Bella Vista Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Bristol, Virginia, established in June 2010. Also known as the Marcia & Marvin Gilliam Jr Foundation, it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting community-based nonprofit organizations through strategic grantmaking.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.2M
-9.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$864K
-39.2% YoY
Grant Count
32
+10.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$27K
-44.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bella Vista Foundation reported a distributable amount of $241K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to build resilient families and healthy watershed ecosystems. The foundation supports community-based nonprofit organizations working in four primary program areas:
Pre-3 Support — Focuses on building resiliency among families facing adversity or trauma by helping parents and caregivers cope with toxic stress.
GGS Early Literacy — Promotes literacy for children, including acquisition of reading, writing, and comprehension skills, and application of literacy skills to critical thinking and self-expression.
GGS Youth Mental Health — Supports youth mental health and substance use prevention and intervention programs that employ approaches that are culturally specific, trauma-informed, and led by people that represent the community served.
Watershed Restoration — Focuses on restoration and revitalization of key watershed ecosystems within specific geographic areas in California and Oregon.
Grantmaking
Beginning in 2026, the foundation is transitioning to an invitation-only grantmaking process. The foundation is not currently accepting unsolicited proposals. Specific guidance and application materials will be shared individually with organizations when they are invited to submit a proposal. The first round of invitations will be issued in January 2026. Organizations with questions are encouraged to contact foundation staff directly.
Grant Range
$25,000 to $250,000 (median grant: $25,000)
Average Grant
amount: approximately $27,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the following regions:
Top funding locations:
- Abingdon, VA (7 grants)
- Wise, VA (7 grants)
- Bristol, TN (5 grants)
- Bristol, VA (2 grants)
- Charlottesville, VA (2 grants)
- Johnson City, TN (1 grant)
- Kingsport, TN (1 grant)
- Milligan College, TN (1 grant)
- Coeburn, VA (1 grant)
- Kansas City, MO (1 grant)
For watershed restoration work, the foundation focuses on specific geographic areas in California and Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $4,197,740
- Total Revenues: $427,718
- Total Expenses: $923,194
- Number of Employees: 0
Historical Financial Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $4.62 million
- Total Liabilities: $384,000
- Revenue: $122,000
- Expenses: $1.49 million
Assets (2023):
- Total Assets: $5.3 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,197,740 | $4,622,216 | $5,970,919 |
| Revenue | $427,718 | $121,997 | $371,244 |
| Expenses | $923,194 | $1,487,152 | $1,177,945 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $864,000 | $1,422,000 | $1,107,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $362,348 | $53,189 | $301,511 |
| Distributable Amount | $240,770 | $282,436 | $331,021 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
146 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Uva Wise - M&m Gilliam Bicentennial ($100,000), Virginia Athletics - Friends ($100,000), Ywca Netn and Swva ($60,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY ABINGDON, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $1,500 |
| BARTER THEATRE ABINGDON, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC BRISTOL, TN | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $15,000 |
| BRISTOL BALLET BRISTOL, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $1,000 |
| FEEDING AMERICA SWVA ABINGDON, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $5,000 |
| FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES KANSAS CITY, MO | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $17,500 |
| HARVEST FMB CHILD CARE MINISTRIES DUFFIELD, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $40,000 |
| HEALING HANDS HEALTH CENTER BRISTOL, TN | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $25,000 |
| LIBRARY GALLERY WISE, VA | CHARLES M. HARRIS EXHIBIT ROOM | $1,000 |
| LIFELINE MINISTRIES MEADOWVIEW, VA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members:
- Marvin W. Gilliam Jr. — President
- Marcia A. Gilliam — Vice President
- Donna Stevens — Director
- Kimberly Gibson — Director
- Rodney Miller — Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARVIN W GILLIAM JR | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| DONNA STEVENS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MARCIA A GILLIAM | VICE PRESIDE | — | — |
| KIMBERLY GIBSON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| RODNEY MILLER | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Contact Information
Address: 16104 Colleton Court, Bristol, VA 24202
Phone: (276) 525-1620
Fiscal Year End: December
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bella Vista Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to build resilient families and healthy watershed ecosystems. The foundation supports community-based nonprofit organizations working in four primary program areas: **Pre-3 Support** — Focuses on building resiliency among families facing adversity or trauma by helping parents and caregivers cope with toxic stress. **GGS Early Literacy** — Promotes literacy for children, including acquisition of reading, writing, and comprehension skills, and application of literacy s…
How do I apply for a grant from Bella Vista Foundation?
**Application Process** Beginning in 2026, the foundation is transitioning to an invitation-only grantmaking process. The foundation is not currently accepting unsolicited proposals. Specific guidance and application materials will be shared individually with organizations when they are invited to submit a proposal. The first round of invitations will be issued in January 2026. Organizations with questions are encouraged to contact foundation staff directly. **Grant Activity** Recent grant acti…
Where does Bella Vista Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the following regions: **Top funding locations:** • Abingdon, VA (7 grants) • Wise, VA (7 grants) • Bristol, TN (5 grants) • Bristol, VA (2 grants) • Charlottesville, VA (2 grants) • Johnson City, TN (1 grant) • Kingsport, TN (1 grant) • Milligan College, TN (1 grant) • Coeburn, VA (1 grant) • Kansas City, MO (1 grant) For watershed restoration work, the foundation focuses on specific geographic areas in California and Oregon.
What size grants does Bella Vista Foundation award?
In 2024, Bella Vista Foundation awarded 32 grants totaling $864K — an average of about $27K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Bella Vista Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bella Vista Foundation reported a distributable amount of $241K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Bella Vista Foundation's EIN?
Bella Vista Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2313963. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bella Vista Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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