The Nelson Family Foundation makes a small number of very large gifts focused on education and metro-Atlanta community needs. Its largest single commitment is to Ball State University (suggesting an interest in higher-education scholarships or program endowment, possibly an alma-mater connection), while the remaining major grants are directed to Atlanta-based safety-net institutions addressing food insecurity and broad community services. Overall, the foundation appears to concentrate resources on a few strategic partners rather than dispersing many small grants.
Nelson Family Foundation’s largest recent commitment went to Ball State University Foundation, a $1,155,410 grant in 2024. That gift stands out in a record otherwise marked by a few much smaller awards, showing a pattern of concentrated support rather than broad dispersal. The foundation’s recent giving also includes large 2024 grants to Atlanta Community Food Bank and United Way of Greater Atlanta, each at $475,714, pointing to a mix of higher education and metro-Atlanta community needs. Across the latest grants, the foundation backs institutions that provide direct services, educational support, and community infrastructure. The grant list suggests a funder that works through established organizations rather than individuals, and it gives almost entirely in the United States. Recent recipients include Marcus Autism Center, The Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Justice Project, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, and Uso of Georgia, alongside arts, environment, and family-support groups in Atlanta. Ball State University Foundation is the clearest out-of-state recipient, while most other major awards are centered in Atlanta. The pattern shows a family foundation that favors strategic institutional partners and combines one large higher-education grant with a set of community-serving grants in Georgia.
Education is a clear theme. In 2024, Nelson Family Foundation gave $1,155,410 to Ball State University Foundation for education, and in 2023 it added $35,250 to the same recipient, showing continued support for higher education. Health-related giving reaches both food access and clinical or service organizations. The foundation gave $475,714 to Atlanta Community Food Bank in 2024 and $15,000 in 2023, then supported Marcus Autism Center with $10,000 and Cdc Foundation with $5,000 in 2023. Smaller health gifts also went to Air Inc, American Cancer Society, Atlanta Humane Society, and Smile Train. Community, family, and civic life appear in smaller grants as well. United Way of Greater Atlanta received $475,714 in 2024, Forever Family received $1,000 in 2023, and Georgia Justice Project received $2,500, indicating support that touches community services, family support, and civil-justice work.
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $2,500. That distribution sits alongside a very different top tier, including a $1,155,410 grant in 2024 and two $475,714 grants in the same year. The pattern is concentrated rather than widely distributed, with repeated support to some recipients across years, such as Ball State University Foundation and Atlanta Community Food Bank. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants appear to be discretionary foundation grants; no application process is indicated in the data.
$2.1M
$0
$87K
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $500 and $3K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$3K
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Highly concentrated giving: only three large grants make up total giving, with one very large out-of-state education gift and two equal, substantial gifts to local Atlanta nonprofits. Prefers few, sizable investments in institutional partners rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Ball State University Foundation, Atlanta Community Food Bank, United Way of Greater Atlanta
Giving is highly concentrated in Georgia, with 61% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Atlanta dominates the recipient map, with many awards going to organizations there, including Atlanta Community Food Bank, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Marcus Autism Center, and The Georgia Aquarium. Outside Georgia, the foundation’s largest recipient is Ball State University Foundation in Muncie, Indiana, and all listed grants are to U.S. recipients. Minnesota is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation’s headquarters are in Atlanta.
The foundation’s grant sizes are small in the middle of the distribution: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $2,500. The recent record also includes much larger outlier grants, including $1,155,410 and two grants of $475,714 in 2024.
Recent grants show support for education, health, community services, environment, cultural organizations, family support, troop support, and employment. Examples include education funding for Ball State University Foundation, health support for Atlanta Community Food Bank and Marcus Autism Center, and community services funding for United Way of Greater Atlanta.
Most grants go to recipients in Georgia: 61% of grants are in the HQ state. Atlanta is the main recipient city in the data, but the foundation also gives outside Georgia, including a major grant to Ball State University Foundation in Muncie, Indiana.
Yes. Ball State University Foundation appears in both 2024 and 2023 grants, and Atlanta Community Food Bank also appears in both years. That suggests repeated support to at least some established partners rather than one-time-only giving.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALL STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MUNCIE, IN | $1,155,410 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $475,714 | 2024 | COMMUNITY SERVICES |
| ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | ATLANTA, GA | $475,714 | 2024 | HEALTH |
| BALL STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MUNCIE, IN | $35,250 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| MARCUS AUTISM CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| CDC FOUNDATION | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| HEIFER INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $3,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| GEORGIA JUSTICE PROJECT | ATLANTA, GA | $2,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM | ATLANTA, GA | $2,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| CRISTO REY ATLANTA JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | ATLANTA, GA | $2,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| AIR INC | ATLANTA, GA | $1,500 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| SIGMA PHI EPSILON EDUCATIONAL | RICHMOND, VA | $1,200 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| HEART MOUNTAIN WYOMING FOUNDATION | POWELL, WY | $1,000 | 2023 | ENVIRONMENT |
| TREES ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | ENVIRONMENT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN GEORGIA | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | ENVIRONMENT |
| ATLANTA SYMPHONY | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| ALLIANCE THEATRE | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| FOREVER FAMILY | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | FAMILY SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| ATLANTA HUMANE SOCIETY | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| ENVISION DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $1,000 | 2023 | EMPLOYMENT |
| HIGH MUSEUM OF ART | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| USO OF GEORGIA | ATLANTA, GA | $750 | 2023 | TROOP SUPPORT |
| CHASTAIN PARK CONSERVANCY | ATLANTA, GA | $500 | 2023 | ENVIRONMENT |
| SMILE TRAIN | WASHINGTON, DC | $500 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $500 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $250 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS | ATLANTA, GA | $250 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $250 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| HOOVER INSTITUTION | STANFORD, CA | $250 | 2023 | CULTURAL |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $250 | 2023 | INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $200 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $200 | 2023 | ENVIRONMENT |
MARCUS AUTISM CENTER
$10,000HEALTH
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
$3,000HEALTH
CRISTO REY ATLANTA JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$2,500EDUCATION
AIR INC
$1,500HEALTH
SIGMA PHI EPSILON EDUCATIONAL
$1,200EDUCATION
TREES ATLANTA
$1,000ENVIRONMENT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN GEORGIA
$1,000ENVIRONMENT
ATLANTA SYMPHONY
$1,000CULTURAL
ALLIANCE THEATRE
$1,000CULTURAL
FOREVER FAMILY
$1,000FAMILY SUPPORT
ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER
$1,000EDUCATION
USO OF GEORGIA
$750TROOP SUPPORT
CHASTAIN PARK CONSERVANCY
$500ENVIRONMENT
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
$250HEALTH
AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL
$250CULTURAL
THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
$200ENVIRONMENT