The Graham Foundation
The Graham Foundation is a private family foundation based in Greenville, South Carolina, founded by Alan J. Graham and his family. Established in 1985 and tax-exempt since June 1986, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a distinctive grantmaking model focused on intensive, long-term capacity-building projects with a small number of select grantees.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$48.0M
+1.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.1M
+31.4% YoY
Grant Count
14
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$221K
+12.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Graham Foundation works to invest in initiatives that inspire, nurture, and empower people to pursue growth and improvement in their own lives and within their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The foundation's funding priorities span:
- Arts
- Children's welfare
- Community development
- Education
- Environment
- Religion
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
Grantmaking
The foundation makes directed grants only and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Grant Range
$13,000 to $640,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary focus on upstate South Carolina, particularly Greenville County, with some grants in North Carolina and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $48,047,463 (2024)
- Total revenues: $4,883,052 (2024)
- Total expenses: $3,960,424 (2024)
- Total liabilities: $7,120 (2023)
Annual Giving:
- 2024: $3,096,000
- 2023: $2,356,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $48,047,463 | $47,257,757 | $49,827,704 |
| Revenue | $4,883,052 | $2,110,122 | $1,928,351 |
| Expenses | $3,960,424 | $3,076,797 | $3,447,155 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,615,182 | $2,789,181 | $2,876,816 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,580,727 | $1,822,506 | $1,494,620 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,729,569 | $2,629,046 | $2,973,422 |
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
55 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
- Susan R. Lambert – Trustee Chair and Chief Executive Officer
- Laura Caligan-Gilliam – Chief Strategy Officer
- Stephen Lambert – Trustee
- William A. Bridges – Trustee
The foundation operates with 6 employees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation made 12 grants in 2023 and continued active grantmaking in 2024, with significant grants to organizations including Peacehaven Farm, Peace Center, and Second Breath Center for operational support.
2025 grants to individuals - Announcements - e-fluxRelated 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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