The Rapides Foundation
The Rapides Foundation is a public charity based in Alexandria, Louisiana, that develops initiatives and makes grants to improve the health status of Central Louisiana. Its grant projects must directly benefit residents or organizations in its nine-parish service area.
The Rapides Foundation at a glance
In short: The Rapides Foundation gave $16.5M across 41 grants in 2024 (avg $403K), mostly in Louisiana. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $16,532,763
- +34.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 41
- -4.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $403,238
- +41.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $120,336
- Total assets
- $363,056,628
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (6 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Rapides Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 1101 Fourth Street 300, Alexandria, LA 71301
Phone: (318) 443-3394
Website: https://rapidesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Rapides Foundation
Who The Rapides Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rapides Parish School Board ($5.8M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $15.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
206 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 206 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Projects must directly benefit residents or organizations in the Foundation’s nine-parish Central Louisiana service area: Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn. In 2024, 99% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana; 1% went to Tennessee, and the share reported for Florida was 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Rapides Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 22 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $106K; repeat grants $993K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $296K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $4.9M (2021) to $19.1M (2022). In 2024 it made 41 grants totaling $16.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rapides Parish School Board Alexandria, LA | 2025-2028 rapides early childhood network ece funding access program | $5,343,750 |
| Natchitoches Parish School Board Natchitoches, LA | 2025-2028 Early Childhood Education Funds | $3,103,165 |
| Louisiana Central Sicily Island, LA | 2025-2026 Louisiana Central Infrastructure Matching Grant | $1,000,000 |
| Louisiana Central Alexandria, LA | 2025-2026 Business Acceleration System | $760,000 |
| The Orchard Foundation Alexandria, LA | College and Career Readiness | $587,100 |
| Cmap Express Alexandria, LA | 2025 Cmap Medication Access | $574,942 |
| Cmap Express Alexandria, LA | 2025 Cmap Healthy Lifestyle Program | $569,355 |
| Rapides Parish School Board Alexandria, LA | Increase Educational Attainment & Achievement | $441,273 |
| The Orchard Foundation Alexandria, LA | Operating Grant | $388,710 |
| Grant Parish School Board Colfax, LA | 2025-2028 Grant Early Childhood Network Education Access | $338,963 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $363,056,628 | $10,255,274 | $12,442,505 | $16,532,763 | 41 | $12,981,559 |
| 2023 | $352,997,972 | $7,309,059 | $20,101,051 | $12,268,179 | 43 | $6,420,118 |
| 2022 | $326,264,915 | $30,315,240 | $16,452,617 | $19,113,555 | 39 | $11,927,364 |
| 2021 | $365,841,423 | $25,364,820 | $11,427,862 | $4,889,251 | 43 | $19,620,129 |
| 2020 | $331,600,505 | $14,988,171 | $16,770,045 | $12,832,800 | 40 | $9,306,921 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to improve the health status of Central Louisiana. Its three strategic areas are:
- Healthy People: Improve access to healthcare and promote healthy behaviors. Work includes healthcare access, screenings, medication access, tobacco prevention and cessation, substance and alcohol abuse prevention, healthy eating, and active living.
- Education: Increase educational attainment and achievement as a path to improved economic, social, and health status. Work includes school readiness, effective schools, and career and postsecondary readiness.
- Healthy Communities: Improve economic opportunity and family income, and strengthen civic and community opportunities. Work includes economic development and support for leadership, nonprofit development, and community engagement.
The Foundation’s 2024 grants included support for school districts, education organizations, health programs, and regional economic development. Among its grantees, The Orchard Foundation describes its mission as improving academic achievement for Central Louisiana students through best practices, teacher recruitment and retention, school leadership, and stronger school-community relationships. CMAP Express describes its goal as ensuring medication access and education and promoting preventive health practices among residents with limited incomes.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 41 grants totaling $16,532,763. Individual grants ranged from $12,010 to $5,343,750, with a median of $120,336.
The largest reported awards included $5,343,750 to Rapides Parish School Board for a 2025–2028 early childhood network education access program; $3,103,165 to Natchitoches Parish School Board for early childhood education funds; and $1,000,000 to Louisiana Central for an infrastructure matching grant. Other notable 2024 awards included $760,000 to Louisiana Central for a business acceleration system, $587,100 to The Orchard Foundation for college and career readiness, and $574,942 and $569,355 to CMAP Express for medication access and healthy lifestyle programs, respectively.
The Foundation accepts proposals through Requests for Proposals aligned with its priority areas. The 2026–27 District Grant for Effective Schools and the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Mini Grant are listed as open. Eligibility generally requires an organization to be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and not a private foundation under Section 509(a); individual RFPs may add requirements. The Foundation does not fund direct support to individuals, private foundations, for-profit entities, hospitals, social events or similar fundraising activities, or certain other activities and costs. Restrictions also include operating expenses not used to significantly expand services, indeterminate grant periods, vehicles, and building or equipment costs not explicitly linked to enhanced program implementation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph R. Rosier Jr. as President and CEO. It lists Corey Lair, Debbie Eddlemon, Dwayne Lemoine, Matthew T. Whitehead DDS, Thomas J. Davis MD, Valerie Aymond, Bruce Barton MD, Kirk D. Cooper, and Edwin Urbi MD as members.
The Rapides Foundation is led by Joseph R. Rosier Jr., President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 5 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph R. Rosier Jr.
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$459K (2020) → $477K (2024)
Akeshia Singleton
Director of Evaluation
Member → Director of Evaluation, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$118K (2020) → $131K (2024)
Ashley Stewart
Director of Programs
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$191K (2020) → $199K (2024)
Kayren Segall
Director of Administrator
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$113K (2020) → $201K (2024)
Kathy Gunn
Director of Communications
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$100K (2024)
Corey Lair
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Eddlemon
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dwayne Lemoine
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry Williams
Member
Member → Chair, 2021
Chair → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew T. Whitehead DDS
Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas J. Davis MD
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Aymond
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Brown
Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela W. Degray
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Elkins MD
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Barton MD
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edwin Urbi MD
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kirk D. Cooper
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Thompson
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toni McAllister
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Tammy Moreau (2020–2023) — Director of Communications
- Former: Glenn Curtis (2023) — Member
- Former: Benjamin Close MD (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Betty Westerchil (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Doug Godard (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Jannease Seastrunk (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Lafe Jones (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Roseada Mayeux (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Shahid Mansoor MD (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Kathleen F. Nolen (2020) — Director of Administrator
- Former: Murphy McMillan (2020) — Member
- Former: Tracey Snow (2020) — Senior Program Officer
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 $477K, to Joseph R Rosier Jr (President & CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Rapides Foundation
How much does The Rapides Foundation give each year?
The Rapides Foundation gave $16.5M across 41 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $12.3M across 43 grants.
What is The Rapides Foundation's typical grant size?
The Rapides Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $120,336, and its average grant was $403,238, across 41 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Rapides Foundation that year got $106K on average.
Where does The Rapides Foundation give grants?
The Rapides Foundation gives mostly in Louisiana: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Alexandria, LA (16 grants), Natchitoches, LA (4 grants), Colfax, LA (3 grants) and Leesville, LA (3 grants).
Does The Rapides Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of The Rapides Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Increase Educational Attainment & Achievement" (7 grants) and "2024-25 Healthy Behavior School District Partnership Grant" (4 grants).
Who are The Rapides Foundation's largest grantees?
The Rapides Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rapides Parish School Board ($5,847,047 across 4 grants), Natchitoches Parish School Board ($3,346,465 across 4 grants) and Louisiana Central ($1,760,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Rapides Foundation?
The Rapides Foundation reported $363.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.3M.
What does The Rapides Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to improve the health status of Central Louisiana. Its three strategic areas are: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rapides Foundation?
The Rapides Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check rapidesfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Rapides Foundation's EIN?
The Rapides Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 72-0423603. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rapides Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Rapides Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rapides-foundation-morg_a067b87f806f49eb990d45f183ce7df2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_720423603_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Rapides Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rapides-foundation-morg_a067b87f806f49eb990d45f183ce7df2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Rapides 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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