The English Foundation
The English Foundation is a private foundation based in Altavista, Virginia. In 2024, it awarded 16 grants totaling $50,000, primarily to organizations in Virginia; its filing says awards are generally limited to the Campbell County, Virginia area.
The English Foundation at a glance
In short: The English Foundation gave $50K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Virginia. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $50,000
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,125
- -6.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,271,046
- +2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The English Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists ER English Jr, trustee, as the contact. It says to request a form from the manager for scholarships and to submit a letter for all other requests. Awards are generally limited to the Campbell County, Virginia area.
- Contact
Application contact: Er English Jr Trustee
Mailing address: 205 River Oaks Drive, Altavista, VA 24517
Phone: (434) 369-4926
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The English Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Altavista Area YMCA ($10K). Together the top 10 received $43K.
Grant Size Distribution
96 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 96 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing says awards are generally limited to the Campbell County, Virginia area. In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 7% to Tennessee, 4% to New York, and 4% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The English Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 23% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 37% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2023) to $564K (2020). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $50K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Altavista Area YMCA Altavista, VA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Dawn Altavista, VA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| First Baptist Church Altavista, VA | Unrestricted | $8,000 |
| Linkhorne Middle School PTO Lynchburg, VA | Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Altavista Habitat for Humanity Altavista, VA | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| National Center for Healthy Veterans Altavista, VA | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Tunnel to Towers Staten Island, NY | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | Scholarship | $2,000 |
| V Foundation for Cancer Research Cary, NC | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Virginia Tech Athletic Fund Blacksburg, VA | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The English Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,271,046 | $91,512 | $71,827 | $50,000 | 16 | $54,350 | $74,035 | $145,865 |
| 2023 | $1,246,011 | $76,765 | $80,400 | $50,000 | 15 | $55,300 | $51,665 | $127,538 |
| 2022 | $1,256,741 | $89,914 | $87,192 | $55,750 | 20 | $61,030 | $63,752 | $129,871 |
| 2021 | $1,255,415 | $160,951 | $89,157 | $65,000 | 22 | $69,800 | $141,594 | $135,753 |
| 2020 | $1,183,621 | $129,838 | $641,749 | $563,800 | 23 | — | $56,689 | $129,502 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The English Foundation reported a distributable amount of $146K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for community, religious, educational, health, and charitable organizations, as well as scholarships.
The Altavista Area YMCA describes its work as building strong kids, families, and communities through programs promoting healthy lifestyles, values, leadership development, and community. The University of Tennessee says it promotes and assists scientific, social, and educational investigation and research. God’s Pit Crew describes its mission as bringing hope, healing, and restoration to people in times of crisis. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $50,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the larger awards were $10,000 each to Altavista Area YMCA and DAWN, and $8,000 to First Baptist Church. Other listed grants included $3,000 to Linkhorne Middle School PTO; $2,000 each to Altavista Habitat for Humanity, National Center for Healthy Veterans, Tunnel to Towers, the University of Virginia for a scholarship, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, an individual recipient Athletic Fund, and the University of Tennessee for scholarships; and $1,500 to Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corp. God’s Pit Crew received $1,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists ER English Jr, Stephen English, and Rita T English as trustees.
The English Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Er English Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rita T. English
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen English
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 English Foundation
How much does The English Foundation give each year?
The English Foundation gave $50K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $50K across 15 grants.
What is The English Foundation's typical grant size?
The English Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,125, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The English Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The English Foundation give grants?
The English Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Altavista, VA (6 grants) and Lynchburg, VA (2 grants).
Does The English Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of The English Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The English Foundation's largest grantees?
The English Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Altavista Area YMCA ($10,000), Dawn ($10,000) and First Baptist Church ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The English Foundation?
The English Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $146K (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 English Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for community, religious, educational, health, and charitable organizations, as well as scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The English Foundation?
The filing lists ER English Jr, trustee, as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The English Foundation's EIN?
The English Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6036409. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The English Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-english-foundation-morg_9644e88b86474a6bbeb3a18bbaad9f18
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_546036409_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The English Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-english-foundation-morg_9644e88b86474a6bbeb3a18bbaad9f18},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 English Foundation'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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