The Phyllis Foundation Inc
The Phyllis Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. It reported making 15 grants totaling $86,503 in 2024, to preselected charitable organizations.
The Phyllis Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Phyllis Foundation Inc gave $87K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Alabama. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $86,503
- +23.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,767
- +23.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,949,299
- +12.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (5 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (88% 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 Phyllis Foundation Inc
- 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: 2000 Morris Avenue Suite 1300, Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 488-4300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Phyllis Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chikondi Health Foundation ($12K). Together the top 10 received $72K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama and 12% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Phyllis Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 15 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 53% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% 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 $61K (2020) to $87K (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $87K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chikondi Health Foundation Wetumpka, AL | For Spiritual and Physical Health | $12,000 |
| Retrieving Independence Brentwood, TN | Charitable Contribution | $10,000 |
| Red Mountain Grace Birmingham, AL | Charitable Contribution | $9,000 |
| Grace House Ministries Inc Fairfield, AL | For Christian Foster Care for Girls | $7,500 |
| Trinity United Methodist Church Homewood, AL | Charitable Contribution | $7,500 |
| Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice Birmingham, AL | Charitable Contribution | $6,000 |
| College Choice Foundation Homewood, AL | To Support Academics for Students from Low-Income Backgrounds | $5,000 |
| Hand in Paw Birmingham, AL | To Support Human Health Through Animal-Assisted Therapy | $5,000 |
| Studio by the Tracks Irondale, AL | Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| Birmingham AIDS Outreach Birmingham, AL | Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Phyllis Foundation Inc?
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 | $1,949,299 | $334,232 | $121,977 | $86,503 | 15 | $91,563 | $101,939 | $99,375 |
| 2023 | $1,737,207 | $325,973 | $99,290 | $70,008 | 15 | $74,396 | $47,742 | $82,027 |
| 2022 | $1,510,977 | $296,587 | $90,573 | $62,519 | 10 | $66,197 | $23,857 | $70,938 |
| 2021 | $1,305,099 | $193,010 | $92,171 | $68,071 | 9 | $71,538 | $173,923 | $72,553 |
| 2020 | $1,207,547 | $-50,574 | $83,059 | $61,390 | 9 | — | $21,109 | $63,778 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Phyllis Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $99K 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 support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Chikondi Health Foundation says it promotes spiritual and physical health and administers charitable gifts for educational, medical, financial, and spiritual support for Blessings Hospital in Malawi, Africa. Retrieving Independence says it breeds, trains, and places skilled dogs with people living with disabilities. Grace House Ministries says it provides a stable Christian home for girls from crisis backgrounds.
Other 2024 grantees describe missions that include providing creative opportunities for artists on the autism spectrum (Studio by the Tracks), helping low-income homeowners—primarily elderly and disabled people—remain safely in their homes (Hearts in Hands), and offering outreach, prevention education, and support services to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ community (Birmingham AIDS Outreach). Hand in Paw says it improves human health and well-being through animal-assisted therapy; College Choice Foundation says it supports high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds in entering, attending, and graduating from college.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 15 grants totaling $86,503 in 2024. Grants ranged from $3 to $12,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards included $12,000 to Chikondi Health Foundation, $10,000 to Retrieving Independence, $9,000 to Red Mountain Grace, and $7,500 each to Grace House Ministries and Trinity United Methodist Church. Other listed grants included $6,000 to Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice and $5,000 each to College Choice Foundation, Hand in Paw, Studio by the Tracks, Birmingham AIDS Outreach, Redeeming Grace, and Hearts in Hands.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Julie L Commander as president and director, James Bruce Limbaugh as treasurer and director, and D Mark Limbaugh as secretary and director.
The Phyllis Foundation Inc is led by Julie L. Commander, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Julie L. Commander
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
D. Mark Limbaugh
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Bruce Limbaugh
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Phyllis Foundation Inc
How much does The Phyllis Foundation Inc give each year?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc gave $87K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $70K across 15 grants.
What is The Phyllis Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,767, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Phyllis Foundation Inc that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Phyllis Foundation Inc give grants?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc gives mostly in Alabama: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Birmingham, AL (6 grants) and Homewood, AL (3 grants).
Who are The Phyllis Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Chikondi Health Foundation ($12,000), Retrieving Independence ($10,000) and Red Mountain Grace ($9,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Phyllis Foundation Inc?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $92K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $99K (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 Phyllis Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Phyllis Foundation Inc?
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 Phyllis Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Phyllis Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1049591. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Phyllis Foundation Inc 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Phyllis Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Phyllis Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-phyllis-foundation-inc-morg_744b6131a5774b2dabb14c7be0039b45
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471049591_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Phyllis Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-phyllis-foundation-inc-morg_744b6131a5774b2dabb14c7be0039b45},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Phyllis Foundation Inc'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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