The Owsley Brown Iii Philanthropic Found

LOUISVILLE, KY EIN: 27-4432014

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.

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

-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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

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

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Primary grantmaking activity occurs in:

California
Kentucky
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Kentucky $2.7M (56%)

California $1.3M (26%)

New York $268K (6%)

District of Columbia $202K (4%)

Massachusetts $162K (3%)

Virginia $67K (1%)

Colorado $64K (1%)

Maryland $47K (1%)

+14 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Hawaii Iowa Illinois Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland New Mexico New York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Utah Virginia Wisconsin West Virginia

Cities

AlexandraAlexandriaAllentownAttleboroAuroraAustinBaltimoreBarreBarringtonBeavertonBerkeleyBooneBoulderBrooklynBroomfieldCharlottesvilleClevelandConcordCooperstownCrestone

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.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Kentucky College of Art Design ($200,336), Louisville Orchestra ($150,236), Kentucky College of Art Design ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
18 REASONS SAN FRANCISCO, CA	RESTRICTED SUPPORT	$2,500
A SHOT FOR LIFE WATERTOWN, MA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$1,000
AIM HIGH FOR HIGH SCHOOL SAN FRANCISCO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$1,000
ALYANS ATIZAY AYISYN (HAITIAN CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE) MIAMI, FL	RESTRICTED SUPPORT	$7,500
AMALGAMATED CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC	RESTRICTED SUPPORT	$25,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS BOONE, IA	RESTRICTED SUPPORT	$1,000
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES NEW YORK, NY	RESTRICTED SUPPORT	$5,000
BUDDHAYANA FOUNDATION MARION, MA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
CANYON CINEMA FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
CENTER FOR DISCOVERY HARRIS, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
OWSLEY BROWN III	DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT/SECRETA	0.5	—
BROOKE BROWN BARZUN	DIRECTOR	0.5	—
AUGUSTA BROWN HOLLAND	DIRECTOR	0.5	—
CHRISTINA LEE BROWN	DIRECTOR	0.5	—

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 properties

Awarded $1 million grant to OneWest for West End revitalization efforts

OneWest gets $1M Brown Foundation grant for West End revitalization - Lane

Provided $1 million challenge donation to support park equity improvements in Louisville

Louisville, Owsley Brown Foundation commit $1 million to historic properties

The 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 properties

Frequently 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.