Phil Hardin Foundation
The Phil Hardin Foundation is a private foundation based in Meridian, Mississippi, focused on improving educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth. Established in 1964, it supports educational opportunity and community improvement, with special emphasis on Meridian and Lauderdale County.
Phil Hardin Foundation at a glance
In short: Phil Hardin Foundation gave $4.5M across 78 grants in 2025 (avg $58K), mostly in Mississippi. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,488,612
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 78
- +16.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,546
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $28,000
- Total assets
- $61,939,861
- -2.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (21 of 69, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Phil Hardin Foundation
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not consider unsolicited applications unless they have first been vetted through its application portal. Prospective applicants should first submit a brief proposal summary for discussion; an invitation to apply is not a guarantee of board approval. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) public charity under Section 509(a), or a governmental agency; supporting organizations under Section 509(a)(3) are not eligible. Applications should include measurable goals and outcomes and be based on current research and best practices. Required attachments include a tax-exempt determination letter for first-time applicants, a board-member list with occupations, the most recent IRS Form 990, and a project budget. The website says the foundation is not considering proposals for 2026 funding, except for the stated exceptions; new-prospect discussions would be for 2027 funding at the earliest.
- Review Cycle
- The board generally meets monthly except in July and November, usually on the second Wednesday. Proposals should be submitted at least 30 days before the meeting at which they are to be considered, unless prior arrangements are made.
- Deadline
- The board generally meets monthly except in July and November, usually on the second Wednesday.
- Contact
Application contact: Phil Hardin Foundation-Lloyd Gray
Mailing address: 2750 North Park Drive, Meridian, MS 39305
Phone: (601) 483-4282
Website: https://philhardin.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Phil Hardin Foundation
Who Phil Hardin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ms Childrens Museum ($450K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($60,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
313 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 160 grants of 313 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it invests at least 50% of its grant dollars each year in Meridian and Lauderdale County. Jackson is a secondary area of special interest. It also favors proposals with regional or statewide impact, or locally focused work that could be replicated elsewhere. Its 2025 filing reports that 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Mississippi, with the remaining reported shares going to recipients in Washington, D.C., Florida, North Carolina, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 78 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Phil Hardin Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 69 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $75K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 138% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.1M (2020) to $4.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 78 grants totaling $4.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ms Childrens Museum Jackson, MS | Meridian Satellite Location | $450,000 |
| Ms Arts and Entertainment Center Meridian, MS | Sustained Support | $300,000 |
| Meridian Community College Foundation Meridian, MS | Phil hardin foundation honors college; beep, annual scholarships, phil hardin scholarships, and tuition guarantee endowment | $200,000 |
| Mississippi State University Foundation Mississippi State, MS | Mental/Behavioral Health Program Expansion | $200,000 |
| Lauderdale County School District Meridian, MS | PRE-K | $200,000 |
| Mississippi Childrens Museum Meridian, MS | Launch into Learning | $150,000 |
| Lauderdale County School District Meridian, MS | Mastery Connect & Rethink Ed Project | $140,000 |
| Jackson Public School District Jackson, MS | Excellence for All | $125,000 |
| National Center of Education and the Economy Washington, DC | Ms Superintendent Academy | $125,000 |
| Community Foundation of Northwest MS Hernando, MS | Advanced STEM Access Program | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Phil Hardin Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,939,861 | $3,526,143 | $5,289,902 | $4,488,612 | 78 | $5,057,941 | $3,328,692 | $3,673,414 |
| 2024 | $63,703,620 | $18,348,779 | $5,340,415 | $4,253,600 | 67 | $4,825,522 | $18,167,383 | $3,066,853 |
| 2023 | $50,695,256 | $1,261,058 | $4,671,381 | $3,829,936 | 56 | $4,405,728 | $1,755,312 | $2,823,086 |
| 2022 | $54,105,579 | $9,018,103 | $5,152,586 | $4,233,516 | 56 | $4,767,788 | $8,844,135 | $3,059,460 |
| 2021 | $50,240,062 | $7,767,111 | $4,405,868 | $3,639,353 | 56 | $4,180,654 | $7,581,401 | $3,571,878 |
| 2020 | $46,878,100 | $11,670,552 | $3,806,470 | $3,072,500 | 50 | — | $11,474,456 | $2,806,206 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Phil Hardin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth and expand access to high-quality educational opportunities. Its seven grant-making priorities are early childhood development, literacy, teacher quality, school leadership, equity of educational access, arts and cultural enrichment, and community and state capacity building.
The foundation’s 2025 grants included support for early education, literacy, arts and cultural programming, scholarships, and student support. For example, the Meridian Community College Foundation says its mission is to provide educational assistance to students through scholarships and support faculty and staff development. The Mississippi Reading Clinic says it promotes evidence-based literacy assessment and interventions for Mississippi children, youth, and teachers. The Meridian Art Association says it supports area and regional art, artists, and programs through education, exhibitions, collaborations, and community involvement.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 78 grants totaling $4,488,612. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $450,000, with a median of $28,000.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $450,000 to the Mississippi Children’s Museum for a Meridian satellite location; $300,000 to the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center for sustained support; and $200,000 each to Meridian Community College Foundation, Mississippi State University Foundation, and Lauderdale County School District. The stated purposes included scholarships and college programs, expansion of a mental and behavioral health program, and pre-K. Other awards included $150,000 for the Mississippi Children’s Museum’s Launch into Learning, $125,000 to Jackson Public School District for Excellence for All, and $100,000 to Millsaps College for its Pathways Program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Robert F. Ward as president; Ronnie L. Walton as secretary; and Martin Davidson as treasurer. Directors listed are Kacey Bailey, Michael Van Veckhoven, Clair Huff, and Derron Radcliff.
Phil Hardin Foundation is led by Robert F. Ward, President on every filing since 2020; all 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert F. Ward
President
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
$54K (2020) → $81K (2025)
Kacey Bailey
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $27K (2025)
Clair Huff
Director
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$16K (2021) → $27K (2025)
Derron Radcliff
Director
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$16K (2021) → $27K (2025)
Michael Van Veckhoven
Director
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$27K (2021) → $27K (2025)
Martin Davidson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$42K (2020) → $66K (2025)
Ronnie L. Walton
Secretary
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$42K (2020) → $66K (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jim McGinnis (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Deen Jr. (2020–2021) — Former Director
- Former: Michael Vanveckhoven (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $81K, to Robert F Ward (President). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Phil Hardin Foundation
How much does Phil Hardin Foundation give each year?
Phil Hardin Foundation gave $4.5M across 78 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.3M across 67 grants.
What is Phil Hardin Foundation's typical grant size?
Phil Hardin Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $28,000, and its average grant was $57,546, across 78 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Phil Hardin Foundation that year got $41K on average.
Where does Phil Hardin Foundation give grants?
Phil Hardin Foundation gives mostly in Mississippi: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Meridian, MS (27 grants), Jackson, MS (23 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Ridgeland, MS (2 grants).
Does Phil Hardin Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Phil Hardin Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 78) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Phil Hardin Foundation's largest grantees?
Phil Hardin Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ms Childrens Museum ($450,000), Lauderdale County School District ($410,000 across 3 grants) and Meridian Community College Foundation ($345,000 across 4 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($60,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Phil Hardin Foundation?
Phil Hardin Foundation reported $61.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Phil Hardin Foundation fund?
The foundation says it seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth and expand access to high-quality educational opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Phil Hardin Foundation?
The foundation does not consider unsolicited applications unless they have first been vetted through its application portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Phil Hardin Foundation's EIN?
Phil Hardin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 64-6024940. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Phil Hardin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/phil-hardin-foundation-morg_7cb22828f6d340219419b534bcd86e76
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_646024940_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Phil Hardin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/phil-hardin-foundation-morg_7cb22828f6d340219419b534bcd86e76},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Phil Hardin 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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