Cook Foundation
Cook Foundation is a private foundation based in Gloucester, Virginia. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations and an individual, alongside direct charitable activities related to community improvements and the arts.
Cook Foundation at a glance
In short: Cook Foundation gave $95K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Virginia. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $94,950
- +78.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,913
- +33.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $241,824
- +34.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (89% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cook Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact the Board of Directors; the board designates what information must be submitted as needed. Awards are restricted to benefiting members of either the Gloucester or Mathews County, Virginia, community.
- Review Cycle
- Deadlines are set by the board as needed.
- Deadline
- Deadlines are set by the board as needed.
- Contact
Application contact: Board Of Directors Cook Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 1383, Gloucester, VA 23061
Phone: (804) 693-2729
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cook Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chrysler Museum of Art ($20K). Together the top 10 received $94K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 51 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 filing says 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia and 11% to recipients in Washington, D.C. Its stated award restriction is that awards benefit members of either the Gloucester or Mathews County, Virginia, community.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cook Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $53K (2023) to $180K (2021). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $95K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chrysler Museum of Art Norfolk, VA | Operations | $20,000 |
| TC Walker-Woodville School Foundation Hayes, VA | Operations | $20,000 |
| Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, VA | Operations | $20,000 |
| The Fairfield Foundation White Marsh, VA | Operations | $15,500 |
| Jeff Lichtenstein Washington, DC | Production of sports star for columbia university film festival | $10,000 |
| Gloucester Arts on Main Gloucester, VA | Operations | $3,000 |
| Gloucester High Gloucester, VA | Education and Arts | $2,500 |
| Bay School Community Arts Center Mathews, VA | Operations | $1,750 |
| Arts at Abingdon White Marsh, VA | Operations | $1,000 |
| Soundscapes Newport News, VA | Operations | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with Cook Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $241,824 | $1,173,609 | $1,111,096 | $94,950 | 12 | $787,558 |
| 2023 | $179,310 | $951,038 | $838,631 | $53,345 | 9 | $524,813 |
| 2022 | $66,854 | $528,966 | $573,198 | $130,211 | 14 | $421,668 |
| 2021 | $110,960 | $470,609 | $494,506 | $179,550 | 8 | $420,697 |
| 2020 | $142,368 | $339,519 | $270,505 | $123,756 | 8 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not state a mission in the provided information. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a school foundation, and education and arts programming. The foundation also reported direct charitable activities involving outdoor community improvements and beautification, symphony and art, and a gala supporting the arts in Gloucester.
Among its grantees, Gloucester Arts on Main says its mission is to provide a creative environment for the arts through workshops, classes, exhibits, and events. Soundscapes says its mission is to provide young people with immersive music-making and ensemble performance opportunities to strengthen social, emotional, creative, and critical-thinking skills.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $94,950. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $20,000, with a median of $2,750.
The largest 2024 grants were $20,000 each to the Chrysler Museum of Art, TC Walker-Woodville School Foundation, and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, all for operations. The Fairfield Foundation received $15,500 for operations, and Jeff Lichtenstein received $10,000 for production of *Sports Star* for the Columbia University Film Festival. Other recipients included Gloucester Arts on Main ($3,000), Gloucester High ($2,500 for education and arts), Bay School Community Arts Center ($1,750), Arts at Abingdon ($1,000), Soundscapes ($500), Gloucester Museum Foundation ($450), and Gloucester Moose Family Center Lodge 886 ($250).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Adrianne Ryder-Cook Joseph as president; Carolyn Dudley as vice president; Karen Flowe as secretary; Elizabeth Blackney as executive director; Julie Weissend as treasurer; Suzanne Scott as public relations; Margaret Singleton and Kim Hensley as board members; and Rosie Crawford as bookkeeper.
Cook Foundation is led by Elizabeth Blackney, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Blackney
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$51K (2022) → $72K (2024)
Adrianne Ryder-Cook Joseph
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Dudley
Vice President
V.president → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Flowe
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Scott
Public Relations
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Weissend
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Hensley
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Singleton
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rosie Crawford
Bookkeeper
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jenny Crittenden (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Mollie Stewart (2020–2021) — Historian
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 $72K, to Elizabeth Blackney (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Cook Foundation
How much does Cook Foundation give each year?
Cook Foundation gave $95K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $53K across 9 grants.
What is Cook Foundation's typical grant size?
Cook Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,750, and its average grant was $7,913, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cook Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Cook Foundation give grants?
Cook Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Gloucester, VA (4 grants).
Does Cook Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Cook Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (10 grants).
Who are Cook Foundation's largest grantees?
Cook Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chrysler Museum of Art ($20,000), TC Walker-Woodville School Foundation ($20,000) and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cook Foundation?
Cook Foundation reported $242K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.2M.
What does Cook Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the provided information. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a school foundation, and education and arts programming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cook Foundation?
The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cook Foundation's EIN?
Cook Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1894579. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). Cook Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cook-foundation-morg_61a3bd82626548299bcdbb08a6d9b59a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541894579_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cook Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cook-foundation-morg_61a3bd82626548299bcdbb08a6d9b59a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Cook 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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