Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
The Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky is a public charity based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Founded in 1995, it manages charitable funds and supports nonprofits and community initiatives through grantmaking, scholarships, and community leadership.
Key facts about Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
In short: Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc gave $1.8M across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $62K), mostly in Kentucky. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 61-1284951
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,783,954
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- Average grant
- $61,516
- Median grant
- $27,520
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (7 of 29, 2024)
- Total assets
- $25,697,533
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (81% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$25.7M
+16.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
+21.3% YoY
Grant Count
29
-17.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$62K
+46.4% YoY
Is Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 29 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $75K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $39K first-time, $26K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to enhance and support community quality of life through funds and resources given by local citizens. The filing also describes work to promote philanthropy and manage charitable resources, connect donors with causes, and address local needs.
The foundation’s grant guidelines identify education, health and human services, the arts, public recreation, and beautification as areas it addresses through grant awards. Its website says grants may be made through open applications or in response to donor recommendations. It also describes a Women’s Fund initiative focused on improving the lives of women and children in South Central Kentucky.
Examples of organizations supported include Aviation Heritage Park, whose stated mission is to restore aircraft, memorialize area aviators, and provide an educational resource, and Arts of Southern Kentucky, which says it promotes appreciation and understanding of performing and visual arts. Other 2022 recipients included Lifeworks at WKU, which describes its work as helping adults on the autism spectrum transition from school to work and independent living, and Family Enrichment Center, which says it works to empower families and prevent child abuse.
Grantmaking
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it made 181 grants to 93 organizations, but the structured filing data lists a grant count of zero for that year. The structured data reports 30 grants totaling $1,232,640 in 2022; it lists a grant count of zero for 2023. The foundation’s website says its Grant Distribution Committee makes annual competitive grants targeted to critical community needs and that donor-advised, designated, and agency endowment funds also support grants.
Among the 2022 recipients listed in the supplied grant data were Special Ops Xcursions ($125,000), Aviation Heritage Park ($83,333), Arts of Southern Kentucky Inc. ($65,661), and South Central KY Kids on the Block ($49,624). The foundation’s website also documents a 2014 round in which 20 nonprofits received grants totaling $59,679.37.
The foundation’s grant guidelines say it does not fund individuals, endowments, annual or capital campaigns, or general agency operating revenues, though some indirect operating costs attributable to a proposed program may be funded. Faith-based organizations and churches are eligible when a project or program serves the community. Capital improvements or purchases are generally excluded unless tied to a specific program proposal.
The website describes online applications for competitive grants and says applications are reviewed by a fund advisory committee, with recommendations reviewed by the foundation’s board. A separate guidelines page lists a March 1, 2018 deadline; that date is a past cycle. A 2020 page describes an annual January 1–March 1 application period, but does not establish a current deadline.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
CFSKY: Community Foundation Grants
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
CFSKY: Women's Fund - Impact Grant
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Grants
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its service area as South Central Kentucky. Its grant guidelines specify eligibility for organizations located in the BRADD area: Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $642K (2021) to $2.0M (2020). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Special Forces Association Chapter 38 ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
144 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 108 grants of 144 (75%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Special Forces Association Chapter 38 Ft Campbell, KY | — | $400,000 |
| Remaining Under 5000 Each Various, KY | — | $193,326 |
| Special Forces Scholarship Fayetteville, NC | — | $175,000 |
| College Heights Foundation Bowling Green, KY | — | $157,703 |
| House on the Hill Inc Bowling Green, KY | — | $100,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green KY-War Memorial Unit Inc Bowling Green, KY | — | $97,428 |
| United Way of Southern Kentucky Inc Bowling Green, KY | — | $95,200 |
| The Honor Foundation San Diego, CA | — | $80,000 |
| The Hive Inc Bowling Green, KY | — | $58,500 |
| Owasso High School Owasso, OK | — | $53,939 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,697,533 | $4,089,109 | $2,294,845 | Structured data: 0 grants; filing narrative: 181 grants to 93 organizations |
| 2023 | $22,139,217 | $3,535,725 | $2,610,840 | 0 grants listed |
| 2022 | $18,388,114 | $7,663,048 | $1,954,005 | 30 grants totaling $1,232,640 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,697,533 | $22,139,217 | $18,388,114 |
| Revenue | $4,089,109 | $3,535,725 | $7,663,048 |
| Expenses | $2,294,845 | $2,610,840 | $1,954,005 |
| Net Investment Income | $845,682 | $626,873 | $401,972 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jennifer Wethington as executive director; Mike Cowles as chairperson; Mary Vitale as chair-elect; Nicole Payton as vice chair; Matthew Cook as secretary; and Patrick Coleman as treasurer. It also lists Wells Gunn, Martha Sales, Kevin Simpson, and Craig Stahl as board members.
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc is led by Mike Cowles, Chairperson since 2024 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 16 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mike Cowles
Chairperson
Board Member → Chairperson, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Wethington
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $81K (2024)
Craig Stahl
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Simpson
Board Member
Treasurer → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Vitale
Chair Elect
Board Member → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Chair Elect, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Sales
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Payton
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wells Gunn
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Cook
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Coleman
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex Downing
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Siglar
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Derek Hull
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Ransdell
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Kelly
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lanny White
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Ben Tomblinson (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Heather Brooks (2021–2023) — Chairperson
- Former: Steven Wheeler (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Bud Strickler (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Adam Yates (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Ellie Harbaugh (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: George Strickler (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Jill England (2020–2022) — Part-Year Finance Administrator
- Former: Jim Martens (2020–2022) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Katherine Sikora (2020–2022) — Chairman
- Former: Smita Avula (2021–2022) — Program Manager
- Former: Rebecca Nunnelee (2022) — Part-Year Finance Administrator
- Former: Laura Hagan (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Brandon Shirley (2020) — Board Member
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $81K, to Jennifer Wethington (Executive Di).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 737, Bowling Green, KY 42102
Phone: (270) 904-2079
Website: https://cfsky.org
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc
How much does Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc give each year?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc gave $1.8M across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 35 grants.
What is Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's median grant in 2024 was $27,520, and its average grant was $61,516, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc that year got $75K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc give grants?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Carolina (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bowling Green, KY (19 grants).
Who are Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Special Forces Association Chapter 38 ($400,000), Remaining Under 5000 Each ($193,326) and Special Forces Scholarship ($175,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc reported $25.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.1M.
What does Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc fund?
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to enhance and support community quality of life through funds and resources given by local citizens. The filing also describes work to promote philanthropy and manage charitable resources, connect donors with causes, and address local needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cfsky.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's EIN?
Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1284951. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky Inc by hand.
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