Joseph B Whitehead Foundation
The Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation is an independent private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1937 as a memorial to Joseph Brown Whitehead—one of the original bottlers of Coca-Cola—the foundation seeks to help people in need in metro Atlanta, particularly children, by investing in education, health, and economic opportunity.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$406.2M
+111.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$87.1M
-16.1% YoY
Grant Count
42
-10.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.1M
-6.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph B Whitehead Foundation reported a distributable amount of $90.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking is inspired by Joseph Brown Whitehead's legacy of civic engagement and generosity. The foundation focuses on five primary program areas:
- Early Childhood Education – Increasing access to quality early learning to give every child a strong start
- Children & Youth – Investing in systems and supports to improve child well-being and youth development
- Health – Improving outcomes and access to quality care for underserved populations
- K-12 Education – Investing in public K-12 education to close achievement gaps and accelerate student success
- Human Services – Improving the quality of life for people in need in metro Atlanta
The foundation gives preference to one-time capital projects and extraordinary needs of well-established organizations with proven track records. It generally does not fund basic operating expenses.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $115,000 to $25,000,000
How to Apply
** The foundation accepts grant applications. Decision time is typically within two weeks of board meetings held in April or November. The success rate is approximately 20% (one in five requests approved).
Ready to take the next step with Joseph B Whitehead Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses exclusively on metro Atlanta and the surrounding 13-county region. All grantmaking serves the Atlanta metropolitan area, with particular emphasis on serving disadvantaged citizens and children in the community.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $406,203,252 (2024); $192,205,042 (2023)
Total Revenue: $86,804,202 (2023)
Total Expenses: $106,211,060 (2023)
Total Liabilities: $530 (2023)
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) organization; tax-exempt since June 1945
EIN: 58-6001954
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $406,203,252 | $192,205,042 | $161,682,970 |
| Revenue | $265,452,577 | $86,804,202 | $53,119,400 |
| Expenses | $92,123,494 | $106,211,060 | $81,479,954 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $87,948,533 | $104,521,295 | $80,225,170 |
| Net Investment Income | $262,655,213 | $86,367,786 | $52,615,794 |
| Distributable Amount | $90,421,699 | $87,290,725 | $91,542,550 |
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
225 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Joseph B Whitehead Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta ($20,000,039), United Way of Greater Atlanta ($14,723,018), Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities ($10,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ArtsNOW Atlanta, GA | Expansion of SmART Literacy initiative to improve K-3 literacy through arts integration at four metro Atlanta schools. | $200,000 |
| Atlanta Community Food Bank Atlanta, GA | $19.3 million campaign to expand food distribution capacity with capital and technology updates. | $2,000,001 |
| Atlanta Legal Aid Society Atlanta, GA | $1.5 million initiative to streamline and increase access to brief legal services for clients. | $250,000 |
| Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlanta, GA | $67 million campaign to construct Ronald McDonald House at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's North Druid Hills campus. | $10,000,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Atlanta, GA | Expansion of the Level Up mentoring program in metro Atlanta. | $300,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Chamblee, GA | Operating support. | $2,000,000 |
| Children's Development Academy Roswell, GA | $1.2 million campaign to expand classrooms, update playgrounds, and develop a community room. | $250,000 |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta, GA | Implementation of the Marcus Autism Center's strategic plan to expand access to services and advance research on early brain development. | $4,000,011 |
| Communities in Schools of Atlanta Atlanta, GA | Expansion of dropout prevention program in Atlanta Public Schools. | $230,000 |
| Communities in Schools of Georgia Atlanta, GA | Operating support for CISGA, which works to improve students' academic performance and reduce dropout rates. | $800,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President: Erik S. Johnson
- Program Officer: Jenny Zhang Morgan (morgan@woodruff.org)
- Staff Size: 3 employees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| James B Williams | Trustee- deceased 1/23/2024 | 1 | — |
| E Jenner Wood III | Trustee- Chair | 3 | $35,000 |
| Lawrence L Gellerstedt III | Trustee | 1 | $25,000 |
| Joseph A Arnold | Trustee- elected 4/2/2024 | 1 | $18,750 |
| P Russell Hardin | President | 8 | $218,090 |
| Erik S Johnson | Vice President & Secretary | 8 | $88,816 |
| Eli P Niepoky | Treasurer | 8 | $75,323 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Next Gen awarded $350,000 grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation (January 2025)
Next Gen Awarded $350,000 Grant from\u200B\u200B the Joseph B ...ArtsNOW received $460,000 grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation
Next Gen Awarded $350,000 Grant from\u200B\u200B the Joseph B ...Whitehead Foundation's scholarship support to Christopher Newport University surpassed $3 million (as of February 2024)
Whitehead Foundation\u2019s CNU Scholarship Support Surpasses $3 Million\Contact Information
Address: 191 Peachtree Street, NE Suite 3540 Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-522-6755
Email: fdns@woodruff.org
Website: jbwhitehead.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Joseph B Whitehead Foundation fund?
The foundation's grantmaking is inspired by Joseph Brown Whitehead's legacy of civic engagement and generosity. The foundation focuses on five primary program areas: • **Early Childhood Education** – Increasing access to quality early learning to give every child a strong start • **Children & Youth** – Investing in systems and supports to improve child well-being and youth development • **Health** – Improving outcomes and access to quality care for underserved populations • **K-12 Education** –…
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph B Whitehead Foundation?
**Grant Range:** $115,000 to $25,000,000 **Annual Giving:** $103.8 million (2023) **Total Giving:** $87,085,069 (2024 filing) **Grant Activity:** The foundation has awarded more than 2,900 grants totaling $1.6 billion since its inception in 1937. In 2023, the foundation distributed funds across 47 grants. **Recent Notable Grants (2023):** • The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta: $25,000,068 (Establishment of the Woodruff and Whitehead Affordable Housing Donor Advised Fund) • The Communit…
Where does Joseph B Whitehead Foundation make grants?
The foundation focuses exclusively on metro Atlanta and the surrounding 13-county region. All grantmaking serves the Atlanta metropolitan area, with particular emphasis on serving disadvantaged citizens and children in the community.
What size grants does Joseph B Whitehead Foundation award?
In 2024, Joseph B Whitehead Foundation awarded 42 grants totaling $87.1M — an average of about $2.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Joseph B Whitehead Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Joseph B Whitehead Foundation reported a distributable amount of $90.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Joseph B Whitehead Foundation's EIN?
Joseph B Whitehead Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6001954. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Joseph B Whitehead Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.