Wiregrass Foundation
Wiregrass Foundation is a private foundation based in Dothan, Alabama. It makes grants to eligible community organizations serving people in the Dothan area, with the stated aim of improving health, education, and quality of life.
Wiregrass Foundation at a glance
In short: Wiregrass Foundation gave $3.7M across 111 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Alabama. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,723,521
- +30.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 111
- +14.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $33,545
- +14.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $119,929,738
- +4.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (15 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (100% 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 Wiregrass Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts online applications from eligible organizations through its application portal. Applicants must register for an account and complete the eligibility quiz before proceeding to the grant application.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on March 1, May 1, July 1, or September 1, for consideration at the April, June, August, or October board meeting, respectively. If a deadline falls on a weekend or recognized holiday, applications are accepted on the next business day.
- Deadline
- Applications are due by 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Troy Fountain
Mailing address: 1532 Whatley Drive, Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: (334) 699-1031
Email: troy@wiregrassfoundation.org
Website: https://wiregrassfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Wiregrass Foundation
Who Wiregrass Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of Dothan ($1.7M across 7 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
474 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 427 grants of 474 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated service area is Houston, Henry, Dale, and Geneva counties in Alabama. Its 2025 grant dollars were reported as going entirely to recipients in Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 111 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Wiregrass Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 56 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $84K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.9M (2024) to $3.8M (2023). In 2025 it made 111 grants totaling $3.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Dothan Dothan, AL | Wiregrass Public Safety Center | $500,000 |
| City of Dothan Dothan, AL | Wiregrass Public Safety Center | $500,000 |
| Wiregrass United Way Dothan, AL | Annual Campaign | $450,000 |
| City of Dothan Dothan, AL | Innovation Center | $250,000 |
| City of Dothan Dothan, AL | Innovation Center | $250,000 |
| Wiregrass Pet Rescue & Adoption Dothan, AL | WPRAC Construction | $250,000 |
| Wiregrass Pet Rescue & Adoption Dothan, AL | WPRAC Construction | $250,000 |
| City of Dothan Dothan, AL | City Center | $150,914 |
| Wiregrass Hope Group Dothan, AL | Parenting / Postpartum Program | $126,234 |
| Se Al Child Advocacy Center Dothan, AL | Voca/CTF Match | $85,097 |
Ready to take the next step with Wiregrass Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Foundation’s filing identifies it as a private foundation. Its EIN is 20-0897153.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $119,929,738 | $9,359,725 | $5,855,975 | $3,723,521 | 111 | $5,142,405 | $8,776,559 | $5,566,501 |
| 2024 | $114,581,730 | $5,925,335 | $4,587,261 | $2,852,199 | 97 | $3,946,781 | $5,404,370 | $5,468,620 |
| 2023 | $108,874,053 | $3,416,735 | $5,590,411 | $3,848,659 | 75 | $5,028,201 | $2,966,976 | $5,003,301 |
| 2022 | $101,684,443 | $2,886,891 | $5,001,201 | $3,127,025 | 78 | $4,445,847 | $2,370,149 | $5,113,756 |
| 2021 | $124,597,335 | $11,771,757 | $5,682,526 | $3,537,359 | 113 | $4,906,912 | $11,197,658 | $5,675,801 |
| 2020 | $116,324,357 | $9,993,608 | $6,737,453 | $3,083,677 | 85 | — | $9,401,446 | $5,063,447 |
| 2019 | $110,063,363 | $5,554,622 | $6,526,871 | $3,632,334 | 98 | — | $5,094,388 | $5,078,181 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wiregrass Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.6M 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’s mission is “to energize the spirit and potential of our local community through charitable investments that will have significant, measurable impact on our health, education, and quality of life.”
Its focus areas are health, education, and quality of life. The Foundation describes health as improving the well-being of Wiregrass individuals, families, and the community; education as increasing school readiness, K–12 achievement, and post-secondary attainment; and quality of life as supporting places, programs, and experiences that make the Wiregrass healthier, more connected, and a better place to live.
The Foundation supports eligible organizations, including certain 501(c)(3) organizations, private operating foundations, governmental entities, and state colleges and universities. Examples among its grantees include Wiregrass United Way, whose mission is to allocate fundraising campaign proceeds to agencies; Wiregrass Pet Rescue & Adoption, which describes its work as providing basic care for animals until they are reclaimed or placed for adoption; and Chrysalis, which says it provides a permanent home for homeless girls.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation awarded 111 grants totaling $3,723,521. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $7,500. Recent grant totals were $2,852,199 across 97 grants in 2024 and $3,848,659 across 75 grants in 2023.
Among the largest 2025 awards were two $500,000 grants to the City of Dothan for the Wiregrass Public Safety Center, a $450,000 grant to Wiregrass United Way for its annual campaign, and two $250,000 grants to the City of Dothan for its Innovation Center. Wiregrass Pet Rescue & Adoption received two $250,000 grants for construction. Other listed awards included $126,234 to Wiregrass Hope Group for a parenting/postpartum program, $85,097 to Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center for a VOCA/CTF match, and $46,770 to Chrysalis, a Home for Girls, for a 15-passenger van.
Applicants must have been in operation for at least two years and serve people in the Foundation’s service area. Eligible requests must fit the Foundation’s focus areas. The application process uses an online account and eligibility quiz; applicants select a funding category—capital, project, or program—and submit an online application. The Foundation does not fund private foundations, supporting organizations, corporations, LLCs, partnerships, churches, political organizations or causes, individuals, fraternal bodies, ongoing general operating expenses, statewide or national projects, fundraisers, or individual scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Troy Fountain as president, Samuel Benton as board chair, Vince Edge as chair-elect, Hope Johnson as secretary, and John Edge as immediate past chair. It also lists Addie McKinzie, David Johnston, David W. Parsons, John Dunn, and Steve McCarroll as board members.
Wiregrass Foundation is led by Troy Fountain, President on every filing since 2021; all 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Troy Fountain
President
On filings since 2021
$172K (2021) → $216K (2025)
Samuel Benton
Board Chair
Secretary → Chair-Elect, 2023
Chair-Elect → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
$7K (2021) → $7K (2025)
Addie McKinzie
Board Member
Chairman → Immediate Pa, 2023
Immediate Pa → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
$7K (2019) → $7K (2025)
David Johnston
Board Member
On filings since 2019
$7K (2019) → $6K (2025)
David W. Parsons
Board Member
On filings since 2019
$6K (2019) → $5K (2025)
John Dunn
Board Member
Chairman → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2019
$7K (2019) → $6K (2025)
John Edge
Immediate Pa
Chairman-Ele → Board Chair, 2023
Board Chair → Immediate Pa, 2025
On filings since 2019
$6K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Steve McCarroll
Board Member
On filings since 2019
$7K (2019) → $7K (2025)
Vince Edge
Chair-Elect
Board Member → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Chair-Elect, 2025
On filings since 2022
$7K (2022) → $7K (2025)
Hope Johnson
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
$6K (2023) → $7K (2025)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Barbara Motola Alford (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Steve Shaw (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Bobby Hewes (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Mary Julia Lee (2019–2020) — Director Emeritus
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $216K, to Troy Fountain (President). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Wiregrass Foundation
How much does Wiregrass Foundation give each year?
Wiregrass Foundation gave $3.7M across 111 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.9M across 97 grants.
What is Wiregrass Foundation's typical grant size?
Wiregrass Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $33,545, across 111 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wiregrass Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does Wiregrass Foundation give grants?
Wiregrass Foundation gives mostly in Alabama: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dothan, AL (88 grants), Ozark, AL (4 grants), Birmingham, AL (2 grants) and Slocomb, AL (2 grants).
Does Wiregrass Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 111 grants with a stated purpose on Wiregrass Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Core Programs" (45 grants), "Religious Ministries" (12 grants) and "Building Improvements" (4 grants).
Who are Wiregrass Foundation's largest grantees?
Wiregrass Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include City of Dothan ($1,707,353 across 7 grants), Wiregrass Pet Rescue & Adoption ($512,500 across 4 grants) and Wiregrass United Way ($450,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wiregrass Foundation?
Wiregrass Foundation reported $119.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.6M (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 Wiregrass Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is “to energize the spirit and potential of our local community through charitable investments that will have significant, measurable impact on our health, education, and quality of life.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wiregrass Foundation?
The Foundation accepts online applications from eligible organizations through its application portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wiregrass Foundation's EIN?
Wiregrass Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0897153. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Wiregrass Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wiregrass Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wiregrass-foundation-morg_615f56ed4b4946ce815c0e3d7cd338a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200897153_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wiregrass Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wiregrass-foundation-morg_615f56ed4b4946ce815c0e3d7cd338a7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Wiregrass Foundation'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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