Skip to content

Alabama · Private foundation

Stephens Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$609k
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
62
Grants FY2024
55
Organizations funded FY2023
9%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$5,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$60,000
Organizations funded a year
40 to 74
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
10
Total assets, FY2024
$3.3M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 9% of the organizations Stephens Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 8% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 92% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $46k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23
EducationHuman ServicesEnvironmentArts & CultureHealthPhilanthropyOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving61$599k25%
FY202355$562k9%
FY202258$588k10%
FY202170$570k19%
FY202067$643k18%
FY201974$837k54%
FY201840$408k43%
FY201748$539kn/a
97% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Arts & Culture$1.1MEnvironment$868kPhilanthropy$545kHealth$543kEducation$430kYouth Development$391kInternational$350kHuman Services$193kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

NY
OR
OH
CT
CO
VA
MD
AR
TN
NC
SC
DC
LA
AL
GA
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 115 grantees
All grantees of Stephens Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
United Way of Central Alabama Inc$512,00080%
Alabama Children's Hospital Foundation$260,00080%
Girlspring Inc$215,000853%
Gasp$171,000616%
Alabama Rivers Alliance Inc$170,500620%
Southern Environmental Law Center$153,00070%
Black Warrior Riverkeeper Inc$139,500610%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$135,00070%
LIFE Skills Foundation$115,00066%
The State of Alabama Ballet Inc$80,00081%
Birmingham-Southern College$60,00020%
The Summit School Incorporated$55,00060%
Coosa Riverkeeper Inc$45,50074%
Linly Heflin Unit Inc$44,00061%
Friends of Hurricane Creek Inc$41,0006n/a
Red Mountain Theatre Company Inc$39,00050%
Teach for America Inc$37,50060%
St Johns Episcopal Parish Day School Inc$36,5003n/a
Alzheimers of Central Alabama Inc$36,00071%
Stair of Birmingham$36,00082%
Alabama Humanities Alliance$35,00080%
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham Inc$35,00070%
Alabama Institute for Deaf & Blind Found$30,00060%
Better Basics Inc$28,00041%
Gods Outreach Center Inc$28,0008n/a
Academy Prep Center of Tampa Inc$27,50050%
Gateway$25,00060%
Compassion & Choices$25,00010%
Lakeshore Foundation$25,00050%
Paint Rock Forest Research Center$24,50026%
Birmingham Children's Theatre Inc$22,50061%
Historic Charleston Foundation$21,00020%
Metropolitan Ministries Inc$20,00050%
Cahaba River Society Inc$19,75061%
Freedom Rain Inc$18,20040%
Woodlawn United Inc$16,50040%
Sarara Institute$16,00011%
Tampa Museum of Art Inc$15,50040%
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc$15,00030%
United Methodist Children's Home$15,00030%
Reynolda House Inc$15,00010%
Tampa Bay Waterkeeper Inc$14,50052%
Berkeley Preparatory School Inc$14,0002n/a
Birmingham Zoo Inc$14,00030%
Fresh Air Family Inc$14,00041%
Friends of the Alabama Archives$13,50032%
Mission Wolf$13,50071%
Baptist Health Foundation Inc$12,50010%
The Piston Foundation Inc$12,50022%
Sampsons Sanctuary Inc$12,0006n/a
American College of the Building Arts$12,00010%
Alabama Wildlife Federation$10,00010%
Judson College Foundation$10,0001n/a
Urology Health Foundation$10,00023%
Charleston Library Society$10,00020%
Alabama Archives & History Foundation$10,00012%
Washington and Lee University$10,00020%
Community Furniture Bank Inc$9,00050%
Women's Foundation of Alabama$8,00040%
Tampa Bay Watch Inc$8,00020%
Birmingham Landmarks Inc$7,50010%
The Exceptional Foundation$7,00040%
Kid One Transport System Inc$6,00040%
Greater Birmingham Ministries$5,5002n/a
The Spring of Tampa Bay Inc$5,50020%
The Whitby School Incorporated$5,00020%
Auburn University Foundation$5,00010%
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice Inc$5,00010%
Open Space Institute Inc$5,00010%
Wake Forest University$5,00010%
Crossnore Communities for Children$5,0001n/a
Lowcountry Food Bank Inc$5,00010%
First Light Inc$5,0001n/a
Quarterbacking Children's Health Foundation$4,55040%
The Wellhouse Inc$4,50010%
Friends of Jemison Park$4,50021%
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama Inc$4,50030%
Simon Cyrene Foundation$4,300319%
Momentum Alumnae Program Inc$4,00030%
Oasis Counseling for Women and Children$4,00040%
Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission$4,00040%
Mote Marine Laboratory Inc$3,00010%
Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library$3,00012%
The Young Men's Christian Association of Birmingham Inc$3,00010%
The Wilderness Society$3,00020%
Kennedy Douglass for Arts Volunteer$2,50018%
Sacred Heart Foundation$2,50010%
The Tampa Theatre Inc A/K/A Tampa Theatre Foundation$2,00010%
The Children's Hospital of Alabama$2,00010%
Middleton Place Foundation$2,00010%
Parkinson Association of Alabama Inc$2,00010%
Friends of Shades Creek$2,0001n/a
Ateam Ministries$2,00010%
Reformed Evangelistic Fellowship Inc$2,00010%
The Hope Institute$2,00010%
Senior Services Inc$2,00010%
Search Ministries Inc$2,0001n/a
The Altamont School$2,00020%
Alabama Wildlife Center$2,00020%
Alabama Coalition for Healthy Mothers and Children$1,5001n/a
Jefferson County Greenways Foundation$1,0001n/a
The Birmingham Botanical Society Inc$1,00010%
Atchafalaya Basinkeeper Inc$1,00010%
Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network$1,0001n/a
Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation$1,00010%
Equal Justice Initiative$1,00010%
Wild South$1,00010%
Pivot Ministries Inc$1,00010%
Cahaba Riverkeeper Inc$50011%
Friends of the Locust Fork River$5001n/a
Camp McDowell$5001n/a
Alabama Arise$50010%
Alabama Envirnomental Council Inc$50010%
Choctawhatchee River Keeper$2501n/a
Freshwater Land Trust$25010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 41 recipients with no EIN on record ($1.5M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Stephens Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 98 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetUnited Way of Central Alabama Inc: $512,000 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetAlabama Children's Hospital Foundation: $260,000 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetGirlspring Inc: $215,000 over 8y, 53% of budgetGasp: $171,000 over 6y, 16% of budgetAlabama Rivers Alliance Inc: $170,500 over 6y, 20% of budgetSouthern Environmental Law Center: $153,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetBlack Warrior Riverkeeper Inc: $139,500 over 6y, 9.7% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $135,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetLIFE Skills Foundation: $115,000 over 6y, 6.0% of budgetThe State of Alabama Ballet Inc: $80,000 over 8y, 1.1% of budgetBirmingham-Southern College: $60,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetThe Summit School Incorporated: $55,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetCoosa Riverkeeper Inc: $45,500 over 7y, 4.2% of budgetLinly Heflin Unit Inc: $44,000 over 6y, 1.3% of budgetRed Mountain Theatre Company Inc: $39,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetTeach for America Inc: $37,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetAlzheimers of Central Alabama Inc: $36,000 over 7y, 0.7% of budgetStair of Birmingham: $36,000 over 8y, 1.5% of budgetAlabama Humanities Alliance: $35,000 over 8y, 0.4% of budgetBig Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham Inc: $35,000 over 7y, 0.4% of budgetAlabama Institute for Deaf & Blind Found: $30,000 over 6y, 0.4% of budgetBetter Basics Inc: $28,000 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetAcademy Prep Center of Tampa Inc: $27,500 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetGateway: $25,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetCompassion & Choices: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLakeshore Foundation: $25,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetPaint Rock Forest Research Center: $24,500 over 2y, 6.5% of budgetBirmingham Children's Theatre Inc: $22,500 over 6y, 0.5% of budgetHistoric Charleston Foundation: $21,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetMetropolitan Ministries Inc: $20,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetCahaba River Society Inc: $19,750 over 6y, 1.2% of budgetFreedom Rain Inc: $18,200 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetWoodlawn United Inc: $16,500 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetSarara Institute: $16,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetTampa Museum of Art Inc: $15,500 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetNatural Resources Defense Council Inc: $15,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetUnited Methodist Children's Home: $15,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetReynolda House Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTampa Bay Waterkeeper Inc: $14,500 over 5y, 1.9% of budgetBirmingham Zoo Inc: $14,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetFresh Air Family Inc: $14,000 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetFriends of the Alabama Archives: $13,500 over 3y, 2.0% of budgetMission Wolf: $13,500 over 7y, 0.6% of budgetBaptist Health Foundation Inc: $12,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Piston Foundation Inc: $12,500 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetAmerican College of the Building Arts: $12,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetAlabama Wildlife Federation: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetUrology Health Foundation: $10,000 over 2y, 3.3% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 98.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Community Foundation of Greater BirminghamAL95.4× affinity51 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham · The Daniel Foundation of Alabama · Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation · Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust · Robert R Meyer Foundation · Protective Life Foundation · Hill Crest Foundation Inc · Alabama Power Foundation Inc · Altecstyslinger Foundation · The Hugh Kaul Foundation · The Maynard Nexsen Foundation · Orlean & Ralph W Beeson Fund

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Stephens Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Stephens Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Stephens Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Stephens Foundation

How much does Stephens Foundation give?
Stephens Foundation reported 62 grants totaling $609,350 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 40 and 74 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does Stephens Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (23%), Environment (18%), Philanthropy (11%).
Who are Stephens Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: United Way of Central Alabama Inc ($512k), Alabama Children's Hospital Foundation ($260k), Girlspring Inc ($215k).
Does Stephens Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 9% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Stephens Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Stephens Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation.
Where is Stephens Foundation based?
Stephens Foundation is based in AL.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 157 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Stephens’ filings →

More from the funding graph