation's online application portal on its website. Before submitting a formal grant request, prospective grantees are encouraged to submit an informal inquiry to [email protected]. The grant request should be made in letter form and include the following information: - A description of the organization, its purposes, programs, staffing and governing board - The organization's latest financial statements including the most recent audit report - A description of the proposed project and full justification for its funding - An itemized project budget, including other sources of support in hand or anticipated - Evidence from the IRS of the organization's tax-exempt status and that the applying organization itself is not a private foundation.
Submission deadline
Grant applications are considered in April and November for requests received by Feb. 1 and Aug. 15.
Restrictions on awards
Grants generally are limited to tax-exempt charities and selected governmental agencies located and operating in Georgia, with most grants awarded to organizations in Atlanta. Grants to qualified public charities headquartered outside Georgia occasionally are considered when it is demonstrated that the proposed project will have particular impact in Georgia and fits within the program interests of the Foundation. These interests are focused on the following program areas: - Elementary, secondary and higher education - Health care and education - Human services, particularly for children and youth - Economic development and civic affairs - Art and cultural activities - Conservation of natural resources and environmental education. Grants for regular operating expenses are avoided. No grants are made to individuals.

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2025, IRS filing object id 202611349349102421. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2025 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

million campaigngeorgiaatlantaimprovementsdevelopmentdowntown

Biggest grants in 2025

The 15 largest of the 25 grants paid in 2025, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Emory UniversityGA$90,000,025Acquisition of the former Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston campus.
2Community Foundation for Greater AtlantaGA$20,000,052Development of Georgia State University's Panther Quad and associated improvements from 100 Edgewood to Woodruff Park.
3Atlanta Area Council Scouting AmericaGA$15,500,000$49.1 million campaign to develop Woodruff Scout Camp into a premier destination.
4Ichauway IncorporatedGA$13,100,0002025 capital and operating needs.
5Atlanta Beltline PartnershipGA$12,310,068Completion of the 22-mile trail corridor loop ($75 million) and support for the Legacy Resident Retention Program ($2.5 million) and Partnership operations ($2.5 million).
6National Center for Civil and Human RightsGA$8,500,000Campaign to expand the museum with two new wings.
7Atlanta Fulton County ZooGA$6,000,000Renovation of giant panda habitat to meet conservation standards and enhance guests' experience.
8The Conservation FundVA$5,000,000Acquisition of 7,764-acre Twin Pines property adjacent to the Okefenokee Swamp.
9Fernbank IncGA$4,000,000Construction of new exhibits, galleries and accessibility projects as part of $25 million campaign.
10Georgia Cities FoundationGA$2,500,000Support of a revolving loan fund for downtown development projects in small Georgia cities.
11Emory UniversityGA$2,000,000Support of the Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship program.
12Park PrideGA$2,000,000Support of the Legacy Grant Program to provide grants for park improvement projects.
13Chastain Park ConservancyGA$1,000,000Development of Northside Youth Organization facilities.
14Chattahoochee Nature CenterGA$1,000,000$9.8 million campaign for capital improvements to expand environmental education programs.
15Greater Atlanta Chamber FoundationGA$1,000,000Support of Downtown Reimagined initiative.

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
202035$155.5M
202134$165.2M
202230$171.5M
202330$189.6M
202430$182.3M
2025 (partial year)25$188.3M

Where the money went

Share of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state
Georgia88%
Virginia4%
California4%
New York4%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

David P StockertTrustee · 2025
E Jenner Wood IiiTrustee- Chair · 2025
Eli P NiepokyTreasurer · 2025
Erik S JohnsonPresident - elected 2/1/2025 · 2025
Joseph a ArnoldTrustee · 2025
Lawrence L Gellerstedt IiiTrustee · 2025
P Russell HardinPresident - retired 1/31/2025 · 2025
Sara E BlalockSecretary - elected 2/1/2025 · 2025

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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