Stephens Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Birmingham, AL EIN: 63-1035698 Website

Stephens Foundation is a private foundation established in 1991 and based in Birmingham, Alabama. The foundation operates as a family foundation with limited staffing, relying on a volunteer board of directors to oversee its grantmaking activities.

Key facts about Stephens Foundation

EIN: 63-1035698
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $609,350
Grants made (2024): 62
Average grant: $9,828
Median grant: $5,000
New grantees (estimate): 29% first-time grantees (18 of 62, 2024)
Total assets: $3,259,522
Primary geography: Alabama (80% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No
How to apply: The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated August 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Stephens Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Stephens Foundation's 62 itemized 2024 grants were Alabama (80%). The most frequent recipient cities were Birmingham, AL (38 grants), Montgomery, AL (2 grants), Tampa, FL (2 grants) and Homewood, AL (2 grants). None of its 62 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of the Organization" (54 grants), "Support of Education" (4 grants) and "Support of Arts" (3 grants).

Is Stephens Foundation open to new grantees?

29%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 18 of 62 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $11K. How we count

Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.

55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 301% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Stephens Foundation

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.3M

-10.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$609K

+8.4% YoY

Grant Count

+12.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

-3.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stephens Foundation reported a distributable amount of $203K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities include:

Arts and culture
Education
Health associations
Support for United Methodist churches
Human services
Philanthropy and voluntarism

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$5,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Alabama, Florida, and Virginia.

Grant Distribution by State

Alabama $490K (80%)

Colorado $26K (4%)

Virginia $25K (4%)

Florida $20K (3%)

North Carolina $20K (3%)

All other $28K (5%)

Share of all 62 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Alabama Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Maryland North Carolina New York Ohio Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Virginia

Cities

BirminghamTampaNew YorkWinstonsalemMontgomeryBlountsvilleDurhamHarpersvilleHuntsvilleSeviervilleTalladegaWestcliffeAtlantaCharlestonCharlottesvilleCincinnatiGreenwichSt PetersburgTuscaloosaColumbiana

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $3.3–$4 million (as of most recent filings)

Annual Revenue (2023): $151,015

Investment income and dividends: $64,731
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $85,080

Annual Expenses (2023): $567,903

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,259,522	$3,631,102	$4,047,990
Revenue	$245,372	$151,015	$66,261
Expenses	$616,952	$567,903	$593,294
Qualifying Distributions	$609,350	$562,000	$587,700
Net Investment Income	$241,618	$147,282	$62,537
Distributable Amount	$202,516	$214,624	$253,715

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

312 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Alabama Rivers Alliance ($60,000), Birmingham Southern College ($40,000), Alys Stephens Center ($35,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALABAMA RIVERS ALLIANCE Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$60,000
BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF EDUCATION	$40,000
ALYS STEPHENS CENTER Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$35,000
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF ARTS	$35,000
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$35,000
GIRLSPRING INC Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$26,000
ALABAMA BALLET Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF ARTS	$25,000
COMPASSION AND CHOICES Denver, CO	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$25,000
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENT LAW CENTER Charlottesville, VA	SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION	$25,000
ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Birmingham, AL	SUPPORT OF THE ARTS	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation's board consists of:

James T Stephens, President
Elton B Stephens Jr., Treasurer
Dell S Brooke, Secretary
Jane S Comer, Vice President

All board members serve without compensation and on a volunteer basis.

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
James T Stephens	President	—	—
Elton B Stephens Jr	Treasurer	—	—
Dell S Brooke	Secretary	—	—
Jane S Comer	Vice President	—	—

Contact Information

Address: PO Box 1943, Birmingham, AL 35201-1943

Telephone: 205-991-6600

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Stephens Foundation fund?

The foundation's giving priorities include: • Arts and culture • Education • Health associations • Support for United Methodist churches • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism

How do I apply for a grant from Stephens Foundation?

The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does Stephens Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Alabama, Florida, and Virginia.

What size grants does Stephens Foundation award?

In 2024, Stephens Foundation awarded 62 grants totaling $609K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Stephens Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Stephens Foundation reported a distributable amount of $203K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.