The Ligon Foundation
The Ligon Foundation is a private foundation based in Marietta, Georgia. In 2024, it gave $125,015 through 12 grants to charitable organizations, including universities, a school, and other organizations.
The Ligon Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ligon Foundation gave $125K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), top state Georgia. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $125,015
- +9.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,418
- +9.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $2,082,748
- +3.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (35% 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 Ligon Foundation
- 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: 512 Reston Mill Lane, Marietta, GA 30067
Phone: (678) 595-8555
Website: HTTP://LIGONFOUNDATION.COM
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ligon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The University of Alabama ($36K). Together the top 10 received $124K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 61 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Georgia (35%), Alabama (28%), Connecticut (16%), Florida (12%), and Missouri (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ligon Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 141% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $96K (2021) to $125K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $125K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama East Tuscaloosa, AL | General Support | $35,500 |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | University | $20,000 |
| Wesleyan University Middletown, CT | Education Support | $20,000 |
| Sotf Niceville, FL | General Support | $15,000 |
| The Walker School Marietta, GA | Education Support | $13,000 |
| Brewton Parker College Mount Vernon, GA | General Support | $10,000 |
| NGC (National Garden Clubs) Shaw Scholarship St. Louis, MO | Education Support | $5,000 |
| Green Beret Foundation Montgomery, TX | General Support | $2,342 |
| Sigma Nu Lexington, VA | General Support | $2,000 |
| Go Fund Me - Yellow Ribbon Atlanta, GA | General Support | $1,094 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ligon 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 | $2,082,748 | $416,292 | $249,752 | $125,015 | 12 | $125,015 | $316,537 | $88,375 |
| 2023 | $2,011,120 | $196,672 | $371,220 | $113,881 | 12 | $113,881 | — | $103,195 |
| 2022 | $2,713,828 | $112,962 | $311,205 | $100,227 | 12 | $100,227 | — | $105,460 |
| 2021 | $2,391,911 | $46,768 | $236,294 | $96,391 | 14 | $96,391 | — | $123,413 |
| 2020 | $2,581,086 | $60,675 | $283,271 | $113,142 | 11 | — | — | $145,850 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ligon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $88K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included education support and general support. Among the recipients, Wesleyan University describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education in a diverse community that values independence of mind and generosity of spirit. Emory University says its mission is to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity. The Walker School describes its work as providing college preparatory education for students from preschool through twelfth grade.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $125,015. Grant amounts ranged from $42 to $35,500, with a median grant of $7,500. Its largest grants included $35,500 to the University of Alabama for general support; $20,000 each to Emory University and Wesleyan University; $15,000 to SOTF for general support; and $13,000 to The Walker School for education support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Glenn H. Shaw, Nancy Peterson Shaw, and William H. Shaw III as trustees.
The Ligon Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nancy Peterson Shaw
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$60K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Glenn H. Shaw
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
William H. Shaw III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $60K, to Nancy Peterson Shaw (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Ligon Foundation
How much does The Ligon Foundation give each year?
The Ligon Foundation gave $125K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $114K across 12 grants.
What is The Ligon Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ligon Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $10,418, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ligon Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Ligon Foundation give grants?
The Ligon Foundation's top state is Georgia, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Alabama (28%) and Connecticut (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (3 grants).
Does The Ligon Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 58% of The Ligon Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education Support" (3 grants).
Who are The Ligon Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ligon Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The University of Alabama ($35,500), Emory University ($20,000) and Wesleyan University ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ligon Foundation?
The Ligon Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $125K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $88K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ligon Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included education support and general support. Among the recipients, Wesleyan University describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education in a diverse community that values independence of mind and generosity of spirit. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ligon Foundation?
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 Ligon Foundation's EIN?
The Ligon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7307605. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Ligon Foundation 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
(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 Ligon Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ligon-foundation-morg_954366b1e43542fe9ed461cb81c1074a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207307605_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ligon Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ligon-foundation-morg_954366b1e43542fe9ed461cb81c1074a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Ligon 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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