William a Cooke Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Louisa, VA EIN: 54-2012726

The William A Cooke Foundation is a private foundation based in Louisa, Virginia, established in 2001. Operating as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation focuses on providing educational support and community grants primarily in Virginia and South Carolina.

Key facts about William a Cooke Foundation

EIN: 54-2012726
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $1,382,036
Grants made (2024): 85
Average grant: $16,259
Median grant: $2,500
Total assets: $15,604,576
Primary geography: Virginia (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.

Who William a Cooke Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for William a Cooke Foundation's 85 itemized 2024 grants were Virginia (98%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisa, VA (74 grants), Mineral, VA (8 grants) and Louis, VA (2 grants). 1% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (69 grants) and "Grant" (5 grants).

How William a Cooke Foundation gives

Giving grew 127% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 183% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Next steps with William a Cooke Foundation

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$15.6M

+3.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.4M

+55.4% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

+55.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William a Cooke Foundation reported a distributable amount of $785K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Community Health

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations and individuals in:

Louisa County, Virginia
Orange County, Virginia
South Carolina
Additional grants have supported programs in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Grant Distribution by State

Virginia $1.4M (98%)

South Carolina $25K (2%)

Share of all 85 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

South Carolina Virginia

Cities

LouisaMineralLouisGreenvilleOrangeCharlottesvilleIvy

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $15,051,408
Total Revenues: $2,344,665
Total Expenses: $993,086

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $15,604,576
Total Giving: $1,382,036

Staffing:

0 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$15,604,576	$15,051,408	$13,995,270
Revenue	$2,345,369	$2,344,665	$1,246,133
Expenses	$1,575,483	$993,086	$1,112,923
Qualifying Distributions	$1,439,971	$939,954	$707,858
Net Investment Income	$1,453,170	$519,420	$512,638
Distributable Amount	$785,130	$712,668	$693,856

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

452 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from William a Cooke Foundation

Foundation

W.A. Cooke Foundation Grant Fund

William a Cooke Foundation

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Louisa County Little League ($750,000), Industrial Development Authority ($351,942), Shriners Hospital for Children ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
LOUISA COUNTY LITTLE LEAGUE Mineral, VA	GRANT 2021	$750,000
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Louisa, VA	ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT	$351,942
SHRINERS HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN Greenville, SC	GRANT GENERAL OPERATIONS	$25,000
LOUISA COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD Louisa, VA	ACQUISITION OF CARDIAC MONITORING	$20,000
LOUISA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Mineral, VA	OUR TEAM LCPS MVP AWARD	$10,000
ORANGE CO CHILDRENS TOYBOX Mineral, VA	GRANT	$10,000
SANTA COUNCIL OF LOUISA Mineral, VA	GRANT	$10,000
LAKE ANNA EMERGENCY SERVICES Louisa, VA	GRANT- FIRE PUP FOR NEW RESCUE BOAT	$7,500
LOUISA ARTS CENTER Louisa, VA	GRANT- LIGHTING SYSTEM	$7,500
PUGH BRADLEY JONATHAN Louisa, VA	SCHOLARSHIP	$7,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Randall L Tingler	Chairman	1	—
Rebecca B Cavanaugh	V.president/	1	$1,600
Linda Parker	Director	1	$1,400
J Douglas Straley	Director	1	$1,500
George D Yancey	Director	1	$1,200
Deborah Pettit	Director	1	$1,200

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has announced significant grant awards in STEM education and academic support, including:

Cooke Foundation Awards $100,000 to the Society for Science & the Public

$1.6 million in STEM education grants

Cooke Foundation Awards $1.6 Million in STEM Education Grants

$350,000 in academic grants

Cooke Foundation Awards $350,000 in Academic Grants

$150,000 in grants to programs in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Cooke Foundation Awards $150,000 In Grants To Programs In Virginia, Maryland

$100,000 to the Society for Science & the Public to address the excellence gap in science

Cooke Foundation Awards $100,000 to the Society for Science & the Public

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does William a Cooke Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary mission is to provide scholarships to qualified graduating high school students from Louisa and Orange Counties, Virginia, to attend college. Beyond scholarships, the foundation supports: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Community Health

How do I apply for a grant from William a Cooke Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 79 grants in the most recent reporting year • Typical grant awards range from $500–$750,000 • Average annual giving: $1,382,036 **Recent Grants:** • Love Outreach Food Pantry: $18,000 (2023) • Orange County Children's Toy Box: $10,000 (2023) • Santa Council of Louisa County: $10,000 (2023) **Scholarship Program:** • 32 scholarships awarded in 2022 to high school graduates from Louisa and Orange Counties, Virginia

Where does William a Cooke Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations and individuals in: • Louisa County, Virginia • Orange County, Virginia • South Carolina • Additional grants have supported programs in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

What size grants does William a Cooke Foundation award?

In 2024, William a Cooke Foundation awarded 85 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $16K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is William a Cooke Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, William a Cooke Foundation reported a distributable amount of $785K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.