The Pleiad Foundation is a private family charitable foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Established in 1996, it is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization and designated as a private independent foundation. The foundation supports nonprofit organizations primarily in the Greater Birmingham and Central Alabama region, with a focus on higher education, medical research, and arts and cultural initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.2M
-3.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+122.4% YoY
Grant Count
34
+9.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$41K
+102.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is committed to supporting Birmingham's revitalization and future development. According to its stated mission, "We want to help the city revitalize itself however we can."
The foundation prioritizes funding in the following areas:
- Higher Education: Support for educational institutions and initiatives in Alabama
- Medical Research: Funding for advancing medical research projects
- Arts and Culture: Support for arts and cultural organizations in Birmingham and Central Alabama
- Community Development: Funding for smaller local projects and organizations across various fields
- Health and Human Services: Support for organizations addressing public health, human services, and services for people with disabilities
Grantmaking
The Pleiad Foundation makes funding decisions once annually, meeting in December to determine disbursements for the following year. On average, the foundation donates to between 20 and 30 nonprofit organizations annually.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in the Greater Birmingham and Central Alabama region. While the foundation primarily funds local efforts, it also considers organizations in which foundation members are personally interested or involved.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $9,191,430
- Total Revenues: $1,211,336
- Total Expenses: $1,565,297
- Total Giving: $1,397,667
- Number of Employees: 0
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $9.55 million
- Total Revenues: $1.95 million
- Total Expenses: $742,000
Revenue Composition (2024):
- Investment income and dividends: $343,238
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $718,098
- Total grants and contributions: $150,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,191,430 | $9,545,391 | $8,341,081 |
| Revenue | $1,211,336 | $1,946,568 | $807,366 |
| Expenses | $1,565,297 | $742,258 | $484,504 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,397,667 | $628,560 | $339,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $893,706 | $457,870 | $584,362 |
| Distributable Amount | $676,739 | $552,974 | $558,408 |
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
170 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Pleiad Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Pleiad Foundation is a family foundation with the following members:
- John and Betty McMahon (founders)
- David McMahon
- Jamey and Carrie McMahon
- Joel and Ashley McMahon
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN J MCMAHON JR | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JOHN J MCMAHON III | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JOEL W MCMAHON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| DAVID A MCMAHON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| BETTY T MCMAHON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| CARRIE C MCMAHON | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| ASHLEY R MCMAHON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been recognized for supporting medical research through the McMahon-Pleiad Prize, awarded by the University of Alabama System. Dr. Gabe Xu received a $75,000 McMahon-Pleiad Prize in recognition of research contributions.
Dr. Gabe Xu wins $75K McMahon-Pleiad Prize from University of Alabama System---
**Contact Information:**
Website: www.pleiadfoundation.org
Phone: 205-322-3302
Address: 1927 1st Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203-4024
EIN: 63-1159236
Tax-exempt since: March 1996
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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