Better Place Foundation
Better Place Foundation, also known as the Ratliff Charitable Foundation, is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Formed in 1998, it primarily funds social assistance, education, community support, social justice, health and social services, environmental programs, and social awareness.
Better Place Foundation at a glance
In short: Better Place Foundation gave $883K across 52 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Alabama. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $883,300
- +2.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 52
- +10.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,987
- -7.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $11,934,287
- +8.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (18 of 52, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (71% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Better Place Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1900 Crestwood Boulevard 300, Birmingham, AL 35210
Phone: (205) 951-4479
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Better Place Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alaquest Collaborative for Education ($70K). Together the top 10 received $479K.
Grant Size Distribution
254 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 230 grants of 254 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Alabama recipients received 71% of grant dollars. Tennessee received 11%, Mississippi 5%, New York 4%, and California 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Better Place Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 52 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−15%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 125% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $752K (2022) to $1.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 52 grants totaling $883K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alaquest Collaborative for Education Birmingham, AL | Educational Assistance | $70,000 |
| Gideons Army Grassroots Army for Children Nashville, TN | Social Assistance | $64,000 |
| Cahaba River Society Birmingham, AL | Environmental | $62,500 |
| Youth Towers Inc Birmingham, AL | Social Assistance | $50,000 |
| Empower Schools of Alabama Bessemer, AL | Educational | $50,000 |
| McRae Learning Center Inc Selma, AL | Educational | $45,000 |
| Spring Valley School Foundation Birmingham, AL | Educational | $40,000 |
| Embrace Alabama Kids Montgomery, AL | Community Support | $35,000 |
| McWane Science Center Birmingham, AL | Educational | $32,500 |
| Oasis Counseling Center for Women & Children Birmingham, AL | Health & Social Services | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Better Place Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,934,287 | $1,909,958 | $1,508,951 | $883,300 | 52 | $923,759 | $1,325,580 | $737,243 |
| 2023 | $11,019,181 | $1,075,075 | $1,253,514 | $863,255 | 47 | $904,724 | $775,403 | $746,698 |
| 2022 | $11,281,878 | $-1,899,794 | $1,518,213 | $751,600 | 47 | $795,047 | — | $816,456 |
| 2021 | $13,598,347 | $1,704,453 | $1,804,929 | $1,038,700 | 50 | $1,087,796 | $1,215,361 | $949,881 |
| 2020 | $12,986,431 | $1,321,337 | $1,875,623 | $1,103,350 | 58 | — | $1,021,005 | $720,728 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Better Place Foundation reported a distributable amount of $737K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose through the areas it primarily funds; it does not state a separate mission. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in education, social assistance, environmental protection, community support, and health and social services.
Among the recipients, Alaquest Collaborative for Education says it empowers students to effect positive change through character development and community building. Cahaba River Society says it works to restore and protect the Cahaba River watershed and its biodiversity. Youth Towers says it supports economic security for disadvantaged young people ages 19–26 through a continuum of care. Empower Schools of Alabama describes its work as bringing community members together to educate future community leaders and advocates. Other recipients describe their work as providing care and nurturing for children (McRae Learning Center), specialized learning programs (Spring Valley School Foundation), sparking community curiosity (McWane Science Center), and helping at-risk youth through car ownership and mentoring (Hearts of Wheels).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 52 grants totaling $883,300. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $70,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest grants were $70,000 to Alaquest Collaborative for Education, $64,000 to Gideons Army Grassroots Army for Children, $62,500 to Cahaba River Society, $50,000 each to Youth Towers and Empower Schools of Alabama, and $45,000 to McRae Learning Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William T Ratliff III as president, treasurer, and director, and Carl A Lessman as a director.
Better Place Foundation is led by William T. Ratliff III, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William T. Ratliff III
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carl A. Lessman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Better Place Foundation
How much does Better Place Foundation give each year?
Better Place Foundation gave $883K across 52 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $863K across 47 grants.
What is Better Place Foundation's typical grant size?
Better Place Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,987, across 52 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Better Place Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Better Place Foundation give grants?
Better Place Foundation gives mostly in Alabama: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Birmingham, AL (16 grants), Atlanta, GA (4 grants), Bessemer, AL (3 grants) and Vicksburg, MS (2 grants).
Does Better Place Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 52 grants with a stated purpose on Better Place Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Support" (13 grants), "Educational" (9 grants) and "Social Assistance" (8 grants).
Who are Better Place Foundation's largest grantees?
Better Place Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Alaquest Collaborative for Education ($70,000), Gideons Army Grassroots Army for Children ($64,000) and Cahaba River Society ($62,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Better Place Foundation?
Better Place Foundation reported $11.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $924K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $737K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Better Place Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose through the areas it primarily funds; it does not state a separate mission. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in education, social assistance, environmental protection, community support, and health and social services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Better Place Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Better Place Foundation's EIN?
Better Place Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-1198327. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Better Place Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Better Place Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/better-place-foundation-morg_7a4863b699884adf80838247b048cba8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_631198327_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Better Place Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/better-place-foundation-morg_7a4863b699884adf80838247b048cba8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Better Place Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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