Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana is a public charity based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Established in 2001, it serves five Southwest Louisiana parishes by providing financial support for charitable, social, educational, and human services programs.
Key facts about Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
In short: Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana gave $2.9M across 72 grants in 2024 (avg $41K), mostly in Louisiana. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 72-1508036
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,921,369
- Grants made (2024)
- 72
- Average grant
- $40,575
- Median grant
- $15,125
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (30 of 72, 2024)
- Total assets
- $39,568,084
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (79% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- The listed deadline for each of these scholarships is March 15, 2027.
- Next open deadline
- March 15, 2027 (AMERISAFE Community Scholarship (Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana))
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$39.6M
+6.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.9M
+92.0% YoY
Grant Count
72
+38.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$41K
+38.6% YoY
Is Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 30 of 72 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $46K; repeat grants $36K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $19K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 foundation’s stated mission is to unite human and financial resources to effect permanent, positive cultural change in Southwest Louisiana. Its filing describes work that includes helping grow nonprofit endowments, partnering to provide emergency funding, supporting affiliated agencies and institutions, and administering endowments, trusts, and supporting foundations.
The 2024 grants show support for organizations in areas including arts, education, scholarships, community projects, and religious institutions. Oak Crossing Foundation describes its own mission as enriching Southwest Louisiana’s culture, community, and quality of life through arts awareness, support, presentation, and education. Scholarship America says it works to help students access resources for learning and education; McNeese State University Foundation says it administers private support for scholarships and professorships. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 72 grants totaling $2,921,369. Grants ranged from $5,100 to $640,079, with a median grant of $15,125.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $640,079 to Oak Crossing Foundation for general support; $235,171 to the City of Westlake for general support; $170,000 to Trinity Baptist Church for general support; $155,202 to Scholarship America for general scholarship fund support; and $118,693 to McNeese State University Foundation for general support. Other grants included $100,000 to Apostolic Christian HarvestCall for building supplies to repair homes in Jefferson Davis Parish and $100,000 to Provident Resources Group for Port Wonder.
The foundation’s website describes charitable accounts through which fund holders recommend grants to nonprofits. It offers designated, donor-advised, field-of-interest, organization, and unrestricted funds. The website also says donors can request help identifying charities and follow-up on results.
The foundation currently lists scholarship programs for graduating high school seniors. The Millard Morris Founder’s Scholarship supports a student pursuing a four-year degree who meets its GPA and AMERISAFE family-relationship criteria; its stated award is $1,000 per year for the first three years and $2,000 in the fourth year. The AMERISAFE Community Scholarship is for eligible seniors in Beauregard or Vernon Parishes pursuing specified fields of study at a two- or four-year institution, with awards of $2,000–$4,000. The Gwen Higgins English Scholarship is a one-time $2,000 award for an eligible Lake Arthur High School senior. These are scholarships for individuals, not grants to outside organizations.
Review Cycle
The listed deadline for each of these scholarships is March 15, 2027.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
AMERISAFE Community Scholarship (Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana)
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
Amount
$1,000 per year - $2,000 total for a 2-year program or $4,000 total for a 4-year program
Deadline
Expected ~March
Based on past cycles
Gwen Higgins English Scholarship (Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana)
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
Amount
$2,000 (one-time)
Deadline
Expected ~March
Based on past cycles
Kyle Broussard Memorial Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
Amount
Up to $5,000
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing says it serves Calcasieu, Beauregard, Allen, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis parishes. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana; other recipient states included Minnesota (5%), Indiana (3%), New York (3%), and Texas (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 72 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2023) to $3.6M (2020). In 2024 it made 72 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Oak Crossing Foundation ($640K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($24,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
330 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 261 grants of 330 (79%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Crossing Foundation Lake Charles, LA | General Support | $640,079 |
| City of Westlake Westlake, LA | General Support | $235,171 |
| Trinity Baptist Church Lake Charles, LA | General Support | $170,000 |
| Scholarship America Inc Minneapolis, MN | General Scholarship Fund Support | $155,202 |
| McNeese State University Foundation Lake Charles, LA | General Support | $118,693 |
| Apostolic Christian Harvestcall West Lafayette, IN | Support of building supplies to repair approx 17 homes in jeff davis parish | $100,000 |
| Provident Resources Group Inc Baton Rouge, LA | Support for Port Wonder | $100,000 |
| American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $96,000 |
| Tiger Athletic Foundation Baton Rouge, LA | General Support | $80,000 |
| Living Water Lake Charles Global Methodist Church Lake Charles, LA | General Support | $77,166 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,568,084 | $5,850,000 | $4,009,191 | $2,921,369 |
| 2023 | $37,190,285 | $5,341,976 | $2,608,054 | $1,521,936 |
| 2022 | $33,942,513 | $3,054,710 | $4,627,181 | $2,681,157 |
The foundation’s website says its operations are funded by fees on charitable accounts under management and financial backing from supporters.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,568,084 | $37,190,285 | $33,942,513 |
| Revenue | $5,850,000 | $5,341,976 | $3,054,710 |
| Expenses | $4,009,191 | $2,608,054 | $4,627,181 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,902,834 | $2,175,328 | $812,233 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 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 Jim Rock as chair and Glenn Pumpelly as treasurer. Directors listed are Mollie Broussard, Kody Cannon, Karen Chamberlain, Matt Felder, Maria Laborde, Clair Marceaux, Nicole Moncrief, and Willie Mount. The filing states that the Baton Rouge Area Foundation appoints the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana’s directors.
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana is led by Sara Judson, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sara Judson
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$95K (2019) → $132K (2024)
Jim Rock
Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clair Marceaux
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marshall Simien
Director
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Willie Mount
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Chamberlain
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Moncrief
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Owen Thompson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela Queenan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Felder
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kade Trahan
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kody Cannon
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Laborde
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mollie Broussard
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Glenn Pumpelly
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Julie Miller (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Lee Boyer (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Troy Trahan (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Carly Leonards (2023) — Director
- Former: Katie Stream (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Prissy Gayle (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Susan Scalfi (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Jon Manns (2019–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Larry Avery (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tom Shearman (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Nick Langley (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Dinah Bradford (2019) — Director
- Former: Nora Popillion (2019) — Director
- Former: Poncho Seaford (2019) — Director
- Former: Rick Richard (2019) — Member-At-Large
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $132K, to Sara Judson (President/CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: 1155 Ryan St 2Nd Floor, Lake Charles, LA 70601
Phone: (337) 491-6688
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana
How much does Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana give each year?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana gave $2.9M across 72 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 52 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's median grant in 2024 was $15,125, and its average grant was $40,575, across 72 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana that year got $46K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana give grants?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana gives mostly in Louisiana: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Charles, LA (34 grants), Westlake, LA (4 grants), Baton Rouge, LA (4 grants) and Houston, TX (4 grants).
Does Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (61 of 72) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's largest 2024 grantees include Oak Crossing Foundation ($640,079), City of Westlake ($235,171) and Trinity Baptist Church ($170,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($24,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana reported $39.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.8M.
What does Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to unite human and financial resources to effect permanent, positive cultural change in Southwest Louisiana. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's EIN?
Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 72-1508036. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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