Fletcher Jones co-founded the Computer Sciences Corporation in 1959 and was a pioneer in the field of information technology services. Although he was primarily concerned with business pursuits during his lifetime, he left behind a legacy of philanthropy after he died in 1972.
He established the Fletcher Jones Foundation in 1969 from his personal estate, stemming from his interest in supporting education at the high school and college levels. Jones did not create a funding plan or give any specific directions regarding his foundation’s priorities, so the original trustees decided to focus on supporting private colleges and universities in California.
According to a March 2024 letter from the foundation president, Peter K. Barker, “We are particularly interested in making transformative grants that will advance our grantees’ progress and have lasting benefit.”
Here’s a closer look at the Fletcher Jones Foundation’s local giving in Southern California to guide education-focused grantseekers.
Recent foundation giving
In a recent year, the foundation awarded $7,425,000 in grants and had over $22 million in assets. From its inception through the end of 2023, the foundation has awarded over $267 million through approximately 3,000 grants.
The typical grant range is $100,000 to $1 million. However, the foundation board has also been awarding some smaller grants to outstanding organizations lately.
Examples of grants
The Pasadena, California-based foundation reserves the discretion to support any type of charitable, scientific, literary or educational purpose. However, private colleges and universities in California have always been the primary focus.
Grantees include Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, Pomona College in Claremont and Chapman University in Orange. Other grantees are the Dominican University of California in San Rafael, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and Occidental College in Los Angeles. The foundation’s grants have gone toward things like a refugee scholarship fund, a physician assistant studies lab, theater renovation, chemistry hall remodeling, wellness pavilion construction and general operating support.
Applying for a grant
Today, a nine-member board of trustees governs the Fletcher Jones Foundation. It has two staff members: Mary J. Spellman, the executive director, and Rebecca Little, the executive assistant. The staff members are the best points of contact for grantseekers. They are available by email, phone, and in-person and video meetings with prior arrangements.
To apply for a grant, applicants should contact the executive director to discuss proposals and wait to receive the narrative portion of the application to complete. The executive director reviews the proposals and provides feedback. Applicants submit their proposals through the foundation’s online grant system. New organizations that have never received a foundation grant in the past must first initiate the process with a letter of inquiry.
The foundation board meets quarterly to review new grant proposals without specific application deadlines. Grantees must wait for at least two years between receiving a grant and applying for a new one. Occasionally, the trustees support special interest nonprofits outside the realm of higher education, but these opportunities are available on an invitation-only basis.
You can learn more about this funder in IP’s compete profile of the Fletcher Jones Foundation, which is part of our Los Angeles and Southern California funding guide.
