Pennington Family Foundation
The Pennington Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including biomedical research, the arts, health, youth development, education, and community services.
Pennington Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Pennington Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 57 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), mostly in Louisiana. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,900,990
- Grants made (2024)
- 57
- Average grant
- $33,351
- Median grant
- $15,750
- Total assets
- $37,798,121
- +12.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (92% 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 Pennington Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Pam Cowart as the contact. Form and materials are listed as N/A, deadlines as N/A, and award restrictions as “to be determined.” The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Pam Cowart
Mailing address: 13337 Buddy Ellis Rd, Denham Springs, LA 70726
Phone: (225) 907-8909
Email: pam@paulap.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pennington Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Pennington Biomedical Foundation ($450K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 57 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana. The remaining shares went to Maryland (4%), New York (3%), and Washington, DC (1%); Florida accounted for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
Cities
How Pennington Family Foundation gives
- In 2024 it paid out 132% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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
In 2024 it made 57 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pennington Biomedical Foundation Baton Rouge, LA | The Answer 2025/2024 Annual Support | $450,000 |
| Baton Rouge Symphony Baton Rouge, LA | Pennington Great Performers | $183,000 |
| Baton Rouge General Foundation Baton Rouge, LA | Arts in Medicine at BR General | $130,000 |
| The Emerge Center Baton Rouge, LA | 2024 Annual Support | $89,240 |
| Athletes for Hope Bethesda, MD | Strengthening BR Youth Mental Health | $75,000 |
| St Vincent De Paul of Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA | 2024 Annual Support | $75,000 |
| Baton Rouge Youth Coalition Inc Baton Rouge, LA | Class of 2029 SRL/SEL Programs | $50,000 |
| Children's Health Fund New York, NY | Overcoming Access Barriers | $50,000 |
| Knock Knock Children's Museum Baton Rouge, LA | Access for All Initiative | $50,000 |
| Louisiana Arts & Science Museum Baton Rouge, LA | Superhuman Body Show/Lasm Gala Spons | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pennington Family Foundation?
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 | $37,798,121 | $4,408,343 | $2,078,754 | $1,900,990 | 57 | $1,900,990 | $1,357,229 | $1,438,990 |
| 2023 | $33,535,973 | $659,671 | $38,809 | — | — | — | $574,661 | $975,891 |
| 2021 | — | $850 | $850 | — | — | — | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pennington Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with a range of missions. The Emerge Center says it supports access to therapeutic services and education for people with autism and communication challenges. Baton Rouge Youth Coalition says it helps teens pursue post-secondary education through college preparation, mentoring, and related resources. Louisiana Key Academy says it provides evidence-based education for children with dyslexia. The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge says it fosters the creative capacity and vibrancy of the capital region.
Other 2024 grantees included the Knock Knock Children’s Museum, which describes itself as supporting playful learning, and Playmakers of Baton Rouge, which says it provides educational theater experiences for young audiences.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 57 grants totaling $1,900,990. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $450,000, with a median of $15,750.
Among the largest grants were $450,000 to Pennington Biomedical Foundation for “The Answer 2025/2024 Annual Support,” $183,000 to Baton Rouge Symphony for “Pennington Great Performers,” and $130,000 to Baton Rouge General Foundation for “Arts in Medicine at BR General.” Other grants included $89,240 to The Emerge Center, $75,000 each to Athletes for Hope and St Vincent de Paul of Baton Rouge, and $50,000 each to Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, Children’s Health Fund, Knock Knock Children’s Museum, and Louisiana Arts & Science Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paula Pennington de la Bretonne as president, Pamela Cowart as treasurer, and Shannon Blackstone Smith as vice president.
Pennington Family Foundation is led by Paula Pennington De La Brentonne, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paula Pennington De La Brentonne
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Pamela Cowart
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Shannon Blackstone Smith
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jack M. Dampf (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 Pennington Family Foundation
How much does Pennington Family Foundation give each year?
Pennington Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 57 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Pennington Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Pennington Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,750, and its average grant was $33,351, across 57 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Pennington Family Foundation give grants?
Pennington Family Foundation gives mostly in Louisiana: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Baton Rouge, LA (43 grants) and New Orleans, LA (4 grants).
Does Pennington Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Pennington Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "2024 Annual Support" (4 grants) and "2024 Gift" (4 grants).
Who are Pennington Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Pennington Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Pennington Biomedical Foundation ($450,000), Baton Rouge Symphony ($183,000) and Baton Rouge General Foundation ($130,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Pennington Family Foundation?
Pennington Family Foundation reported $37.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Pennington Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with a range of missions. The Emerge Center says it supports access to therapeutic services and education for people with autism and communication challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pennington Family Foundation?
The filing lists Pam Cowart as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Pennington Family Foundation's EIN?
Pennington Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-5300304. 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
Live grants for the work Pennington Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pennington Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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More similar funders
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pennington Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pennington-family-foundation-morg_12e3e5f952eb4f4c883a8d432c4ff282
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_815300304_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pennington Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pennington-family-foundation-morg_12e3e5f952eb4f4c883a8d432c4ff282},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Pennington Family 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.
Pennington Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?