The Joseph W. Craft III Foundation concentrates large, strategic gifts to economic development, higher education, and youth services with a clear geographic emphasis on Appalachian Kentucky and nearby rural communities. Grants favor institutions that advance regional economic revitalization, college access and capacity, and youth programming, often through multi-hundred-thousand to multi-million dollar awards. The foundation appears to partner repeatedly with a small set of organizations to drive long-term regional impact rather than dispersing many small awards.
A defining feature of the Joseph W Craft III Foundation is its repeated backing of Appalachian Kentucky institutions at a large scale. Across recent grants, the foundation has paired multi-hundred-thousand-dollar awards with recurring support for regional organizations such as Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, MSU Foundation, and Soar Shaping Our Appalachian Region. The pattern suggests a funder that uses sizable charitable gifts to support economic revitalization, higher education, and youth services in a defined region rather than spreading small awards broadly. The foundation’s recent giving also shows sustained attention to community infrastructure and opportunity-building. It funded Alice Lloyd College with $1,000,000 in 2025 and gave $317,800 to Housing Development Alliance in Hazard, while also supporting workforce and civic organizations such as Red River Economic Development and Kentucky Chamber Foundation. In Tulsa, where the foundation is headquartered, it has made grants to Boys and Girls Club, Tulsa Area United Way, and The Church Studio Music Foundation. The result is a portfolio centered on regional institutions that can convert foundation dollars into local capacity, student support, and long-term community programming.
Economic development is a central theme. The foundation gave $1,312,500 to Soar Shaping Our Appalachian Region in Pikeville and $520,000 to Red River Economic Development in Lexington, both tied to regional development work in Kentucky. Higher education is another clear priority. It awarded $1,320,000 to MSU Foundation in Morehead and $1,000,000 to Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, alongside support for University of Kentucky and Lexington School. Youth and family services also appear in the grant list. The foundation provided $702,861 to Boys and Girls Club in Tulsa, $150,000 to Salvation Army of Lexington, and two grants to Knott County Youth Foundation, indicating ongoing support for youth-serving organizations in both Oklahoma and Kentucky.
Grant sizes are large: the typical award sits at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list includes repeated grants to the same organizations in different years, including Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, MSU Foundation, Government Accountability Oversight, Friends of American Song Archives I, Tulsa Area United Way, Kentucky Chamber Foundation, and Knott County Youth Foundation. That repeat pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a private family foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No application process is stated in the provided data.
$7.2M
$146.2M
$30.4M
$12.8M
Most grants fall between $25K and $250K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$250K
About 28% of grants go to recipients in KY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of recurring grantees and regional initiatives; emphasis on multi-hundred-thousand to multi-million dollar awards rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, SOAR (Shaping Our Appalachian Region), Alice Lloyd College, MSU Foundation, Boys & Girls Club
Grantmaking is concentrated in Kentucky, which accounts for the largest share of recipient locations in the recent grants list. Hazard, Lexington, Morehead, Pippa Passes, Pikeville, Frankfort, Wayland, Hindman, Owensboro, and Kentucky-based regional organizations all appear among recipients. Tulsa, Oklahoma also recurs, reflecting the foundation’s headquarters city as a giving location, with grants to Boys and Girls Club, Tulsa Area United Way, Friends of American Song Archives I, The Church Studio Music Foundation, and Mental Health Association. All recent grants in the provided data went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show support for Appalachian Kentucky economic development, higher education, and youth services. Examples include regional development groups, colleges and scholarship-oriented institutions, and youth-serving nonprofits. The foundation also funds organizations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, including community and arts-related groups.
The grant-size distribution centers on sizable awards: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $250,000. Recent grants also reach into the seven-figure range, including awards of $1,320,000, $1,312,500, and $1,000,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, MSU Foundation, Government Accountability Oversight, Friends of American Song Archives I, Tulsa Area United Way, Kentucky Chamber Foundation, and Knott County Youth Foundation. That suggests continued relationships with selected partners.
Kentucky is the top state by grant count. The recent grants list includes multiple recipients in Hazard, Lexington, Morehead, Pippa Passes, Pikeville, Frankfort, Wayland, Hindman, Owensboro, and other Kentucky locations, with additional grants going to Tulsa, Oklahoma and other U.S. cities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSU FOUNDATION | MOREHEAD, KY | $1,320,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SOAR SHAPING OUR APPALACHIAN REGION | PIKEVILLE, KY | $1,312,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE | PIPPA PASSES, KY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR APPALACHIAN KENTUCKY | HAZARD, KY | $925,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | TULSA, OK | $702,861 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| RED RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | LEXINGTON, KY | $520,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE | HAZARD, KY | $317,800 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF AMERICAN SONG ARCHIVES I | TULSA, OK | $250,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SALVATION ARMY OF LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON, KY | $150,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| TULSA AREA UNITED WAY | TULSA, OK | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE CHURCH STUDIO MUSIC FOUNDATION | TULSA, OK | $64,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| KENTUCKY CHAMBER FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $60,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| EMPOWERMENT ACADEMY INC | OWENSBORO, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| KNOTT COUNTY YOUTH FOUNDATION | HINDMAN, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE | PIKEVILLE, KY | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE WORLD VALUES NETWORK | SUFFERN, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF COAL LADIES AUXILIARY | BECKLEY, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PASS THRU FROM K1'S | VARIOUS, OK | $1,095 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE | PIPPA PASSES, KY | $2,500,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR APPALACHIAN KENTUCKY | HAZARD, KY | $1,675,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MSU FOUNDATION | MOREHEAD, KY | $950,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHRISTIAN STUDENT FELLOWSHIP INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $500,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $300,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF AMERICAN SONG ARCHIVES I | TULSA, OK | $250,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| EMPOWERMENT ACADEMY INC | OWENSBORO, KY | $250,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| TULSA AREA UNITED WAY | TULSA, OK | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SOUTHLAND CHRISTIAN CHURCH | LEXINGTON, KY | $60,459 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| KNOTT COUNTY YOUTH FOUNDATION | HINDMAN, KY | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| RED RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | LEXINGTON, KY | $32,450 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| AWESOME CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP | LEXINGTON, KY | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| KENTUCKY CHAMBER FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $22,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PARENT CHILD CENTER OF TULSA | TULSA, OK | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PASS THRU FROM K1'S | VARIOUS, OK | $1,169 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR APPALACHIA KENTUCKY | HAZARD, KY | $1,910,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| MSU FOUNDATION | MOREHEAD, KY | $950,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| WAYLOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WAYLAND, KY | $350,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $300,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $250,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIENDS OF AMERICAN SONG ARCHIVES I | TULSA, OK | $250,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CHRISTIAN STUDENT FELLOWSHIP INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $250,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| KENTUCKY CHAMBER FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $148,095 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY | LEXINGTON, KY | $120,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| GEORGE W BUSH FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| TULSA AREA UNITED WAY | TULSA, OK | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| VOLUNTEER FLORIDA FOUNDATION | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| LEXINGTON SCHOOL | LEXINGTON, KY | $75,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION | TULSA, OK | $60,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
MSU FOUNDATION
$1,320,000CHARITABLE
SOAR SHAPING OUR APPALACHIAN REGION
$1,312,500CHARITABLE
ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE
$1,000,000CHARITABLE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
$702,861CHARITABLE
RED RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
$520,000CHARITABLE
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT
$300,000CHARITABLE
SALVATION ARMY OF LEXINGTON
$150,000CHARITABLE
THE CHURCH STUDIO MUSIC FOUNDATION
$64,000CHARITABLE
EMPOWERMENT ACADEMY INC
$50,000CHARITABLE
KNOTT COUNTY YOUTH FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITABLE
THE WORLD VALUES NETWORK
$25,000CHARITABLE
FRIENDS OF COAL LADIES AUXILIARY
$10,000CHARITABLE
PASS THRU FROM K1'S
$1,095CHARITABLE
MSU FOUNDATION
$950,000CHARITABLE
CHRISTIAN STUDENT FELLOWSHIP INC
$500,000CHARITABLE
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT
$300,000CHARITABLE
EMPOWERMENT ACADEMY INC
$250,000CHARITABLE
SOUTHLAND CHRISTIAN CHURCH
$60,459CHARITABLE
KNOTT COUNTY YOUTH FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITABLE
RED RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
$32,450CHARITABLE
AWESOME CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
$25,000CHARITABLE
PASS THRU FROM K1'S
$1,169CHARITABLE
MSU FOUNDATION
$950,000CHARITABLE
WAYLOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$350,000CHARITABLE
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSIGHT
$300,000CHARITABLE
CHRISTIAN STUDENT FELLOWSHIP INC
$250,000CHARITABLE