Joe Lee Griffin Foundation

BIRMINGHAM, AL EIN: 63-0995615

The Joe Lee Griffin Foundation is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama, established in 1990. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees and focuses on philanthropic grantmaking to nonprofit organizations across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.2M

-1.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$226K

-9.8% YoY

Grant Count

-17.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

+9.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joe Lee Griffin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $244K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds:

Education — including campus ministry, business school programs, and educational institutions
Christian nonprofits and churches — including church repairs and general fund support
Human services — including food security and nonprofit human services
Philanthropy and voluntarism — supporting grantmaking and charitable activities
Health initiatives — including obesity prevention efforts

Notable funding priorities include general funds for educational institutions, campus ministry programs, and community-based nonprofits serving vulnerable populations.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

& Activity:**

Ready to take the next step with Joe Lee Griffin Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Alabama (particularly north central Alabama)
Virginia
Texas

Grant Distribution by State

Alabama $1.0M (91%)

Texas $40K (4%)

Missouri $29K (3%)

Tennessee $20K (2%)

Virginia $15K (1%)

North Carolina $2K (0%)

Georgia $1K (0%)

States

Alabama Georgia Missouri North Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia

Cities

Alexander CityArlingtonAuburnBessemerBirminghamBooneCullmanEastabogaFt WorthHomewoodHooverHuntsvilleKansas CityKimberlyLawrencevilleMontgomeryMountain BrookNashvillePelhamSelma

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending November 2024:

Total assets: $3,202,568
Total giving: $225,500
Total revenues: $205,178
Total expenses: $264,658
Investment income and dividends: $128,014
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $77,164

Staffing:

Zero employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,202,568	$3,262,048	$3,552,726
Revenue	$205,178	$4,033	$436,073
Expenses	$264,658	$294,711	$282,188
Qualifying Distributions	$228,500	$252,725	$245,375
Net Investment Income	$169,020	$122,656	$402,491
Distributable Amount	$243,781	$231,027	$245,787

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

177 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church ($30,000), Church of the Highlands ($25,000), United States Israel Association ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALABAMA BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOMES & FAMILY MINISTRIES BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$5,000
ALABAMA GAME CHANGERS HOOVER, AL	GENERAL FUND	$5,000
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$20,000
BANKS ACADENY BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$5,000
BIRMINGHAM METRO BAPTIST ASSOCIATION BIRMINGHAM, AL	DISCOVERY CLUBS DONATION	$3,000
BUNDLES OF HOPE BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$2,000
CHILDREN'S HARBOR ALEXANDER CITY, AL	GENERAL FUND	$5,000
CHURCH OF THE HIGHLANDS BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$25,000
CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$2,000
EAST LAKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL FUND	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
GINGER GRIFFIN BURKETT	PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	—	—
GARI GRIFFIN	VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	—	—
GANA GRIFFIN BARRENTINE	SECRETARY/DIRECTOR	—	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts and culture Education Religion

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Joe Lee Griffin Foundation fund?

The foundation primarily funds: • **Education** — including campus ministry, business school programs, and educational institutions • **Christian nonprofits and churches** — including church repairs and general fund support • **Human services** — including food security and nonprofit human services • **Philanthropy and voluntarism** — supporting grantmaking and charitable activities • **Health initiatives** — including obesity prevention efforts Notable funding priorities include general funds …

How do I apply for a grant from Joe Lee Griffin Foundation?

**Grant Size & Activity:** • Typical grant awards range from $400 to $42,000 • Made 33 grants in the most recent fiscal year (ending November 2024) • Total giving: $225,500 (fiscal year 2024) **Recent Grants (2024):** • Food Bank of East Alabama: $10,000 (Beat Bama Food Drive) • Gladney Fund: $7,500 (General Fund) • Onward Campus Ministries: $5,000 (General Fund) • Rising Hope Academy: $2,500 (General Fund)

Where does Joe Lee Griffin Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Alabama (particularly north central Alabama) • Virginia • Texas

What size grants does Joe Lee Griffin Foundation award?

In 2024, Joe Lee Griffin Foundation awarded 32 grants totaling $226K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Joe Lee Griffin Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Joe Lee Griffin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $244K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.