The Batten Foundation
The Batten Foundation is a private foundation established in 1988 in Norfolk, Virginia. Founded by the late Frank Batten, a communications entrepreneur who co-founded The Weather Channel and built Landmark Communications into one of the country's largest privately held media companies, the foundation continues his legacy of educational and community support. The foundation is currently managed by Jane Parke Batten, who serves as President.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.7M
-23.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.0M
-7.5% YoY
Grant Count
6
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.8M
+7.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is giving for public library support and programs in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Beyond libraries, the foundation prioritizes:
- Education
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
- Human services
- Arts and cultural preservation
Grantmaking
The Batten Foundation operates as a private foundation making discretionary grants rather than through structured, publicly advertised grant programs.
Grant Range
$45,000 to $5,000,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's giving emphasizes Virginia and New York, with particular emphasis on Virginia, especially the Norfolk/Hampton Roads region.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Annual Giving:
- Total assets: $24,705,419 (as of December 2024)
- Annual giving: $11,848,318 (2023)
- Total giving: $10,960,000 (reported in some filings)
Financial Activity (2024):
- Revenue: $4,672,670
- Expenses: $11,925,320
- Net assets: $24,705,419
Financial Activity (2023):
- Total revenues: $8,127,803
- Total expenses: $13,025,422
- Total assets: $32,209,335
The foundation's charitable disbursements consistently represent approximately 90% of total expenses, demonstrating a strong commitment to active grant-making.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,705,419 | $32,209,335 | $34,340,457 |
| Revenue | $4,672,670 | $8,127,803 | $1,819,537 |
| Expenses | $11,925,320 | $13,025,422 | $11,914,990 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $10,960,000 | $11,848,318 | $10,466,667 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,253,653 | $6,349,240 | $1,098,654 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,581,880 | $1,943,089 | $2,405,916 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
32 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
Jane Parke Batten — President (widow of founder Frank Batten Sr.)
Edie Crawford — Listed as contact for books-related inquiries
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JANE BATTEN | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| LOUIS RYAN | ASST. SEC. | 2 | — |
Contact Information
Address: PO Box 3310, Norfolk, VA 23514-3310
Phone: 757-625-7670
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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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