The Kelly Gene Cook Sr Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 1986 and based in Houston, Texas. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to help people in need and ensure that children are educated regardless of race, religion, or disabilities. The foundation supports charitable, religious, educational, and scientific organizations primarily through scholarships and educational grants.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37.5M
+12.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
-3.3% YoY
Grant Count
64
+6.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$31K
-9.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus areas include:
- Education: Higher education support, including student aid and scholarship funds
- Human Services: Support for organizations serving vulnerable populations
- Health Care: Healthcare-related initiatives
- Youth Development: Programs supporting children and young people
The foundation demonstrates particular commitment to supporting educational institutions and providing direct financial aid to students.
Grantmaking
The Kelly Gene Cook Sr Charitable Foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with the following characteristics:
Grant Range
$1,000–$1,500,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- Mississippi (primary focus)
- Louisiana (primary focus)
- Texas (primary focus)
The foundation also supports initiatives across various cities and states in the United States and Canada, including Houston, Chicago, and Toronto.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (2024):
- Total assets: $37,514,448
- Total revenues: $6,853,949
- Total expenses: $2,600,426
- Total giving: $1,976,009
Assets and Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $33.3 million
- Total revenues: $2.82 million
- Total expenses: $2.56 million
Annual Giving:
- Approximately $2.2 million in annual expenses
- Giving rate: 3.1% of assets
Staffing:
- 1 employee
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,514,448 | $33,255,700 | $32,985,451 |
| Revenue | $6,853,949 | $2,824,767 | $2,522,545 |
| Expenses | $2,600,426 | $2,561,958 | $2,727,103 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,185,026 | $2,256,043 | $2,409,433 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,532,887 | $2,551,640 | $2,244,277 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,410,675 | $2,089,472 | $2,060,148 |
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
201 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Kelly Gene Cook Sr Charitable Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation's leadership team includes:
- Deborah Rochelle - President
- Robert B Kneppler - Vice President
- Ronald G Page - Treasurer
- Carolyn Bost - Director
- Julie Thompson - Director
- Katy Pacelli - Executive Director
Leadership team members receive compensation of $16,000 for their part-time roles.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah Rochelle | President | 5 | $16,000 |
| Robert B Kneppler | Vice President | 5 | $16,000 |
| Ronald G Page | Treasurer | 5 | $16,000 |
| Carolyn Bost | Director | 5 | $8,000 |
| Julie Thompson | Directror | 5 | $16,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has demonstrated consistent grant-making activity in recent years, with notable recent grants including:
Mississippi State University: $223,786 for scholarships (2024)
Magnolia Speech School: $200,000 for operating expenses and capital campaign (2024)
Mississippi College: $141,193 for scholarships (2024)
The foundation has supported multiple educational institutions including Millsaps College, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Mississippi College, and the University of Southern Mississippi through scholarship funds.
Recent teacher grant awards have been made to educators in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, supporting instructional projects in schools throughout the region.
Eight Livingston Parish Teachers Awarded GrantsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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