V V Cooke Foundation Corporation
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 1947 in honor of V.V. Cooke, it provides grants to nonprofit organizations in Metropolitan Louisville and Kentucky.
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation at a glance
In short: V V Cooke Foundation Corporation gave $378K across 91 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Kentucky. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $377,750
- -10.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 91
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,151
- -14.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $7,368,120
- +1.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (16 of 91, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to V V Cooke Foundation Corporation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says applicants must submit eight copies of an application and one copy of the applicant’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) organizations located primarily in the Louisville, Kentucky area, and grant purposes must be religious, educational, civic, or humanitarian in nature. 509(a)(3) organizations do not qualify. The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- Mid-January, April, July, and October.
- Deadline
- Mid-January, April, July, and October.
- Contact
Application contact: Carl M Thomas Executive Director
Mailing address: PO Box 7664, Louisville, KY 40257
Phone: (502) 241-0303
Website: https://vvcooke.net
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from V V Cooke Foundation Corporation
Who V V Cooke Foundation Corporation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Down Syndrome of Louisville ($20K). Together the top 10 received $129K.
Grant Size Distribution
469 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 467 grants of 469 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its grantmaking as serving Metropolitan Louisville and Kentucky. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky; 1% each went to recipients in Ohio, Illinois, and Virginia. The filing also lists North Carolina at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is V V Cooke Foundation Corporation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 91 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $285K (2021) to $424K (2023). In 2025 it made 91 grants totaling $378K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Down Syndrome of Louisville Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Home of the Innocents Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Sunrise Children's Services Mount Washington, KY | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Dare to Care Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $13,000 |
| Waterfront Botanical Gardens Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $11,000 |
| Beacon House Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Family Community Clinic Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| St John Center for Homeless Men Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| The Morton Center Louisville, KY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with V V Cooke Foundation Corporation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,368,120 | $551,709 | $448,151 | $377,750 | 91 | $420,173 | $523,731 | $432,507 |
| 2024 | $7,264,562 | $403,326 | $501,020 | $424,090 | 87 | $470,247 | $372,553 | $400,115 |
| 2023 | $7,362,256 | $357,090 | $500,907 | $424,360 | 100 | $467,495 | $323,678 | $378,042 |
| 2022 | $7,506,073 | $652,645 | $406,162 | $305,555 | 81 | $350,291 | $596,774 | $412,255 |
| 2021 | $7,259,590 | $941,318 | $379,439 | $285,400 | 110 | — | $895,110 | $411,469 |
| 2020 | $6,697,711 | $351,569 | $379,965 | $295,871 | 99 | — | $315,050 | $354,305 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, V V Cooke Foundation Corporation reported a distributable amount of $433K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its work as helping nonprofit organizations move forward and supporting the community. Its grantees’ missions illustrate a range of services: Down Syndrome of Louisville says it provides support, information, and education to people with Down syndrome and their families; Dare to Care says it works to create pathways to end hunger; and Family Community Clinic describes its work as meeting the health needs of people who are indigent and uninsured.
Other 2025 grantees describe missions that include providing care for children and families (Sunrise Children’s Services), developing an urban botanical garden with educational and community offerings (Waterfront Botanical Gardens), and providing outpatient substance-use and mental-health services (The Morton Center).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 91 grants totaling $377,750. Individual grants ranged from $250 to $20,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants included $20,000 each to Down Syndrome of Louisville and Home of the Innocents; $15,000 to Sunrise Children’s Services; and $13,000 to Dare to Care. The listed large grants were designated unrestricted.
The foundation made 87 grants totaling $424,090 in 2024 and 100 grants totaling $424,360 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joe D. Cross Jr. as president; Trudi Cooke Carroll as vice president; Robert L. Hook Jr. as secretary/treasurer; and Jennifer Cross and Robert L. Hook III as directors. Carl M. Thomas is listed as executive director.
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation is led by Carl M. Thomas, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carl M. Thomas
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Joe D. Cross Jr.
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jennifer Cross
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert L. Hook III
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert L. Hook Jr.
Secretary & Treasurer
President → Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Trudi Cooke Carroll
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frank P. Hilliard (2020) — Secretary & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $25K, to Carl M Thomas (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about V V Cooke Foundation Corporation
How much does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation give each year?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation gave $378K across 91 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $424K across 87 grants.
What is V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's typical grant size?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,151, across 91 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from V V Cooke Foundation Corporation that year got $2K on average.
Where does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation give grants?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation gives mostly in Kentucky: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (75 grants), Mt Washington, KY (2 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Fairfax, VA (2 grants).
Does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (91 of 91) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's largest grantees?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's largest 2025 grantees include Down Syndrome of Louisville ($20,000), Home of the Innocents ($20,000) and Sunrise Children's Services ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is V V Cooke Foundation Corporation?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation reported $7.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $420K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $433K (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 V V Cooke Foundation Corporation fund?
The foundation describes its work as helping nonprofit organizations move forward and supporting the community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from V V Cooke Foundation Corporation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says applicants must submit eight copies of an application and one copy of the applicant’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's EIN?
V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-6033714. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). V V Cooke Foundation Corporation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/v-v-cooke-foundation-corporation-morg_4639ee74608047b9a9fe2cd4f7f66812
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_616033714_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{V V Cooke Foundation Corporation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/v-v-cooke-foundation-corporation-morg_4639ee74608047b9a9fe2cd4f7f66812},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 V V Cooke Foundation Corporation'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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