Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation is a private foundation based in Savannah, Georgia. Its 2024 filing states that it emphasizes educational institutions but is not restricted solely to them. Its 2024 grants also went to organizations working in areas including land conservation, environmental protection, and history and preservation.
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation at a glance
In short: Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation gave $549K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in South Carolina. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $548,919
- +14.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,634
- -6.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,785,214
- -1.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (8 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Contact South State Bank; no required format or materials are specified. The filing says awards emphasize educational institutions but are not restricted solely to them.
- Contact
Application contact: South State Bank
Mailing address: 25 Bull Street 5Th Floor, Savannah, GA 31401
Phone: (912) 629-6694
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lowcountry Land Trust ($60K). Together the top 10 received $375K.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 108 grants of 135 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went primarily to South Carolina recipients (67%), followed by Georgia (15%), Washington, DC (10%), New York (3%), and Virginia (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 33 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $411K (2021) to $638K (2020). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $549K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lowcountry Land Trust Charleston, SC | Financial Support | $60,000 |
| Ashley Hall School OR Foundation Charleston, SC | Financial Support | $55,000 |
| Battlefield Trust Washington, DC | General Support | $50,000 |
| Preservation Society of Charleston Charleston, SC | General Support | $50,000 |
| St Andrews on the Marsh Savannah, GA | Financial Support | $50,000 |
| South Carolina Historical Society Charleston, SC | Financial Support | $25,000 |
| Dorchester Heritage Center St George, SC | General Support | $25,000 |
| James Island Christian School Charleston, SC | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Coastal Conservation League Charleston, SC | Financial Support | $20,043 |
| Conservation Voters of South Caro Columbia, SC | General Support | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,785,214 | $542,743 | $561,117 | $548,919 | 33 | $544,509 | $533,635 | $548,613 |
| 2023 | $1,803,588 | $491,508 | $503,753 | $481,500 | 27 | $487,196 | $482,363 | $483,794 |
| 2022 | $1,815,833 | $344,302 | $439,155 | $426,520 | 25 | $421,410 | $334,857 | $470,788 |
| 2021 | $1,910,686 | $593,138 | $429,886 | $411,000 | 22 | $416,976 | $583,528 | $501,012 |
| 2020 | $1,747,434 | $238,582 | $660,380 | $637,800 | 28 | — | $229,378 | $404,299 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $549K 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 formal mission statement is provided. The foundation’s filing identifies an emphasis on educational institutions, while its 2024 grants show support for a range of other organizations.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. St. Andrews on the Marsh says it is an independent college preparatory school focused on student development. Lowcountry Land Trust says it works to protect land and water and connect conservation to community. Dorchester Heritage Center says it promotes public education about history through identifying, restoring, and preserving artifacts and documents. Other 2024 grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve conserving lands and waters, protecting open space, and preserving natural and cultural resources.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $548,919. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median of $10,000. It reported 27 grants totaling $481,500 in 2023 and 25 grants totaling $426,520 in 2022.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $60,000 to Lowcountry Land Trust, $55,000 to Ashley Hall School or Foundation, $50,000 each to Battlefield Trust, Preservation Society of Charleston, and St. Andrews on the Marsh, and $25,000 each to South Carolina Historical Society, Dorchester Heritage Center, and James Island Christian School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Hugh C. Lane Jr. as CEO, Charles G. Lane as CFO, and Hugh C. Morrison as secretary.
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation is led by Hugh C. Lane Jr., CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Hugh C. Lane Jr.
CEO
President → CEO, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Charles G. Lane
CFO
Trustee → CFO, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Hugh C. Morrison
Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mills Lane Morrison (2020–2022) — Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation
How much does Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation give each year?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation gave $549K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $482K across 27 grants.
What is Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's typical grant size?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,634, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation give grants?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (15%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, SC (8 grants), Savannah, GA (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Columbia, SC (3 grants).
Does Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 58% of Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Financial Support" (13 grants).
Who are Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's largest grantees?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lowcountry Land Trust ($60,000), Ashley Hall School OR Foundation ($55,000) and Battlefield Trust ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $545K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $549K (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 Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The foundation’s filing identifies an emphasis on educational institutions, while its 2024 grants show support for a range of other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's EIN?
Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6033043. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mills-bee-lane-memorial-foundation-morg_6bc9eb11602843ada64f9ce6059b79eb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_586033043_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mills-bee-lane-memorial-foundation-morg_6bc9eb11602843ada64f9ce6059b79eb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation'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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