Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. It supports charitable organizations through grants, with its filing identifying the local communities of Hooters stores as an award restriction.
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc gave $648K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $65K), mostly in North Carolina. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $647,500
- -13.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -28.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $64,750
- +21.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,346
- Total assets
- $436,670
- -43.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (84% 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 Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists the form and materials as N/A and the deadline as N/A. Awards are restricted to local communities of Hooters stores.
- Contact
Application contact: Hooters Community Endowment Fund
Mailing address: 1815 The Exchange, Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: (770) 951-2040
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was V Foundation ($543K). Together the top 10 received $648K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 52 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 14% to Texas, 1% to Pennsylvania, 1% to Florida, and less than 1% to Connecticut. The listed grants also included a $217 award to Lake Wylie Childrens Charity in South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $159K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $46K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
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 $648K (2024) to $864K (2021). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $648K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| V Foundation Cary, NC | General Support | $542,961 |
| Metroplex Military Charitable Trust Dallas, TX | General Support | $87,864 |
| Legacies Alive Beaver Falls, PA | General Support | $5,000 |
| H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center Tampa, FL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Guns N Hoses Foundation Garland, TX | General Support | $3,491 |
| Knights of Columbus New Haven, CT | General Support | $1,200 |
| Boot Campaign Inc Dallas, TX | General Support | $940 |
| South Plains Sweethearts Helotes, TX | General Support | $731 |
| Lake Wylie Childrens Charity Clover, SC | General Support | $217 |
| Special Pals Inc Houston, TX | General Support | $96 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $436,670 | $551,276 | $718,522 | $647,500 | 10 | $647,500 | $9,781 |
| 2023 | $770,851 | $818,230 | $845,047 | $746,238 | 14 | $746,238 | $8,603 |
| 2022 | $857,614 | $861,318 | $884,667 | $811,775 | 9 | $811,775 | $13,466 |
| 2021 | $838,640 | $786,624 | $901,788 | $863,661 | 7 | $863,661 | $23,867 |
| 2020 | $936,805 | $842,839 | $864,378 | $821,442 | 12 | — | $37,529 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $10K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2024 grantees include organizations whose own missions concern support for Gold Star families, families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, charitable work benefiting the less fortunate, and animal care and welfare. For example, Legacies Alive says it supports Gold Star families and raises awareness of fallen service members; Special Pals says it provides affordable pet care, rescues and rehomes companion animals, and educates the public about responsible pet care.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $647,500. Grant amounts ranged from $96 to $542,961, with a median of $2,346. The largest grants were $542,961 to the V Foundation and $87,864 to Metroplex Military Charitable Trust, both for general support. Other grants included $5,000 to Legacies Alive, $5,000 to H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, and $3,491 to Guns N Hoses Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Salvatore Melilli as president; Lawrence Linen, Matt Nisbet, and Beth Van Loon as vice presidents; Matt Nisbet as treasurer; and Alisa Cleek as secretary.
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc is led by Salvatore Melilli, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Salvatore Melilli
President
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Van Loon
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence Linen
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Nisbet
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alisa Cleek
Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Bruce Skala (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kim Payne (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Benjamin Benson (2020–2021) — Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc
How much does Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc give each year?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc gave $648K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $746K across 14 grants.
What is Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,346, and its average grant was $64,750, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc give grants?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (2 grants).
Does Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include V Foundation ($542,961), Metroplex Military Charitable Trust ($87,864) and Legacies Alive ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc reported $437K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $648K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2024 grantees include organizations whose own missions concern support for Gold Star families, families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, charitable work benefiting the less fortunate, and animal care and welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc?
The filing lists the form and materials as N/A and the deadline as N/A. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's EIN?
Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-2006561. 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). Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hooter-s-community-endowment-fund-inc-morg_d945f787b9db4cc4bead747e0eefc366
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_582006561_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hooter's Community Endowment Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hooter-s-community-endowment-fund-inc-morg_d945f787b9db4cc4bead747e0eefc366},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04. 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 Hooter's Community Endowment Fund 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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