Clifton Foundation Inc
Clifton Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2024, it reported 50 grants totaling $349,955, with awards to organizations in Kentucky and other states.
Clifton Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Clifton Foundation Inc gave $350K across 50 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Kentucky. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $349,955
- +92.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 50
- +257.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,999
- -46.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $9,086,906
- +3.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (79% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Clifton Foundation Inc
- 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: 710 West Main St - 3Rd Floor, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 882-6251
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Clifton Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Whitney Museum of American Art ($36K). Together the top 10 received $163K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($126,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 186 grants of 195 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky, 13% to New York, 6% to Washington, DC, and 1% to Florida. Ohio accounted for a reported 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Clifton Foundation Inc gives
- 16% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 73% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 63% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $182K (2023) to $484K (2020). In 2024 it made 50 grants totaling $350K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $126,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | General Fund | $36,285 |
| Louisville Orchestra Louisville, KY | General Fund | $30,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky Lexington, KY | General Fund | $22,500 |
| Planned Parenthood Washington, DC | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Louisville Ballet Louisville, KY | General Fund | $11,000 |
| Bluegrass Land Conservancy Lexington, KY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Faulkner Morgan Archive Inc Lexington, KY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Creative Capital New York, NY | General Fund | $9,000 |
| Waterfront Botanical Gardens Louisville, KY | General Fund | $9,000 |
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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 | $9,086,906 | $739,187 | $410,310 | $349,955 | 50 | $354,937 | $684,765 | $567,005 |
| 2023 | $8,758,029 | $167,936 | $241,605 | $182,250 | 14 | $191,325 | $90,665 | $526,613 |
| 2022 | $8,831,698 | $37,267 | $561,958 | $457,525 | 61 | $457,605 | $76,935 | $515,511 |
| 2021 | $9,356,389 | $2,147,206 | $256,860 | $202,800 | 11 | $206,710 | $2,097,556 | $528,838 |
| 2020 | $7,466,043 | $222,951 | $618,620 | $483,600 | 59 | — | $157,075 | $528,093 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Clifton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $567K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, conservation groups, reproductive-freedom work, and other organizations. For example, the Whitney Museum of American Art describes its mission as presenting and collecting art of the United States and championing living artists. The Faulkner Morgan Archive says it collects and preserves Kentucky LGBTQ history, while Bluegrass Land Conservancy describes its work as protecting land in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region through permanent conservation easements.
Other 2024 grantees include Waterfront Botanical Gardens, which says it is developing an urban botanical garden; River Fields, which says it protects natural and cultural resources along the Ohio River; and Kentucky Resources Council, which describes itself as an environmental law and advocacy organization.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 50 grants totaling $349,955. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $126,000, with a median of $1,250. The largest awards included $126,000 to Kentucky College of Art & Design at Spalding University, $36,285 to the Whitney Museum of American Art, $30,000 to Louisville Orchestra, $22,500 to The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky, and $20,000 to Planned Parenthood. The filing lists each of these grants for a general fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura Lee Brown as president/director, Steven Wilson as secretary/director, and James Seiler as director.
Clifton Foundation Inc is led by Laura Lee Brown, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laura Lee Brown
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Seiler
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Wilson
Secretary & 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 Clifton Foundation Inc
How much does Clifton Foundation Inc give each year?
Clifton Foundation Inc gave $350K across 50 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $182K across 14 grants.
What is Clifton Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Clifton Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $1,250, and its average grant was $6,999, across 50 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Clifton Foundation Inc give grants?
Clifton Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (28 grants), Lexington, KY (5 grants), Frankfort, KY (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Clifton Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Clifton Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (50 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Clifton Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Clifton Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Whitney Museum of American Art ($36,285), Louisville Orchestra ($30,000) and The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky ($22,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($126,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Clifton Foundation Inc?
Clifton Foundation Inc reported $9.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $355K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $567K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Clifton Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, conservation groups, reproductive-freedom work, and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Clifton Foundation Inc?
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 Clifton Foundation Inc's EIN?
Clifton Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4148510. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Clifton Foundation Inc 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). Clifton Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/clifton-foundation-inc-morg_678fdc495fc342389554caf6076d9b81
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464148510_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Clifton Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/clifton-foundation-inc-morg_678fdc495fc342389554caf6076d9b81},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Clifton Foundation Inc'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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