The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found
The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky, established in 2013. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking across multiple focus areas.
Key facts about The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found
- EIN
- 27-4432014
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,710,992
- Grants made (2024)
- 95
- Average grant
- $28,537
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (12 of 67, 2024)
- Total assets
- $15,489,888
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (44% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found's 95 itemized 2024 grants were Kentucky (44%), California (25%) and Iowa (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (20 grants), San Francisco, CA (16 grants), Half Moon Bay, CA (4 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants). 38% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Restricted Support" (53 grants).
Is The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 67 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% 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.
Next steps with The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found
- How to evaluate The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$15.5M
+64.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.7M
-14.7% YoY
Grant Count
95
-15.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
+1.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities focus on:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Science and STEM Education
Grantmaking
The foundation is an active grantmaker with the following characteristics:
Grant Range
** $489–$500,000
Ready to take the next step with The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary grantmaking activity occurs in:
- California
- Kentucky
- New York
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 95 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $9.44 million
- Total Revenue: $2.45 million
- Total Expenses: $3.28 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $15,489,888
- Total Giving: $2,710,992
The foundation maintains no debt and operates with positive financial positioning.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $15,489,888 | $9,441,429 | $10,262,614 |
| Revenue | $1,489,451 | $2,454,301 | $3,375,274 |
| Expenses | $2,847,593 | $3,275,486 | $3,364,508 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,797,267 | $3,225,417 | $3,327,154 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,472,879 | $2,436,557 | $1,694,898 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,073,864 | $2,797,924 | $3,175,406 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
578 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Kentucky College of Art Design ($370,336 across 4 grants), Parks Alliance of Louisville ($349,953 across 4 grants), University of Virginia ($303,539 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PARKS ALLIANCE OF LOUISVILLE Louisville, KY | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $333,453 |
| KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN Louisville, KY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,336 |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Boone, IA | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $164,880 |
| LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA Louisville, KY | GENERAL SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $150,236 |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Boone, IA | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $138,659 |
| SPEED ART MUSEUM Louisville, KY | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $115,763 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CA | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $100,601 |
| THACHER SCHOOL Ojai, CA | RESTRICTED SUPPORT - STOCK CONTRIBUTION (SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION) | $100,209 |
| KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN Louisville, KY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| PUNDARIKA FOUNDATION Crestone, CO | RESTRICTED SUPPORT | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by the following individuals:
- Owsley Brown III — Director, President, and Secretary (0.5 hours/week)
- Brooke Brown Barzun — Director (0.5 hours/week)
- Augusta Brown Holland — Director (0.5 hours/week)
- Christina Lee Brown — Director (0.5 hours/week)
Owsley Brown III is a documentary filmmaker and director of multiple nonprofit boards and foundations. He is a fifth-generation shareholder of Brown-Forman, the international spirits and wine company founded in 1870. He serves on numerous boards including the University of Virginia's Center for Contemplative Sciences, Center for Interfaith Relations, Mind and Life Institute, and currently serves as President of the Sustainable Food Alliance.
The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found is led by Owsley Brown III, Director, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Owsley Brown III
Director, President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Augusta Brown Holland
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brooke Brown Barzun
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christina Lee Brown
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has demonstrated active grantmaking in recent years:
Committed $1 million to historic properties preservation in Louisville
Louisville, Owsley Brown Foundation commit $1 million to historic propertiesAwarded $1 million grant to OneWest for West End revitalization efforts
OneWest gets $1M Brown Foundation grant for West End revitalization - LaneProvided $1 million challenge donation to support park equity improvements in Louisville
Louisville, Owsley Brown Foundation commit $1 million to historic propertiesThe foundation is associated with the Owsley Brown II Center for Artistic Excellence, celebrated by the Fund for the Arts
Louisville, Owsley Brown Foundation commit $1 million to historic propertiesFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found fund?
The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities focus on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science and STEM Education
How do I apply for a grant from The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found?
The foundation is an active grantmaker with the following characteristics: • **Total giving (2024):** $2,710,992 • **Typical grant range:** $489–$500,000 • **Grant median:** $11,000 • **Grant maximum:** $500,000 • **Number of grants (2022):** 113 grants distributed The foundation distributes grants across multiple states with particular concentration in California, Kentucky, and New York.
Where does The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found make grants?
Primary grantmaking activity occurs in: • California • Kentucky • New York
What size grants does The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found award?
In 2024, The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found awarded 95 grants totaling $2.7M — an average of about $29K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found reported a distributable amount of $2.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found's EIN?
The Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Found's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4432014. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.