Riggs Benevolent Fund
The Riggs Benevolent Fund is a private foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established as a trust in 1959 and granted tax-exempt status in 1963, the fund operates as a grantmaking foundation with a long history of supporting charitable causes in Arkansas and surrounding regions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$15.7M
-2.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$660K
-11.9% YoY
Grant Count
92
+55.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
-43.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund supports organizations involved in:
- Education
- Museums and hospitals
- Cancer research and support
- Youth development
- Children's services
- Christianity
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
- Human services
Grantmaking
The fund accepts applications from prospective grantees.
Grant Range
$1,000–$202,500
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund primarily supports organizations in Arkansas and Louisiana, with some funding extending to Minnesota and North Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $15.7 million–$16.2 million (as of most recent filings)
Annual Revenue & Expenses:
- Annual revenue: approximately $452,000–$452,120
- Annual expenses: approximately $826,634
- Total giving (2024): $660,250
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $15,711,813 | $16,179,859 | $16,549,699 |
| Revenue | $333,648 | $452,120 | $1,461,737 |
| Expenses | $765,453 | $826,634 | $779,231 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $665,550 | $780,166 | $692,795 |
| Net Investment Income | $358,983 | $405,652 | $469,891 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,002,236 | $860,817 | $847,789 |
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
152 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key trustees include:
- Keith Riggs — Trustee of the Riggs Benevolent Fund; involved with the fund since 2013
- Edwin Keith Riggs — Trustee (serves without compensation)
- George A. Cress — Trustee (serves without compensation)
- John Arthur Riggs V — Trustee (serves without compensation)
The fund's leadership is connected to Riggs Cat, a heavy equipment company founded by Keith Riggs's great-grandfather in 1927. The family has maintained a tradition of community philanthropy across multiple generations.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDWIN KEITH RIGGS | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| GEORGE A CRESS | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| JOHN ARTHUR RIGGS V | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In August 2024, the Riggs Benevolent Fund donated $100,000 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to support the Trojan Way Project. According to Keith Riggs, a trustee of the fund, the Riggs Benevolent Fund has maintained a long-standing relationship with UA Little Rock and has been involved in multiple projects over the years.
UA Little Rock Receives $100K From Riggs Benevolent FundThe fund has also maintained a partnership with Our House shelter, providing support for workforce development initiatives including a career center donation made when Keith Riggs became a trustee in 2013.
Riggs Benevolent Fund Donates $100,000 to Support Trojan Way Project at UARelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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