The Knox Foundation
The Knox Foundation is a private foundation based in Thomson, Georgia. Its 2024 filing reports 83 grants totaling $4,368,500, with recipients including organizations in social services, arts, education, and cultural work.
The Knox Foundation at a glance
In short: The Knox Foundation gave $4.4M across 83 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in Georgia. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,368,500
- +12.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 83
- -22.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $52,633
- +44.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $101,962,463
- +9.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (12 of 83, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (98% 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 Knox Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that applicants should contact it for forms to submit with an application. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations, and contributions are restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Review Cycle
- Contact the foundation for submission deadlines for the year.
- Deadline
- Contact the foundation for submission deadlines for the year.
- Contact
Application contact: The Knox Foundation
Mailing address: 3133 Washington Road, Thomson, GA 30824
Phone: (706) 595-1907
Website: https://knoxmartinfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Knox Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Salvation Army ($800K). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
452 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 351 grants of 452 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 98% of grant dollars went to Georgia recipients, 1% to South Carolina, 1% to Tennessee, and less than 1% to recipients in the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 83 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Knox Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 83 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $59K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 $3.3M (2021) to $4.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 83 grants totaling $4.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army Augusta, GA | Social Services | $800,000 |
| Augusta Players Inc Augusta, GA | ARTS | $600,000 |
| Frederica Academy St Simons Island, GA | Education | $250,000 |
| Turn Back the Block Augusta, GA | Social Services | $220,000 |
| American Red Cross Augusta, GA | Social Services | $212,000 |
| Golden Harvest Food Bank Augusta, GA | Social Services | $135,000 |
| Sacred Heart Cultural Center Augusta, GA | Cultural | $135,000 |
| Symphony Orchestra Augusta Augusta, GA | ARTS | $100,000 |
| Hale Foundation Augusta, GA | Social Services | $92,500 |
| Child Enrichment Inc Augusta, GA | Social Services | $75,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Knox 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 | $101,962,463 | $7,486,469 | $5,889,408 | $4,368,500 | 83 | $4,512,456 | $6,203,135 | $4,954,255 |
| 2023 | $93,299,465 | $4,544,131 | $5,120,390 | $3,898,000 | 107 | $4,041,574 | $3,555,823 | $4,480,521 |
| 2022 | $86,751,427 | $6,955,344 | $5,801,768 | $4,558,184 | 92 | $4,697,845 | $5,825,813 | $4,659,168 |
| 2021 | $106,277,096 | $7,175,733 | $4,435,267 | $3,293,990 | 87 | $3,424,771 | $6,197,705 | $4,826,584 |
| 2020 | $86,437,324 | $4,287,877 | $4,946,187 | $3,833,656 | 83 | — | $3,496,259 | $3,933,858 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Knox Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.0M 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 organizations with varied missions. For example, Augusta Players says it presents theatrical productions and provides theater-arts education and experience in the CSRA. Frederica Academy says it prepares students for college and adult life. Turn Back the Block says it works to revitalize Augusta’s Harrisburg neighborhood through housing rehabilitation, construction, and promotion of home ownership. Golden Harvest Food Bank describes its mission as “Feeding Lives Together.”
Other 2024 grantees include Sacred Heart Cultural Center, which provides reduced-rent office space for nonprofits and maintains a historic building and grounds; Child Enrichment, which provides intervention, advocacy, and prevention for abused and neglected children; and RISE Augusta, which connects community resources with schools to support students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 83 grants totaling $4,368,500. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $800,000, with a median grant of $25,000. Among the largest were $800,000 to the Salvation Army in Augusta for social services, $600,000 to Augusta Players for arts, $250,000 to Frederica Academy for education, and $220,000 to Turn Back the Block for social services. Other notable grants included $212,000 to the American Red Cross, $135,000 each to Golden Harvest Food Bank and Sacred Heart Cultural Center, and $100,000 to Symphony Orchestra Augusta.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jefferson B. A. Knox and Elizabeth Knox Hopkins as directors.
The Knox Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Knox Hopkins
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$33K (2020) → $36K (2024)
Jefferson B. A. Knox
Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$150K (2020) → $160K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $160K, to Jefferson B a Knox (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Knox Foundation
How much does The Knox Foundation give each year?
The Knox Foundation gave $4.4M across 83 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.9M across 107 grants.
What is The Knox Foundation's typical grant size?
The Knox Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $52,633, across 83 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Knox Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does The Knox Foundation give grants?
The Knox Foundation gives mostly in Georgia: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Augusta, GA (56 grants), Thomson, GA (6 grants), St Simons Island, GA (3 grants) and Atlanta, GA (3 grants).
Does The Knox Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 83 grants with a stated purpose on The Knox Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Services" (32 grants), "Education" (15 grants) and "Arts" (12 grants).
Who are The Knox Foundation's largest grantees?
The Knox Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Salvation Army ($800,000), Augusta Players Inc ($600,000) and Frederica Academy ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Knox Foundation?
The Knox Foundation reported $102.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.0M (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 Knox Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Augusta Players says it presents theatrical productions and provides theater-arts education and experience in the CSRA. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Knox Foundation?
The foundation states that applicants should contact it for forms to submit with an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Knox Foundation's EIN?
The Knox Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6163728. 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Knox Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Knox Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-knox-foundation-morg_d9b420d7e781480bbc0de5c32f2f478f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_586163728_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Knox Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-knox-foundation-morg_d9b420d7e781480bbc0de5c32f2f478f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Knox 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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