Community Foundation of Abilene
The Community Foundation of Abilene is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation established in 1985. Based in Abilene, Texas, the organization serves as a philanthropic intermediary connecting donors with charitable causes in their region. The foundation operates as an accredited community foundation confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$204.3M
+10.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$18.2M
+6.7% YoY
Grant Count
250
+2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$73K
+3.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Community Foundation of Abilene empowers people to make a lasting charitable impact on our community. The organization connects donors to causes they care about, manages strategic investments to preserve endowments, makes grants that align with donor intent, responds to community needs, and provides philanthropic leadership to enhance Abilene's future.
Vision: A thriving Abilene, endowed forever.
The foundation's work centers on establishing endowment funds that generate grants year after year. Donors establish funds, the foundation invests the principal gift to help it grow, and annual grants are made from earnings to area nonprofits and charitable causes.
Grantmaking
The Community Foundation of Abilene typically operates multiple grant cycles each year:
Review Cycle
each year:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Community Foundation of Abilene serves Abilene and the surrounding West Central Texas communities, including rural areas and regional fund areas.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2023:
- Total Assets: $185 million
- Total Revenue: $25 million
- Total Expenses: $20.2 million
- Total Liabilities: $26.7 million
Rating: The organization holds a 97% score and Four-Star rating, with an overall score calculated from Accountability & Finance metrics.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $204,338,056 | $185,385,204 | $173,679,067 |
| Revenue | $30,555,422 | $25,026,374 | $40,559,088 |
| Expenses | $21,398,661 | $20,220,880 | $17,431,146 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,837,438 | $3,443,625 | $10,284,591 |
| 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
43 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Abilene
Abilene A&M Club Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ABILENE
Amount
US $500 - US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Abilene Alumnae Panhellenic Missy Bridwell Memorial Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ABILENE
Amount
US $500 - US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Abilene Geological Society Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ABILENE
Amount
US $500 - US $5,000
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
- Katie Alford – President/CEO
- Kassidy Nygaard – Grants Director
- Michelle Parrish – Chief Impact Officer
The organization employs 7 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KELLY CANNON | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JASON HALL | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GEOFF HANEY | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MELODY HUNT | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DAVID MCQUEEN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CHRIS MONTOYA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRANDON OSBORNE | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SUE SCHACKMUTH | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GUSTAVO VILLANUEVA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LIZ WAGSTAFF | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| IAN NICKERSON | CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| SAM VINSON | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| CAROLYN BECKHAM | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MINDY PATTERSON | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| LEE HAMPTON | MEMBER-AT-LARGE | 1 | — |
| KATIE ALFORD | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $250,500 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2025 Fall Grant Cycle:** Awarded more than $663,000 to nonprofits
Community Foundation of Abilene - More than $139K in grants awarded\u2026**2025 Spring Grant Cycle:** Awarded more than $579,000 to nonprofits
Community Foundation of Abilene - More than $139K in grants awarded\u2026**2025 Coleman County Grants:** Distributed more than $139,000 to Coleman County nonprofits
**Abilene Gives 2026:** Marked the 10th and final year of this annual giving initiative
**Nonprofit Compass:** The foundation maintains a free online nonprofit directory for qualifying organizations and donors
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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