Ella West Freeman Foundation
The Ella West Freeman Foundation is a private foundation established in 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded by successful New Orleans businessman A.B. Freeman and named after his wife, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a focus on philanthropic giving to nonprofits in the Southeast Louisiana region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.8M
-1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
-1.2% YoY
Grant Count
2
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$635K
-1.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for education with an emphasis on private education, arts (both performing and applied), community improvement and governmental oversight, and human service organizations with an emphasis on capital projects for established agencies.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education (particularly private educational institutions)
- Arts and Culture (performing and applied arts organizations)
- Community Improvement and Governmental Oversight
- Human Services (capital projects for established agencies)
- Public Affairs and Public Administration
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants twice per year and accepts unsolicited inquiries. However, recent data indicates the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.
Ready to take the next step with Ella West Freeman Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses on Southeast Louisiana, with particular emphasis on the Greater New Orleans area and the state of Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (as of 2023):
- Total Assets: $21.1–$22.4 million
- Total Annual Giving: $1.27–$1.53 million
- Annual Expenses: $1.42 million (2023)
- Revenue: $187,000–$883,579
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Giving Rate: 6.1% of assets
Tax Status:
- Tax-exempt since June 1941
- EIN: 72-6018322
- Designated as 501(c)(3)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,779,214 | $21,126,060 | $22,358,193 |
| Revenue | $1,107,456 | $187,142 | $883,579 |
| Expenses | $1,451,736 | $1,424,338 | $1,528,016 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,285,901 | $1,285,047 | $1,359,348 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,023,764 | $231,621 | $730,772 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,418,594 | $1,267,950 | $1,289,860 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Ella West Freeman Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Trustees:
- Tina Freeman, Chair
- R. West Freeman III, Vice Chair
- Virginia Rowan, Secretary
- Peter Freeman, Trustee
- Philip Woollam, Trustee
- Sarah Freeman Carey, Trustee
All board members serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TINA FREEMAN | CHAIR | — | — |
| VIRGNIA ROWAN | SECRETARY | — | — |
| PHILIP WOOLLAM | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| R WEST FREEMAN III | VICE CHAIR | — | — |
| PETER FREEMAN | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| SARAH FREEMAN CAREY | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Contact Information
Mailing and Physical Address: Ella West Freeman Foundation c/o CAPTRUST 1100 Poydras Street, Suite 1350 New Orleans, LA 70163
Phone: 504-207-8541 or 504-207-8555
Fax: 504-207-8525
Email: info@EllaWest.org
Website: www.ellawest.org
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
The Feather Fund NOLA
MANDEVILLE, LA
Assets
$3K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Ballengee Family Foundation Trust
SHREVEPORT, LA
Assets
—
Grants
4
Total Given
$7K
The Fellowship of Orthopaedic
METAIRIE, LA
Assets
$903K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
The Stabiler Foundation
BATON ROUGE, LA
Assets
$25K
Grants
4
Total Given
$203K
Gianna Nell Bonfiglio Foundation
HAMMOND, LA
Assets
$2K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Judah's Light Nonnie's Hope Inc
PINEVILLE, LA
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$50K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Ella West Freeman Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities