Ensuring youth leadership potential is realized
Cadet Character & Leadership Foundation’s largest recent award was $819,686 to Civil Air Patrol in Maxwell AFB, AL, to support cadet training activity. That single grant sits alongside a clear pattern of backing youth in cadet programs through leadership instruction, scholarships, and flight-related training. The foundation’s grant record shows repeated support for Civil Air Patrol, plus targeted awards to organizations serving cadets seeking specialized instruction and participation support. The foundation’s giving aligns with its stated aim of ensuring youth leadership potential is realized. Its program areas include cadet leadership training, encampments and cadre support, noncommissioned officer and officer courses, and scholarships for youth leadership programs. Recent grants also show support for cadet flight instruction, tying leadership development to aviation and aerospace exposure. The grant list suggests a funder focused on direct assistance for program participation rather than broad institutional support. Awards are directed to youth participants in cadet programs and to organizations that deliver the training those cadets attend. That mix of scholarships and program support defines how the foundation channels its resources.
Leadership development is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s recent giving. It supported the Cadet Officer Basic Course Scholarship for cadets attending officer training, and it backed scholarships for Drill & Ceremonies School, Noncommissioned Officer School, and Senior Noncommissioned Officers School. The foundation also funds participation costs tied to encampment leadership. Its Encampment Cadet Cadre Scholarship is meant to help cadets serving as encampment cadre cover those expenses, which connects leadership roles with access to training. Aviation-linked youth development appears in the grants labeled cadet flight instruction. Recent awards went to Aerovistion Inc in Huntington Beac, CA, and Aviations Future Leaders LLC in Kalispell, MT for that purpose. Those grants tie the foundation’s cadet mission to aviation and aerospace education.
Typical grant size is $15,539 at the 25th percentile, $32,112 at the median, and $239,451 at the 75th percentile, showing a wide spread between small scholarship awards and larger program grants. The foundation is structured as a grantmaking organization that does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent record shows repeat support for Civil Air Patrol across multiple years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025, which indicates recurring support for a core grantee rather than one-off giving. Several active scholarship programs accept unsolicited requests, including Drill & Ceremonies School Scholarship, Noncommissioned Officer School Scholarship, Encampment Cadet Cadre Scholarship, General CCLF Leadership Scholarship, Senior Noncommissioned Officers School Scholarship, and Cadet Officer Basic Course Scholarship.
$71K
$568K
-$44K
$102K
Most grants fall between $16K and $239K, with a median of $32K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$32K
75th Percentile
$239K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in AL.
Daniel Gwaltney
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The foundation gives regionally, with 25% of grants going to recipients in California. Alabama appears most often in the grant record because of repeated awards to Maxwell AFB, AL. Other named recipient locations include Huntington Beac, CA and Kalispell, MT. All of the listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients, and the country distribution shows 5 grants in the United States.
Its stated focus areas include cadet leadership training, encampments and cadre support, noncommissioned officer and officer courses, and scholarships for youth leadership programs. Recent grants also show support for cadet flight instruction, connecting leadership development with aviation and aerospace exposure.
No. The foundation is listed as funds individuals: False. Its active programs are structured as scholarships and support for cadet training participation rather than direct grants to individuals.
The grant-size distribution is $15,539 at the 25th percentile, $32,112 at the median, and $239,451 at the 75th percentile. That range reflects both small scholarship awards and substantially larger program grants.
Yes. The active programs listed as accepting unsolicited requests include Drill & Ceremonies School Scholarship, Noncommissioned Officer School Scholarship, Encampment Cadet Cadre Scholarship, General CCLF Leadership Scholarship, Senior Noncommissioned Officers School Scholarship, and Cadet Officer Basic Course Scholarship.
Civil Air Patrol appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, with awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The listed recipient location is Maxwell AFB, AL, and the purpose on each of those grants is to support cadet training activity.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Air Patrol | Maxwell AFB, AL | $71,034 | 2025 | To support cadet training activity |
| Civil Air Patrol | Maxwell AFB, AL | $819,686 | 2024 | To support cadet training activity |
| Civil Air Patrol | Maxwell AFB, AL | $46,039 | 2023 | To support cadet training activity |
| Aerovistion Inc | Huntington Beac, CA | $18,184 | 2023 | Cadet flight instruction |
| Aviations Future Leaders LLC | Kalispell, MT | $7,605 | 2023 | Cadet flight instruction |
Aerovistion Inc
$18,184Cadet flight instruction
Aviations Future Leaders LLC
$7,605Cadet flight instruction