ELHAPA Foundation focuses on sustained support for education, youth development and community services—with a strong concentration in Lexington-area nonprofits—while also funding higher-education research and climate/ environmental advocacy. Many grants are unrestricted/general operations, and the foundation favors repeated, multi-year commitments to organizations advancing local economic inclusion, family supports, and applied research in aging and mental health. Faith-based and arts groups also appear regularly, indicating a broad civic philanthropy posture balanced between local impact and selective national/international issue investments.
Elhapa Foundation Inc. repeatedly backs organizations working in education, youth development, family stability, and applied research, with several of its largest recent grants going to university-based work and Lexington-area civic groups. One of the clearest signals in the record is its support for cognitive augmentation research in older adults at the University of Texas at Austin, awarded twice at $200,000 and once again at the same level in 2023 and 2024. The foundation also shows sustained commitment to community-serving organizations through general-operating awards, including repeated support for St Anne's-belfield School and for neighborhood-focused nonprofits in Charleston and Lexington. Its portfolio mixes school support, mental-health and aging research, and local service organizations, alongside grants for environmental advocacy and community economic equity. General operating support appears frequently, which suggests the foundation often funds institutional capacity rather than narrowly defined projects. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is one of repeated relationships with selected grantees rather than one-off giving.
Applied research is a visible part of the portfolio. Elhapa Foundation Inc. gave $200,000 to the University of Texas at Austin in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023 to support cognitive augmentation in older adults research. Behavioral health is another recurring area: Johns Hopkins University received $150,000 in 2024 and another $150,000 in 2023 for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. The foundation also supports climate and environmental advocacy, including $100,000 in 2025 to Client Earth for general operations and $165,000 in 2025 to Kentucky Resource Council for general operations. In community economic work, the foundation gave $100,000 in 2023 to Bluegrass Community Foundation for the Black Prosperity Initiative and the Splash Project. Family-support programming appears as well, including $100,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023 to Lexington Leadership Foundation for the fatherhood initiative.
Typical grants cluster around mid-five-figure awards: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the p75 is $50,000. The recent record also includes repeated six-figure renewals, which points to multi-year support for selected institutions rather than a one-time grant style. General operating support is common across the portfolio, especially for schools, neighborhood organizations, and advocacy groups. The foundation is a private grantmaker with no program-related investments and does not fund individuals.
$5M
$33.9M
$3.5M
$5.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Moderately concentrated: a mix of mid-sized grants with frequent repeat funding (many grantees receive 2–3 grants), heavy use of unrestricted/general operations support, and a geographic tilt toward Lexington-area organizations alongside selected national/international policy and research investments.
Notable grantees: St. Anne’s-Belfield School, Urban League of Lexington, Environmental Defense Fund, University of Texas at Austin, The Women’s Initiative
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based, and Kentucky receives 39% of grants by recipient location. Lexington appears repeatedly through awards to Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, Lexington Leadership Foundation, and Bluegrass Community Foundation. Charleston and North Charleston are also frequent recipient locations, with grants to One-eighty Place, Charleston Promise Neighborhood, Kids on Point, Beyond Our Walls, and Lowcountry Land Trust. Other recurring recipient cities include Charlottesville, Austin, Baltimore, Chapel Hill, and Frankfort.
The foundation gives to schools, youth-development groups, family-support programs, research institutions, and advocacy organizations. Recent grants include support for St Anne's-belfield School, Johns Hopkins University, Lexington Leadership Foundation, Kentucky Resource Council, and Client Earth.
Yes. The recent list shows repeated support across multiple years for several grantees, including the University of Texas at Austin in 2023 and 2024, Johns Hopkins University in 2023 and 2024, and St Anne's-belfield School in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the mid-five figures. The p25 is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the p75 is $50,000, while some awards in the recent list reach $100,000 to $200,000.
Recent grants point to education, youth development, family stability, cognitive and behavioral health research, climate and environmental advocacy, and community economic equity. Examples include school operating support, older-adult research at the University of Texas at Austin, psychiatry research at Johns Hopkins University, and support for the Black Prosperity Initiative.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC-CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $200,000 | 2026 | WINSTON CENTER |
| ST ANNE'S-BELFIELD SCHOOL | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $170,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KENTUCKY RESOURCE COUNCIL | FRANKFORT, KY | $165,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE WOMEN'S INITIATIVE | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $160,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STAR GOSPEL MISSION | CHARLESTON, SC | $160,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BEYOND OUR WALLS | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $120,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KIDS ON POINT | CHARLESTON, SC | $120,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PORTER-GAUD SCHOOL | CHARLESTON, SC | $120,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TURN 90 | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $115,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDRENS FUND | CHARLESTON, SC | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHARLESTON PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD | CHARLESTON, SC | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WESTMINSTER SCHOOL | SIMSBURY, CT | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CLIENT EARTH | WILMINGTON, DE | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MY SISTER'S HOUSE | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $85,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASHLEY HALL | CHARLESTON, SC | $80,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL AID/DIVERSITY |
| URBAN LEAGUE OF LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON, KY | $75,000 | 2026 | MADE PROGRAM |
| WINGS FOR KIDS | CHARLESTON, SC | $75,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $75,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JOSHUA COMMUNITY CONNECTORS | LOUISVILLE, KY | $75,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NRDC- CHINA DISPERSED COAL GOVERNANCE | NEW YORK, NY | $70,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SPEAK UP FOR KIDS PBC | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS SOUTH CAROLINA | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| EIGHT MILLION STORIES | HOUSTON, TX | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHARLOTTESVILLE FREE CLINIC | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LOWCOUNTRY LITERACY PROJECT | MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UK INSTITUTE FOR BLACK STUDIES | LEXINGTON, KY | $60,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNITING VOICES | CHICAGO, IL | $55,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FAYETTE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | CARTER G WOODSEN ACADEMY |
| PATRIOT FOUNDATION | PINEHURST, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE BLACK SOIL CHARITABLE FUND | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ENSEMBLE | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY FUND | KNOXVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | BLACK PROSPERITY INIT. |
| FOOD CHAIN | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMON GOOD | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CITY OF PROMISE | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MICAH LEGAL SERVICES | LEXINGTON, KY | $45,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHSIDE COMMON MARKET | LEXINGTON, KY | $45,000 | 2026 | JULIETTA MARKET |
| OPEN SPACES INSTITUTE | CHARLESTON, SC | $40,000 | 2026 | SC SEA ISLANDS |
| READY KIDS | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $40,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FETTER HEALTH CARE NETWORK | CHARLESTON, SC | $40,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LOW COUNTRY LAND TRUST | CHARLESTON, SC | $40,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ONE PARENT SCHOLAR HOUSE | LEXINGTON, KY | $40,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| VERMONT WILDERNESS SCHOOL | BRATTLEBORO, VT | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KENTUCKY NATURAL LANDS TRUST | BEREA, KY | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KENTUCKY WATERWAYS ALLIANCE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DREAM CENTER CLINIC | NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MEETING STREET SCHOOLS | CHARLESTON, SC | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHERN HOMES CDC | BOYNE CITY, MI | $35,000 | 2026 | HARBOR AREA RESIDENTIAL TRUST |
| HIGHER GROUND RECOVERY | PENNINGTON GAP, VA | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
UNC-CHAPEL HILL
$200,000WINSTON CENTER
ST ANNE'S-BELFIELD SCHOOL
$170,000UNRESTRICTED
KENTUCKY RESOURCE COUNCIL
$165,000UNRESTRICTED
STAR GOSPEL MISSION
$160,000UNRESTRICTED
BEYOND OUR WALLS
$120,000UNRESTRICTED
PORTER-GAUD SCHOOL
$120,000UNRESTRICTED
SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDRENS FUND
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
WESTMINSTER SCHOOL
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
CLIENT EARTH
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
MY SISTER'S HOUSE
$85,000UNRESTRICTED
ASHLEY HALL
$80,000FINANCIAL AID/DIVERSITY
URBAN LEAGUE OF LEXINGTON
$75,000MADE PROGRAM
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$75,000UNRESTRICTED
NRDC- CHINA DISPERSED COAL GOVERNANCE
$70,000UNRESTRICTED
LOWCOUNTRY LITERACY PROJECT
$60,000UNRESTRICTED
UK INSTITUTE FOR BLACK STUDIES
$60,000UNRESTRICTED
FAYETTE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$50,000CARTER G WOODSEN ACADEMY
THE BLACK SOIL CHARITABLE FUND
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ENSEMBLE
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
FOOD CHAIN
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
COMMON GOOD
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
MICAH LEGAL SERVICES
$45,000UNRESTRICTED
NORTHSIDE COMMON MARKET
$45,000JULIETTA MARKET
OPEN SPACES INSTITUTE
$40,000SC SEA ISLANDS
READY KIDS
$40,000UNRESTRICTED
FETTER HEALTH CARE NETWORK
$40,000UNRESTRICTED
LOW COUNTRY LAND TRUST
$40,000UNRESTRICTED
ONE PARENT SCHOLAR HOUSE
$40,000UNRESTRICTED
VERMONT WILDERNESS SCHOOL
$35,000UNRESTRICTED
KENTUCKY WATERWAYS ALLIANCE
$35,000UNRESTRICTED
DREAM CENTER CLINIC
$35,000UNRESTRICTED
NORTHERN HOMES CDC
$35,000HARBOR AREA RESIDENTIAL TRUST
HIGHER GROUND RECOVERY
$35,000UNRESTRICTED