Blue Grass Community Foundation Inc
Blue Grass Community Foundation is a community foundation based in Lexington, Kentucky, serving Central and Appalachia Kentucky. Founded in 1967 by Irene and C.W. Sulier, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to connecting charitable individuals, families, businesses, communities, and nonprofit organizations with causes they care about to meet community needs and make a difference.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$253.0M
+13.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$23.4M
+26.9% YoY
Grant Count
369
+0.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$63K
+26.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Create generous, vibrant, equitable, and engaged communities throughout Central and Appalachia Kentucky.
The Foundation carries out its mission by:
- Encouraging individuals, families, and businesses to partner with the Foundation to fulfill their charitable goals
- Making grants to support community issues in Central and Appalachia Kentucky
- Stewarding charitable assets across multiple funds with Board of Directors oversight
- Convening people to strengthen the community
- Collaborating to develop creative solutions for community needs
Primary funding areas include education, philanthropy and grantmaking, and human services.
Grantmaking
The Foundation administers more than 900 charitable funds, each with its own unique charitable purpose. In its most recent fiscal year, the Foundation made over 3,000 grants impacting more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations and over 120 scholarship recipients. All grants are made exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation serves Central and Appalachia Kentucky, with particular focus on Fayette County and surrounding counties including Boyle County, Magoffin County, and Woodford County.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2024:
- Total Assets: $252,952,729
- Total Revenue: $45,056,474
- Total Expenses: $33,386,198
- Total Liabilities: $25,500,000
Historical Context:
- Charitable assets total $330 million, with half permanently endowed to benefit the community
- More than $226 million in grants awarded over the Foundation's 59-year history
- The Foundation has grown from one charitable fund to more than 900 funds
Staffing: 15 employees (as of 2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $252,952,729 | $223,373,063 | $187,166,931 |
| Revenue | $45,056,474 | $57,159,622 | $57,304,796 |
| Expenses | $33,386,198 | $27,853,076 | $21,286,267 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $16,380,533 | $8,094,633 | $11,808,525 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
12 open opportunities from Blue Grass Community Foundation Inc
Accelerating Innovative + Equitable Workforce Pathways Grant
BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
BGCF365 Grants
BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Edith Schwab Memorial Scholarship Grant
BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President & CEO: Lisa Adkins
Other Key Personnel:
- Brian Dineen: Vice President, Finance
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| B BLANTON COATES JR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GENTRY COLLINS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DR TIFFANY DANIELS DC | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NOA GIMELLI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LISA HIGGINS-HORD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN KRAUSS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MIKE KRETZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DARYL LOVE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| WALTER MORRIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DREW RODRIGUEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LESME ROMERO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ART SALOMON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUZANNE SHAFFAR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANDY REYNOLDS | CHAIR | 5 | — |
| MICHELLE HOLLINGSHEAD | VICE CHAIR | 5 | — |
| MARSHA MOORS-CHARLES | SECRETARY | 5 | — |
| BILL ALVERSON | TREASURER | 5 | — |
| ANTHONY B THOMPSON | SCHOLARSHIPS CHAIR | 5 | — |
| FRAN TAYLOR | PAST BOARD CHAIR | 5 | — |
| LISA ADKINS | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $250,030 |
| BRIAN DINEEN | VP OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRA | 40 | $153,918 |
| SCOTT FITZPATRICK | EMPLOYEE | 40 | $121,896 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
BGCF awarded $450,000 in grants to boost innovative workforce pathways for Fayette County youth
BGCF Awards $450,000 in Grants to Boost Innovative Workforce Pathways for\Blue Grass Community Foundation committed $275,000 to fight food insecurity
Blue Grass Community Foundation to donate $275,000 to fight food insecurityHudson-Ellis Fund at BGCF celebrated $2 million in grants to benefit Boyle County
Hudson-Ellis Fund at BGCF celebrates $2 million in grants to benefit BoyleWoodford County Community Fund announced 2024 grant recipients, awarding $56,315 to local nonprofits
Woodford County Community Fund announces 2024 grant recipients Awards $56,315BGCF365 announced $30,000 in grant opportunities to foster thriving communities in Fayette County
Woodford County Community Fund announces 2024 grant recipients Awards $56,315Contact Information
Address: 499 E High St Ste 112, Lexington, KY 40507-1977
Phone: (859) 225-3343
Website: www.bgcf.org
EIN: 61-6053466
Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since January 1968
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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John T Reis Private Foundation
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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