Marion Gardner Jackson Charitable Trust Grant Program

The Marion Gardner Jackson Charitable Trust is a philanthropic fund established by Marion Gardner Jackson, a descendant of Robert W. Gardner, the founder of the Gardner-Denver Company. Prior to her passing in 1976, Mrs. Jackson created a perpetual trust with the intent to benefit a broad range of charitable interests, including religious, scientific, literary, educational, and general charitable purposes. Administered under the auspices of Philanthropic Solutions at Bank of America, the Trust specifically favors nonprofit organizations operating within Quincy, Illinois and the surrounding Adams County area, although applicants from throughout Illinois are eligible to apply. The primary purpose of the Trust is to support nonprofit organizations through capital, operating, or program-based funding. While grants may be awarded in several thematic categories, particular emphasis is placed on the arts, culture and humanities, education, health, and human services. The Trust generally does not support individuals, endowment or capital campaigns, or scholarship requests. The majority of grants are awarded for a one-year term. Applicants may submit proposals for capital projects with a maximum funding request of $50,000. These projects must be mission-aligned and serve a clearly defined organizational or programmatic outcome. For general operating or program support, nonprofits with annual organizational budgets under $10 million are eligible to apply. Requests in this category can range from $10,000 to $50,000, although program support grants must not exceed 30% of the program’s total budget. Applicants are limited to one submission per year and may only receive one award annually. Organizations currently receiving multi-year support must wait until their funding cycle concludes before submitting a new application. The application deadline is August 1, with funding decisions communicated by mid-December. While the Trust does not appear to operate on a rolling basis, it is implicitly recurring annually given the consistent deadline schedule. Application procedures and submission details are managed by the Illinois office of Bank of America. Interested applicants can review the detailed application procedures, which are available in both PDF and Word formats through the Bank of America Philanthropic Solutions website. For assistance, applicants are encouraged to contact the Illinois grantmaking team at ilgrantmaking@bofa.com and to reference the foundation name in the subject line of their inquiry. There are no stated geographic restrictions beyond a preference for Adams County, and there are no disqualifying eligibility limitations beyond the exclusion of individuals and certain campaign types. Notifications regarding the outcome of applications are expected by mid-December, ensuring a transparent timeline for prospective grantees. The structure and process for this Trust align with the broader fiduciary and philanthropic operations of Bank of America Private Bank, under which the Trust is administered.