What Jefferson Foundation does

Jefferson Foundation is a health conversion foundation established on January 31, 2013, capitalized with more than $153 million in proceeds from the sale of Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Crystal City, Missouri. Originally named Jefferson Memorial Community Foundation and renamed in late 2016, it operates as a perpetual endowment, spending only anticipated annual investment earnings rather than principal, which eliminates the need for fundraising activities.

The foundation's sole product is its bi-annual grantmaking program, administered through an online application portal with funding cycles in June and December. Grants range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $250,000, with Board discretion to award larger or smaller amounts. Distribution decisions are made at April and October Board meetings. The foundation awards grants only to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charities and, under special circumstances, government units serving residents of Jefferson County, Missouri. Annual grant distributions exceed $7 million, with grantee recipients spanning health, mental health, dental, substance abuse, basic needs, foster care, domestic violence, disabilities, education, and housing services.

The organization operates with a lean team of four staff members led by President & CEO Michael Ravenscraft and Executive Vice President Missy Endres, supplemented by an 11-member Board of Directors chaired by Jeffrey Draves, M.D. Its go-to-market is community-led, with no outbound sales motion; the foundation relies on its website, direct staff contact, and a community-wide needs assessment completed in 2015 by The Mission Center L3C to identify priority funding areas.

Name

Jefferson Foundation

Legal name

Jefferson Foundation

Website

https://jfmo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jefferson Foundation is a perpetual health conversion foundation in Festus, Missouri, capitalized with $153M from the 2013 sale of Jefferson Regional Medical Center. It distributes more than $7 million annually in grants to qualified 501(c)(3) charities and government units serving Jefferson County residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Charitable grantmaking
• Health conversion foundation
• Community health funding
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Grant administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Festus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment & Grant Distribution: Jefferson Foundation was created on January 31, 2013 with over $153 million in proceeds from the sale of Jefferson Regional Medical Center. The foundation operates as a perpetual foundation, spending only anticipated annual earnings on investments while distributing grants annually to qualified public charities and government units. Total grants distributed annually exceed $7 million.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Jefferson Foundation is a perpetual health conversion foundation that awards grants twice yearly (June and December) to qualified 501(c)(3) public charities and government units serving Jefferson County, Missouri. The foundation funds health and well-being programs including basic needs assistance, mental health and substance abuse services, dental care, foster care, domestic violence services, disabilities services, and academic scholarships for health occupation programs.

Product overview

Jefferson Foundation is a charitable grant-making foundation that provides financial support to qualified public charities and government units serving Jefferson County, Missouri. The foundation does not offer a technology product; rather, its service is the administration of grant programs funding health and well-being initiatives. Grant categories include program support, capacity building, and capital projects, with annual grant cycles in June and December.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bi-Annual Grant Program Semi-annual grant funding program (June and December cycles) ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 per grant for qualified 501(c)(3) public charities and government units serving Jefferson County, Missouri residents. Funds health, well-being, basic needs, mental health, substance abuse, dental, foster care, domestic violence, disabilities, transportation, and safe housing programs.
• Community Needs Assessment Published community-wide assessment of unmet needs in Jefferson County conducted in partnership with The Mission Center L3C, used to guide the Foundation's Board in targeting grant funds toward the greatest individual, family, and community needs.
• Academic Scholarships for Health Occupation Programs Academic scholarships for students pursuing health occupation programs at Jefferson College and scholarships awarded to Jefferson County residents through The Scholarship Foundation, supporting education and career development in healthcare fields.

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Mission Center L3CcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2014Consultants from The Mission Center L3C conducted a community-wide assessment of unmet needs in Jefferson County from August 2014 to January 2015. This assessment helps the Foundation and its Board target funds to meet the greatest individual, family, and community needs.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• St. Louis Community Foundation: Large community foundation serving the greater St. Louis region, including Jefferson County. Operates with donor-advised funds and competitive grantmaking cycles, making it the closest analog in business model and geographic service area to Jefferson Foundation.
• Deaconess Foundation: St. Louis-based foundation focused on child health, education, and community well-being. Comparable in mission (community health and well-being) and grantmaking approach, with similar funding range and target geographies that overlap with Jefferson County.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Major Missouri-based community foundation running competitive grant cycles for health and human services. Comparable as a community foundation with a similar perpetual endowment model and grant-cycle-driven GTM.
• BJC HealthCare Foundation (BJC Community Benefit): Health-care associated foundation supporting community health initiatives in the St. Louis metro. Comparable as a health conversion/hospital-affiliated grantmaking entity serving overlapping communities in the Jefferson County / St. Louis region.
• Rose Community Foundation: Community foundation in the Denver region focused on health, education, and aging. Comparable in mission (community health and well-being), competitive grantmaking cycles, and relatively small operating staff.

Emerging players

• Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis: Health conversion foundation funded by the sale of a health system, making grants to address community health needs. Very structurally similar to Jefferson Foundation as a hospital-sale-funded, place-based health grantmaking foundation.

Regional players

• Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis: Regional faith-rooted foundation supporting health, education, and human services in the greater St. Louis area. Comparable as a regional grantmaking foundation with similar programmatic priorities and modest operating staff.

Broad incumbents

• Missouri Foundation for Health: Statewide health-focused foundation making grants to improve health and well-being across Missouri. Directly comparable as a health-focused, grantmaking nonprofit supporting community health, mental health, and basic needs across the same state where Jefferson Foundation operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jefferson Foundation