The CMS Foundation Inc
The CMS Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Columbus, Georgia. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including groups working in areas such as personal relationships, religious and educational activities, arts and culture, health, and community services.
The CMS Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The CMS Foundation Inc gave $102K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Georgia. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $101,500
- +35.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +123.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,671
- -39.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,750
- Total assets
- $1,504,924
- +14.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (4 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (70% 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 The CMS Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6921 Marina Cove Court, Columbus, GA 31904
Phone: (706) 322-3690
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The CMS Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Focus on the Family ($16K). Together the top 10 received $63K.
Grant Size Distribution
160 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 160 grants of 160 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Georgia recipients received 70% of grant dollars, followed by Colorado (16%), Florida (6%), California (5%), and North Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The CMS Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 38 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 39% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2024) to $106K (2022). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $102K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Focus on the Family Colorado Springs, CO | General | $16,000 |
| Right from the Start Columbus, GA | General | $10,000 |
| Global Effect Ministry Rosemary Beach, FL | General | $5,000 |
| Global Teen Challenge Columbus, GA | General | $5,000 |
| Leading the Way Atlanta, GA | General | $5,000 |
| Mercy Med Columbus, GA | General | $5,000 |
| Turning Point Ministries San Diego, CA | General | $5,000 |
| Young Life - Columbus Columbus, GA | General | $5,000 |
| International Friendship Ministries Columbus, GA | General | $3,500 |
| Teen Challenge Columbus, GA | General | $3,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,504,924 | $295,864 | $109,182 | $101,500 | 38 | $103,175 | $289,857 | $105,346 |
| 2024 | $1,319,242 | $48,394 | $84,937 | $75,000 | 17 | $76,625 | $40,082 | $101,569 |
| 2023 | $1,360,285 | $106,384 | $110,194 | $103,500 | 22 | $104,775 | $98,516 | $90,621 |
| 2022 | $1,357,657 | $6,843 | $118,860 | $106,250 | 42 | $107,475 | $32,491 | $94,293 |
| 2021 | $1,469,674 | $250,511 | $83,680 | $75,500 | 41 | $76,705 | $244,726 | $102,688 |
| 2020 | $1,302,843 | $54,468 | $100,511 | $94,500 | 44 | — | $49,729 | $87,291 |
| 2019 | $1,348,886 | $58,617 | $98,222 | $90,500 | 39 | — | $54,026 | $85,656 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The CMS Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $105K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Right From the Start says it teaches skills for healthy personal relationships; International Friendship Ministries describes social, educational, and multicultural activities, including biblical studies and English-language programs; and RiverCenter says it operates a performing arts facility offering education, arts, cultural events, and entertainment. Other grantees describe work in areas including religious outreach, medical research, aid to people in need, and support for survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $101,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $16,000, with a median of $1,750. The largest listed grants included $16,000 to Focus on the Family, $10,000 to Right From the Start, and $5,000 each to Global Effect Ministry, Global Teen Challenge, Leading the Way, Mercy Med, Turning Point Ministries, and Young Life - Columbus. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as general.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Claude Scarbrough as president.
The CMS Foundation Inc is led by Claude Scarbrough, President on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Claude Scarbrough
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Molly Scarbrough (2019–2022) — Secretary & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The CMS Foundation Inc
How much does The CMS Foundation Inc give each year?
The CMS Foundation Inc gave $102K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $75K across 17 grants.
What is The CMS Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The CMS Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,750, and its average grant was $2,671, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The CMS Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does The CMS Foundation Inc give grants?
The CMS Foundation Inc gives mostly in Georgia: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (16%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, GA (25 grants).
Does The CMS Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of The CMS Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The CMS Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The CMS Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Focus on the Family ($16,000), Right from the Start ($10,000) and Global Effect Ministry ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The CMS Foundation Inc?
The CMS Foundation Inc reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $103K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $105K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The CMS Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The CMS Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The CMS Foundation Inc's EIN?
The CMS Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-2316503. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The CMS Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 4, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The CMS Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The CMS Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cms-foundation-inc-morg_af1ba73d0f044f02bc2070f3f966b750
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_582316503_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The CMS Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cms-foundation-inc-morg_af1ba73d0f044f02bc2070f3f966b750},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The CMS Foundation Inc'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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