W Earl Richards Charitable Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. The foundation supports charitable causes through grant-making activities focused on education, human services, and philanthropic initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.3M
+5.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
+4.6% YoY
Grant Count
15
-6.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$129K
+11.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, W Earl Richards Charitable reported a distributable amount of $823K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Housing and supportive housing initiatives
- Women's shelters
Grantmaking
The foundation has made grants to organizations including:
Grant Range
$912–$1,108,822
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,270,923 |
| Total Annual Giving | $1,941,092 |
| EIN | 201939160 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,270,923 | $10,733,037 | $11,782,899 |
| Revenue | $3,415,454 | $1,653,255 | $452,141 |
| Expenses | $2,546,850 | $2,510,571 | $1,993,820 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,033,489 | $1,945,066 | $1,423,082 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,402,630 | $439,624 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $822,866 | $841,943 | $878,336 |
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
72 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Church of the Highlands ($950,000), The Signatry a Global Christian Foundation ($500,000), Second Wind Programs Inc ($125,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PASSTHROUGH BIRMINGHAM, AL | CHARITABLE | $912 |
| CHRIST HEALTH CENTER BIRMINGHAM, AL | CHARITABLE | $15,000 |
| CHURCH OF THE HIGHLANDS BIRMINGHAM, AL | CHARITABLE | $950,000 |
| EQUIP LEADERSHIP INC DULUTH, GA | CHARITABLE | $50,000 |
| GRACE HOUSE MINISTRIES FAIRFIELD, AL | CHARITABLE | $55,000 |
| HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY HIGH POINT, NC | EDUCATION | $50,000 |
| MILO'S FOUNDATION INC BIRMINGHAM, AL | CHARITABLE | $15,000 |
| SECOND WIND PROGRAMS INC BIRMINGHAM, AL | CHARITABLE | $125,000 |
| THE SIGNATRY A GLOBAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION OVERLAND PARK, KS | CHARITABLE | $500,000 |
| THE WELLHOUSE INC ODENVILLE, AL | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK J BROWN | PRESIDENT/SECRETARY | 2 | $150,000 |
| KENNETH H POLK | VP/TREASURER | 2 | $100,000 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does W Earl Richards Charitable fund?
The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Housing and supportive housing initiatives • Women's shelters
How do I apply for a grant from W Earl Richards Charitable?
**Financial Capacity:** • Total assets: $11,270,923 • Total annual giving: $1,941,092 • Typical grant range: $912–$1,108,822 **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation has made grants to organizations including: • Highlands College (Birmingham, AL): $500,000 for education (2023) • Christ Health Center (Birmingham, AL): $15,000 for charitable purposes (2023)
Where does W Earl Richards Charitable make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Alabama • Tennessee • North Carolina
What size grants does W Earl Richards Charitable award?
In 2024, W Earl Richards Charitable awarded 15 grants totaling $1.9M — an average of about $129K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is W Earl Richards Charitable required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, W Earl Richards Charitable reported a distributable amount of $823K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is W Earl Richards Charitable's EIN?
W Earl Richards Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1939160. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in W Earl Richards Charitable's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.