The Ray Charles Foundation
The Ray Charles Foundation is a private foundation headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1986 as The Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders Inc., it was renamed The Ray Charles Foundation in 2006. The foundation was founded by the late Ray Charles, a legendary pianist and singer-songwriter who won seventeen Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Jazz Hall of Fame.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.0M
+0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
-46.7% YoY
Grant Count
10
-9.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$161K
-41.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Ray Charles Foundation is dedicated to providing support in the area of hearing disorders and the empowerment of young people through education. The foundation offers support to educational institutions and non-profit education programs.
Ray Charles articulated the foundation's core philosophy: "The inability to hear is a handicap; not the inability to see." The foundation's vision is to instill in the youth of America that "there is no challenge too great one cannot overcome."
Areas of Interest:
- Hearing disorders
- Academic services in the arts and sciences
- Programs and projects that offer significant community impact to achieve long-term results
Grantmaking
The foundation made 12 grants in 2023, with a median grant size of $25,000 and a maximum grant of $1,000,000.
Grant Range
of $25,000 and a maximum grant of $1,000,000.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds organizations across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 31, 2023:
- Total Assets: $38,818,702
- Total Revenues: $2,927,861
- Total Expenses: $5,807,603
- Total Liabilities: $94,900
Revenue Breakdown (2023):
- Investment income and dividends: $496,550
- Net rental income: $201,861
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $40,365
Tax Status: The foundation has been tax-exempt since July 1986 (EIN: 95-4047622) and is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,004,801 | $38,818,702 | $40,954,501 |
| Revenue | $3,697,358 | $2,927,861 | $3,531,214 |
| Expenses | $4,590,548 | $5,807,603 | $4,496,880 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,881,266 | $4,212,855 | $1,350,963 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,570,730 | $1,333,113 | $997,126 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,202,023 | $2,100,489 | $2,058,548 |
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
46 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Staff (2023):
- Valerie Ervin, President ($423,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
- Mark Whitlock, Chairman
- J Sun, Controller ($156,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
- D Thiel, Property Manager ($94,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
- T Denson, Executive Assistant ($75,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
- S Jeong, Facility Manager ($72,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
- K Jackson, Receptionist ($57,000 annual compensation, 40 hours/week)
Additional board members include C Daniels, D Brokaw, Yakub Coleman, W Coleman, and K L Johnson (Secretary).
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAERIE ERVIN | President | 40 | $388,124 |
| MARK WHITLOCK | Chairman | 1 | — |
| C DANIELS | Director | 1 | — |
| D BROKAW | Director | 1 | — |
| YAKUB COLEMAN | Director | — | — |
| W COLEMAN | Director | 1 | — |
| K L JOHNSON | Secretary | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Ray Charles Foundation made a significant $2,000,000 donation to the Grammy Museum Foundation in 2024, with a rooftop at the museum renamed in tribute to the foundation.
The Ray Charles Foundation - Full Filing - Nonprofit ExplorerMorehouse College received a $2,000,000 gift from the Ray Charles Foundation to establish scholarships.
The Ray Charles Foundation - Full Filing - Nonprofit ExplorerContact Information
Address: 2107 W. Washington Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90018
Phone: 323-737-8000 Fax: 323-737-0148
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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