Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation

BIRMINGHAM, AL EIN: 54-6828582

The Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Established in March 2013, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic giving. The foundation is named after Max Cooper, a Birmingham philanthropist who worked for McDonald's for over 55 years and co-founded the fifth Ronald McDonald House globally. Max Cooper enabled both Birmingham Ronald McDonald Houses to open debt-free—the first to achieve this distinction within the global organization.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$25.5M

-4.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.6M

+37.5% YoY

Grant Count

-53.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$213K

+197.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M 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 has not provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas:

Education
Philanthropy and grantmaking
Human services
Science and STEM education

Grantmaking

Potential grantees should submit a letter with the following information:

Grant Range

$152,000

Average Grant

approximately $71,500

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

While based in Alabama, the foundation funds nationally across multiple states. Primary funding regions include:

Alabama
New York
Massachusetts
Illinois

The foundation has supported organizations across seven states, with Alabama, New York, and Illinois accounting for approximately 74% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations in major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

Alabama $5.9M (70%)

Illinois $1.6M (19%)

New York $625K (7%)

Massachusetts $169K (2%)

District of Columbia $50K (1%)

Colorado $45K (1%)

Wisconsin $40K (0%)

Georgia $30K (0%)

+2 more states

States

Alabama Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Illinois Massachusetts New York Pennsylvania Wisconsin

Cities

AtlantaBirminghamBostonBronxBrooklineBrooklynChicagoEastonFairfieldFraminghamGreeleyGreenwood VillageLa CrosseNeedhamNew YorkNewtonNewtownOneontaWalthamWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2024:

Total assets: $25.5 million
Total revenue: $1.74 million
Total expenses: $2.91 million
Total liabilities: $3,010
Total giving: $2,557,345

Historical Asset Growth:

2012: $100
2023: $26.7 million

IRS Status:

Tax-exempt since March 2013
EIN: 54-6828582
Designated as 501(c)(3)
Contributions are tax-deductible

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$25,526,362	$26,690,829	$27,959,608
Revenue	$1,739,164	$967,199	$1,048,994
Expenses	$2,913,089	$2,235,936	$2,476,822
Qualifying Distributions	$2,624,015	$1,926,497	$2,165,602
Net Investment Income	$1,566,948	$808,141	$870,522
Distributable Amount	$1,606,764	$1,491,425	$1,579,320

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

62 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Blount County Education Foundation Inc ($630,000), I3 Academy ($562,000), New Schools for Alabama ($510,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BLOUNT COUNTY EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC ONEONTA, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$630,000
CORNERSTONE SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$189,529
NEW SCHOOLS FOR ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$510,000
TARRANT BOARD OF EDUCATION BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$154,200
TEACH FOR AMERICA ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$150,000
ALABAMA GIVING INC BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$800
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$167,322
FOUNDATIONS EARLY LEARNING CENTER FAIRFIELD, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$77,000
FREEDOM PREPARATORY ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
HOLY FAMILY CRISTO REY CATHOLIC SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM, AL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$61,494

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board and Staff:

Martin Solomon, Trustee (4 hours/week, $50,000 compensation)
Samuel A DiPiazza Jr., Trustee (4 hours/week, $50,000 compensation)
Susan Jackson, Contact person

The foundation operates with limited staffing based on reported board members and key employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARTIN SOLOMON	TRUSTEE	4	$50,000
SAMUEL A DIPIAZZA JR	TRUSTEE	4	$50,000

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation fund?

The foundation has not provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas: • Education • Philanthropy and grantmaking • Human services • Science and STEM education

How do I apply for a grant from Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: approximately $2.5–$2.6 million • Total grants awarded (historical): $4.7 million across 34 grants • Number of grants annually: 12–26 grants per year • Median grant size: $152,000 • Average grant size: approximately $71,500 • Grant range: $800–$630,000 **Application Process:** Potential grantees should submit a letter with the following information: • A description of the organization **Contact for Applications:** • Susan Jackson • Phone: 205-879-6122 • Addr…

Where does Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation make grants?

While based in Alabama, the foundation funds nationally across multiple states. Primary funding regions include: • Alabama • New York • Massachusetts • Illinois The foundation has supported organizations across seven states, with Alabama, New York, and Illinois accounting for approximately 74% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations in major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and New York.

What size grants does Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation award?

In 2024, Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $2.6M — an average of about $213K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation's EIN?

Max and Lorayne Cooper Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6828582. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.