Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Atlanta, GA EIN: 45-4004727

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. Its 2024 filing reports $2,896,500 in grants to 13 recipients, with listed awards supporting education, a botanical garden, and other charitable activities in Georgia.

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc gave $2.9M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $223K), mostly in Georgia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$2,896,500
+20.6% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
13
+18.2% vs 2023
Average grant
$222,808
+2.1% vs 2023
Median grant
$100,000
Total assets
$78,573,624
+21.8% vs 2023
Primary geography
Georgia (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.

How to apply to Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Contact

Mailing address: 411 Peachtree Battle Ave Nw, Atlanta, GA 30305-4032
Phone: (404) 310-7000

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 7 recipients in 2024

Hall County School District: $1.2M across 4 grantsHall County School District$1.2M · 4 grantsBrenau University: $803K across 3 grantsBrenau University$803K · 3 grantsAtlanta Botanical Garden: $700KAtlanta Botanical Garden$700KUniversity of Georgia Foundation: $153K across 2 grantsUniversity of GeorgiaFoundation$153K · 2 grantsGainesville City School System: $10KGainesville City School System$10KTheatre Wings Endowment Fund: $4KTheatre Wings Endowment Fund$4KLake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation: $3KLake Lanier Olympic ParkFoundation$3K

The largest 2024 recipient was Hall County School District ($1.2M across 4 grants). Together the top 7 received $2.9M.

Grant Size Distribution

45 grants across all recorded years

16<$50K6$50–100K9$100–250K5$250–500K7$500K–1M2$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 16 grants of 45 (36%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Georgia.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

States

Cities

GainesvilleAthensAtlanta

How Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc gives

  • Giving grew 100% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 75% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M7 grants2020 8 grants2021 6 grants2022 11 grants2023 13 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2020) to $2.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $2.9M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Hall County School District Gainesville, GAHoward E. IvesterEarly CollegeNorth Campus$1,000,000
Atlanta Botanical Garden Atlanta, GAChildrens Gardenand Orchard Parking$700,000
Brenau University Gainesville, GAIvester CollegeOf Health Sciences$550,000
University of Georgia Foundation Athens, GAUGA Scholarhipsand Study AbroadPrograms$145,000
Brenau University Gainesville, GAEndowed Scholarhship Barnett/Skleder$140,000
Brenau University Gainesville, GABrenau UniversityScholarships$112,500
Hall County School District Gainesville, GALearning Commons$100,000
Hall County School District Gainesville, GAHoward E. IvesterEarly College/UGA Partnership$100,000
Hall County School District Gainesville, GAHall County SchoolDistrict Teacherof Year Program$25,000
Gainesville City School System Gainesville, GACity of GainesvilleTeacher ofYear Program$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$78,573,624$17,755,965$3,656,468$2,896,50013$3,071,695$12,780,354$4,121,533
2023$64,514,945$16,613,433$2,992,190$2,401,60011$2,573,859$5,823,747$3,066,054
2022$50,900,746$8,329,814$2,486,754$2,052,0006$2,174,972$4,462,692$2,523,504
2021$45,110,664$8,100,653$1,875,171$1,447,0008$1,611,339$4,374,268$2,225,022
2020$38,831,884$5,778,917$1,692,248$1,404,3227—$2,941,250$1,554,086

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.1M 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for school and university programs, scholarships, a botanical garden, teacher recognition, and theatre production. The grant purposes include the Howard E. Ivester Early College North Campus, the Ivester College of Health Sciences, and scholarship and study-abroad programs.

Brenau University describes its mission as challenging students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment, with preparation for intellectual accomplishment and appreciation of artistic expression. Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation describes its mission as assisting the City in operating the park, primarily through fundraising for capital improvements.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $2,896,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $1,000,000, with a median of $100,000.

Notable 2024 grants included $1,000,000 to Hall County School District for the Howard E. Ivester Early College North Campus; $700,000 to Atlanta Botanical Garden for the Children’s Garden and Orchard Parking; and $550,000 to Brenau University for the Ivester College of Health Sciences. Other awards included $145,000 to University of Georgia Foundation for scholarships and study-abroad programs, $100,000 to Hall County School District for a Learning Commons, and $3,500 to Theatre Wings Endowment Fund for production sponsorship. Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation received $2,500.

The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists M Douglas Ivester, Lynn J Darby, Swinton A Griffith III, Oliver C Murray, and Brian K Rochester as directors. Darby is also listed as president; Griffith is listed as CFO, treasurer, and secretary. Martha Maron Weber is listed as vice president and assistant secretary.

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc is led by Lynn J Darby, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 5 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Lynn J Darby

    Director & President

    On filings since 2020

    30 hrs/week

    $53K (2020) → $136K (2024)

  • M Douglas Ivester

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    15 hrs/week

    $52K (2020) → $10K (2024)

  • Oliver C Murray

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    $10K (2020) → $10K (2024)

  • Swinton A Griffith III

    Director, CFO, Treasurer & Secretary

    Director, Secretary & Treasurer → Director & CFO, 2022

    Director & CFO → Director, CFO, Treasurer & Secretary, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    30 hrs/week

    $52K (2020) → $135K (2024)

  • Brian K Rochester

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    10 hrs/week

    $5K (2022) → $10K (2024)

  • Martha Maron Weber

    Vice President & Assistant Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Lynn J Darby — Director, President: $136KLynn J DarbyDirector, President$136KSwinton A Griffith III — Director,CFO,Treasurer,Secretary,: $135KSwinton A Griffith IIIDirector,CFO,Treasurer,Secretar…$135KM Douglas Ivester — Director: $10KM Douglas IvesterDirector$10KOliver C Murray — Director: $10KOliver C MurrayDirector$10KBrian K Rochester — Director: $10KBrian K RochesterDirector$10K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $136K, to Lynn J Darby (Director, President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc

How much does Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc give each year?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc gave $2.9M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 11 grants.

What is Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $222,808, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc give grants?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc gives mostly in Georgia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gainesville, GA (10 grants) and Athens, GA (2 grants).

Does Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Hall County School District ($1,225,000 across 4 grants), Brenau University ($802,500 across 3 grants) and Atlanta Botanical Garden ($700,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc reported $78.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc fund?

No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for school and university programs, scholarships, a botanical garden, teacher recognition, and theatre production. The grant purposes include the Howard E. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.

What is Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's EIN?

Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4004727. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 18, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 7, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 19, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 2, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 30, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-douglas-and-victoria-kay-ivester-foundation-inc-morg_963df11766124813adeec88954d71bc2

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454004727_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-douglas-and-victoria-kay-ivester-foundation-inc-morg_963df11766124813adeec88954d71bc2},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation 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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