Encouragement Unlimited Inc
Encouragement Unlimited Inc is a private foundation based in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Its 2025 filing reports 17 grants totaling $71,669, and its 2024 filing describes direct charitable activities including publishing inspirational books and providing food to food banks and homeless shelters.
Encouragement Unlimited Inc at a glance
In short: Encouragement Unlimited Inc gave $72K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Georgia. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $71,669
- +22.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +41.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,216
- -13.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,717
- Total assets
- $162,035
- +3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (10 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Encouragement Unlimited Inc
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says requests should be made in letter format. It says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and lists a preference for marginalized women. The filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Encouragement Unlimited Inc
Mailing address: 800 Ocean Blvd 203, St Simons Island, GA 31522
Phone: (404) 788-1719
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Encouragement Unlimited Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Map International ($16K). Together the top 10 received $63K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 56 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in Georgia, 15% to North Carolina, 7% to Colorado, 6% to South Carolina, and 2% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Encouragement Unlimited Inc open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 17 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2023) to $98K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $72K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Map International Atlanta, GA | Charity | $15,925 |
| Second Harvest Food Charlotte, NC | Charity | $10,000 |
| Womens Resource Center to End Viole Decatur, GA | Charity | $6,500 |
| Oak Grove Methodist Church Decatur, GA | Charity | $6,100 |
| Sparrows Nest Brunswick GA Brunswick, GA | Charity | $5,588 |
| Word Ministries Good Hope, GA | Charity | $5,000 |
| Natl Day of Prayer Ministry Colorado Springs, CO | Charity | $4,824 |
| Center for Lifes Councel Anderson, SC | Charity | $4,274 |
| Other Small GRANTS500 St Simons Island, GA | Charity | $2,717 |
| Amity House Brunswick GA Brunswick, GA | Charity | $2,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $162,035 | $118,924 | $118,535 | $71,669 | 17 | $118,385 | $23,268 |
| 2024 | $156,703 | $156,994 | $109,973 | $58,293 | 12 | $77,807 | $7,926 |
| 2023 | $125,907 | $63,342 | $68,361 | $21,036 | 9 | $68,261 | $3,242 |
| 2022 | $130,248 | $115,941 | $113,463 | $98,107 | 9 | $113,363 | $2,543 |
| 2021 | $149,414 | $68,930 | $88,224 | $68,369 | 9 | $88,124 | $3,254 |
| 2020 | $152,994 | $60,699 | $62,460 | $46,718 | 10 | — | $4,995 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activities as writing and publishing inspirational books for marginalized women, U.S. troops, and others; a Liberian Girls Mission Project with Oak Grove United Methodist Church; and providing food to food banks and homeless shelters. The filing does not state a separate mission.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied activities. MAP International describes its work as providing medicines and health supplies to people in need. WORD Ministries describes producing religious books, tapes, and newsletters and holding lectures, Bible studies, and conferences. MTN2SEA Ministries describes facilitating mission groups and providing labor for nonprofits, needy individuals, and foreign missions, as well as purchasing goods from poverty-stricken countries to help provide workers there with better wages.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $71,669. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $15,925, with a median of $2,717. Notable grants included $15,925 to MAP International, $10,000 to Second Harvest Food, $6,500 to Women’s Resource Center to End Violence, $6,100 to Oak Grove Methodist Church, and $5,588 to Sparrows Nest Brunswick GA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Zoe M Hicks as CEO and Charles Hicks as Secretary.
Encouragement Unlimited Inc is led by Zoe M. Hicks, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Zoe M. Hicks
CEO
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Hicks
Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Encouragement Unlimited Inc
How much does Encouragement Unlimited Inc give each year?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc gave $72K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58K across 12 grants.
What is Encouragement Unlimited Inc's typical grant size?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,717, and its average grant was $4,216, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Encouragement Unlimited Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does Encouragement Unlimited Inc give grants?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc gives mostly in Georgia: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (15%) and Colorado (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Decatur, GA (2 grants), Brunswick, GA (2 grants) and St Simons Island, GA (2 grants).
Does Encouragement Unlimited Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Encouragement Unlimited Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (17 grants).
Who are Encouragement Unlimited Inc's largest grantees?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Map International ($15,925), Second Harvest Food ($10,000) and Womens Resource Center to End Viole ($6,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Encouragement Unlimited Inc?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc reported $162K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $119K.
What does Encouragement Unlimited Inc fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activities as writing and publishing inspirational books for marginalized women, U.S. troops, and others; a Liberian Girls Mission Project with Oak Grove United Methodist Church; and providing food to food banks and homeless shelters. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Encouragement Unlimited Inc?
The 2024 filing says requests should be made in letter format. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Encouragement Unlimited Inc's EIN?
Encouragement Unlimited Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3592127. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Encouragement Unlimited Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/encouragement-unlimited-inc-morg_91cd8827f444436293e4bff09a479558
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203592127_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Encouragement Unlimited Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/encouragement-unlimited-inc-morg_91cd8827f444436293e4bff09a479558},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Encouragement Unlimited Inc'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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