Cobb Family Foundation
The Cobb Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, and limits awards to charitable, religious, scientific, literacy, or educational purposes within Birmingham and its surrounding areas.
Cobb Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cobb Family Foundation gave $97K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Alabama. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $96,532
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +133.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,895
- -56.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,618,012
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Alabama (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Cobb Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists a written request as the application material and states that there are no deadlines. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards are limited to charitable, religious, scientific, literacy, or educational purposes within Birmingham and its surrounding areas.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Robert M Cobb Cobb Family Foundatio
Mailing address: 728 Shades Creek Pkwy Ste 140, Birmingham, AL 35209
Phone: (205) 930-5933
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cobb Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of Fairhope ($20K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 21 grants of 24 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing limits awards to purposes within Birmingham and its surrounding areas. In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama, 10% to Georgia, and 4% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How Cobb Family Foundation gives
- 21% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% 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 (2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $85K (2020) to $99K (2022). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $97K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Fairhope Fairhope, AL | Social Services | $20,216 |
| Virginia Samford Theatre Birmingham, AL | Social Services | $10,000 |
| Atlanta Speech School Atlanta, GA | Education | $10,000 |
| Mountain Brook Baptist Church Birmingham, AL | Social Services | $9,067 |
| Church Street Methodist Church Selma, AL | Social Services | $9,066 |
| Birmingham Zoo Birmingham, AL | Social Services | $7,716 |
| Sturdivant Museum Association Selma, AL | Education | $5,000 |
| Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Birmingham, AL | Social Services | $5,000 |
| Jimmie Hale Mission Birmingham, AL | Social Services | $5,000 |
| The Foundry Ministries Bessemer, AL | Social Services | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cobb Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,618,012 | $162,485 | $112,677 | $96,532 | 14 | $96,532 | $151,354 | $111,219 |
| 2024 | $1,568,204 | $257,630 | $104,878 | $95,332 | 6 | $95,332 | $248,084 | $99,397 |
| 2023 | $1,415,452 | $79,335 | $104,516 | $94,788 | 1 | $94,788 | $69,607 | $92,467 |
| 2022 | $1,440,633 | $79,389 | $109,197 | $98,572 | 1 | $98,572 | $71,791 | $94,788 |
| 2021 | $1,470,441 | $226,266 | $98,612 | $85,000 | 2 | $85,000 | $217,774 | $101,729 |
| 2020 | $1,342,787 | $219,334 | $92,967 | $85,000 | 2 | — | $211,367 | $81,853 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cobb Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $111K for 2025 — 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 2025 filing identifies eligible purposes as charitable, religious, scientific, literacy, or educational.
The grantees’ own descriptions show a range of activities among organizations supported in 2025. Atlanta Speech School describes its mission as helping children develop deep reading and find their voices. Birmingham Zoo says it supports animal education, conservation, research, and community educational activities. Community Food Bank of Central Alabama says it feeds people in need and works on collaborative solutions to end hunger. The Foundry Ministries describes Christ-centered recovery services for substance abuse and other life-controlling problems. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases. Friends of Jemison Park says it works to preserve and protect Robert Jemison Park’s natural attractions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $96,532. Grants ranged from $1,216 to $20,216, with a median grant of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $20,216 to the City of Fairhope for social services; $10,000 to Virginia Samford Theatre for social services; $10,000 to Atlanta Speech School for education; $9,067 to Mountain Brook Baptist Church for social services; and $9,066 to Church Street Methodist Church for social services. Other reported grants included $7,716 to Birmingham Zoo, $5,000 each to Sturdivant Museum Association, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Jimmie Hale Mission, and The Foundry Ministries, and $4,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Friends of Jemison Park also reports receiving $2,500 in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lucille Cobb McVay as president, treasurer, and director; Robert M. Cobb as director; and Jefferson R. Cobb as director.
Cobb Family Foundation is led by Lucille Cobb McVay, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lucille Cobb McVay
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jefferson R. Cobb
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert M. Cobb
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Martha Cobb (2020) — Secretary & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Cobb Family Foundation
How much does Cobb Family Foundation give each year?
Cobb Family Foundation gave $97K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $95K across 6 grants.
What is Cobb Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cobb Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,895, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Cobb Family Foundation give grants?
Cobb Family Foundation gives mostly in Alabama: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Birmingham, AL (7 grants) and Selma, AL (2 grants).
Does Cobb Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Cobb Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Services" (12 grants).
Who are Cobb Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cobb Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include City of Fairhope ($20,216), Virginia Samford Theatre ($10,000) and Atlanta Speech School ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cobb Family Foundation?
Cobb Family Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $97K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $111K (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 Cobb Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing identifies eligible purposes as charitable, religious, scientific, literacy, or educational. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cobb Family Foundation?
The filing lists a written request as the application material and states that there are no deadlines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cobb Family Foundation's EIN?
Cobb Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4214365. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Cobb Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cobb Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cobb Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cobb-family-foundation-morg_1b98ec5250ba404f8be4d17bc4c38175
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134214365_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cobb Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cobb-family-foundation-morg_1b98ec5250ba404f8be4d17bc4c38175},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Cobb Family 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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