The Addie & Baylor Kirchgessner Foundation's mission is to empower young readers, strengthen families, and create safe, joyful spaces where children can thrive by encouraging children's imagination through access to literature.
Addie and Baylor Kirchgessner Foundation Inc. centers its grantmaking on children’s access to books, school-based literacy, and early learning spaces. A single recent grant shows the scale of that approach: $40,000 to St Lawrence Catholic Church for a preschool renovation, pairing literacy support with facility improvements for young children. The foundation also backed Notre Dame Academy with $34,113 for book-centered inspiration and $23,000 for playground construction, suggesting that its support extends beyond reading materials to the environments where children learn and play. The foundation’s recent grants also connect books to everyday touchpoints in children’s lives. It gave $11,000 and later $5,094 to Norton Children’s Foundation for Reach Out and Read, a program that places books in pediatric visits, and $15,000 to First Tee of Louisville for a bag program and development tour that supports youth participation. Another $10,000 grant to Dolly Parton Imagination Library distributed books to children with the caption “Addie and Baylor loved to read.” Across these awards, the foundation supports direct service, school infrastructure, and early childhood programming for children in Louisville and beyond.
Early childhood literacy is the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $26,524 to Hutchison Beach Elementary for a library renovation, and earlier supported Notre Dame Academy with $34,113 “to inspire the children of Notre Dame Academy through the power of books.” Those grants point to a mix of school-based book access and physical library improvements. The foundation also funds book-gifting programs for very young children. It gave $10,000 to Dolly Parton Imagination Library to distribute books to children, and its active programs include support for Imagination Library chapters that mail free books from birth to age five. In health-based literacy work, it awarded $11,000 to Norton Children’s Foundation for Reach Out and Read, which brings books into pediatric visits. Beyond literacy, the foundation has funded youth development through First Tee of Louisville, including equipment and participation support.
Recent grants cluster around five-figure awards, with a typical size between $11,000 and $26,524; the median is $15,000, with p25 at $11,000 and p75 at $26,524. The largest recent award was $40,000, and several grants fall in the low-to-mid five-figure range. The 2023 and 2024 grants show repeat support to Norton Children’s Foundation and First Tee of Louisville, indicating recurring relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is not described as funding individuals or program-related investments. One active program, Scholastic Bookfairs, includes a Book Fair Application, showing at least some support is available through an application process.
$87K
$898K
$289K
$169K
Most grants fall between $11K and $27K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$27K
MATTHEW KIRCHGESSNER
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The foundation gives most often in Florida, but most of its grants by count go to recipients in Kentucky, which accounts for 78% of grants to the HQ state. Louisville appears repeatedly through grants to St Lawrence Catholic Church, Notre Dame Academy, First Tee of Louisville, and Norton Children’s Foundation. Outside Kentucky, recent gifts reached Panama City Beach, Florida, through Hutchison Beach Elementary, and Sevierville, Tennessee, through Dolly Parton Imagination Library. All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients.
Its grantmaking centers on early childhood literacy, book donations and distribution, school libraries, reading programs such as Imagination Library and Reach Out and Read, youth development and life skills, and community events and fundraisers. Recent grants show support for preschool renovation, library renovation, playground construction, and book-gifting programs.
The foundation’s grant size distribution is centered in the five-figure range: p25 is $11,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $26,524. Recent awards include $11,000, $15,000, $23,000, $26,524, $34,113, and $40,000.
Yes. The recent grants include repeat awards to Norton Children’s Foundation for Reach Out and Read in both 2023 and 2024, and repeat support to First Tee of Louisville in both years as well. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with selected programs.
Yes, at least for one active program. The foundation’s Scholastic Bookfairs support includes a Book Fair Application for schools to request participation, and the program provides two free books for each student.
Recent awards include $40,000 to St Lawrence Catholic Church for preschool renovation, $34,113 to Notre Dame Academy for inspiring children through books, $23,000 to Notre Dame Academy for playground construction, and $26,524 to Hutchison Beach Elementary for library renovation.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Current and upcoming funding from Addie and Baylor Kirchgessner Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Local schools or similarly situated organizations supporting children and literacy; the foundation indicates it funds book fairs for local schools.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION | SEVIERVILLE, TN | $41,923 | 2026 | SPONSOR BAY COUNTY IMAGINATION LIBRARY |
| IMAGINATION LIBRARY LOUISVILLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $40,000 | 2026 | MARCH 2025 BOOK SPONSOR |
| FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2026 | DONATION & GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSOR |
| NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2026 | 2025 REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM |
| FIRST TEE INDIANA | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF KENTUCKIANA | LOUISVILLE, KY | $5,800 | 2026 | ROOM AND GALA SPONSOR |
| ST LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CHURCH | LOUISVILLE, KY | $40,000 | 2024 | PRE SCHOOL RENOVATION |
| HUTCHISON BEACH ELEMENTARY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL | $26,524 | 2024 | LIBRARY RENOVATION |
| FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $15,000 | 2024 | BAG PROGRAM & DEVELOPMENT TOUR |
| NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $5,094 | 2024 | REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM |
| NOTRE DAME ACADEMY | LOUISVILLE, KY | $34,113 | 2023 | TO INSPIRE THE CHILDREN OF NOTRE DAME ACADEMY THROUGH THE POWER OF BOOKS |
| NOTRE DAME ACADEMY | LOUISVILLE, KY | $23,000 | 2023 | CONSTRUCTION OF PLAYGROUND |
| FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $12,000 | 2023 | BAG PROGRAM & DEVELOPMENT TOUR |
| NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $11,000 | 2023 | REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM |
| DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY | SEVIERVILLE, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | DISTRIBUTE BOOKS TO CHILDREN WITH CAPTION "ADDIE AND BAYLOR LOVED TO READ" |
DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION
$41,923SPONSOR BAY COUNTY IMAGINATION LIBRARY
IMAGINATION LIBRARY LOUISVILLE
$40,000MARCH 2025 BOOK SPONSOR
FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE
$25,000DONATION & GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSOR
NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$25,0002025 REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM
FIRST TEE INDIANA
$10,000DONATION
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF KENTUCKIANA
$5,800ROOM AND GALA SPONSOR
ST LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CHURCH
$40,000PRE SCHOOL RENOVATION
HUTCHISON BEACH ELEMENTARY
$26,524LIBRARY RENOVATION
FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE
$15,000BAG PROGRAM & DEVELOPMENT TOUR
NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$5,094REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY
$34,113TO INSPIRE THE CHILDREN OF NOTRE DAME ACADEMY THROUGH THE POWER OF BOOKS
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY
$23,000CONSTRUCTION OF PLAYGROUND
FIRST TEE OF LOUISVILLE
$12,000BAG PROGRAM & DEVELOPMENT TOUR
NORTON CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
$11,000REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM
DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY
$10,000DISTRIBUTE BOOKS TO CHILDREN WITH CAPTION "ADDIE AND BAYLOR LOVED TO READ"