V V Cooke Foundation Corporation

Foundation · Grantmaker Louisville, KY EIN: 61-6033714 Website

V V Cooke Foundation Corporation is a private foundation established in 1947 in honor of V.V. Cooke, based in Louisville, Kentucky. The foundation has been dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations in its community for over seven decades. It is a 501(c)(3) organization that has been tax-exempt since April 1950.

Key facts about V V Cooke Foundation Corporation

EIN: 61-6033714
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025): $377,750
Grants made (2025): 91
Average grant: $4,151
Median grant: $2,500
New grantees (estimate): 18% first-time grantees (16 of 91, 2025)
Primary geography: Kentucky (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply: Prospective grantees are encouraged to contact the foundation directly to discuss funding opportunities and set up an appointment with the executive director. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who V V Cooke Foundation Corporation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for V V Cooke Foundation Corporation's 91 itemized 2025 grants were Kentucky (97%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (75 grants), Mt Washington, KY (2 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Fairfax, VA (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

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

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with V V Cooke Foundation Corporation

How to evaluate V V Cooke Foundation Corporation as a funder
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Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$378K

-10.9% YoY

Grant Count

+4.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

-14.8% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations with a focus on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

The foundation primarily makes unrestricted grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations.

Grantmaking

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Kentucky (with emphasis on Metropolitan Louisville)
Illinois
Tennessee

Grant Distribution by State

Kentucky $366K (97%)

Ohio $4K (1%)

Illinois $3K (1%)

Virginia $2K (1%)

North Carolina $2K (0%)

All other $2K (0%)

Share of all 91 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

States

District of Columbia Florida Georgia Illinois Kentucky Maryland Minnesota North Carolina New York Ohio Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont

Cities

LouisvilleChicagoMount WashingtonHarrods CreekPippa PassesTaylorsvilleCincinnatiLa GrangeLexingtonSt PaulTownsendWinstonsalemColumbusCraftsbury CommonsFairfaxGeorgetownLouisvilePaducahPensacolaCampbellsville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending August 2024:

Total assets: $7,264,562
Total revenues: $403,326
Total expenses: $501,020
Total giving: $424,090

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

September 25, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

469 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from V V Cooke Foundation Corporation

Foundation

V. V. Cooke Foundation Grants

V V Cooke Foundation Corporation

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Down Syndrome of Louisville ($20,000), Home of the Innocents ($20,000), Sunrise Children's Services ($15,000).

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

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Carl M Thomas – Executive Director (compensation: $25,000 as of February 2025)

The foundation maintains a small staff and can be reached at:

Phone: 502-901-3179
Email: carl.vvcooke@gmail.com

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Jennifer Cross	Director	—	—
Robert L Hook III	Director	—	—
Trudi Cooke Carroll	Vice President	—	—
Joe D Cross Jr	President	—	—
Robert L Hook Jr	Secretary/Treasurer	—	—
Carl M Thomas	Executive Director	10	$25,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation continues to actively award grants to nonprofits serving the Louisville and Kentucky region. Recent grantees have included organizations focused on children's services, public libraries, and educational institutions.

V.V. Cooke Foundation awards $2,000 to Family & Children\u2019s Place -\

Frequently Asked Questions

What does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation fund?

The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations with a focus on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services The foundation primarily makes unrestricted grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations.

How do I apply for a grant from V V Cooke Foundation Corporation?

Prospective grantees are encouraged to contact the foundation directly to discuss funding opportunities and set up an appointment with the executive director. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Kentucky (with emphasis on Metropolitan Louisville) • Illinois • Tennessee

What size grants does V V Cooke Foundation Corporation award?

In 2025, V V Cooke Foundation Corporation awarded 91 grants totaling $378K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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.