How does Pennington Family Foundation make grants?

It uses multiple channels: an open General Grantmaking / Annual Grants portal for qualified nonprofits and municipalities, plus strategic and foundation-led programs such as support for Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the Great Performers in Concert Series. The open programs are described as once-a-year grant cycles, typically decided near year-end.

What are the foundation’s main focus areas?

Its priority areas include social and emotional learning, health and chronic diseases, the arts, public safety and economic development, disasters and community resilience, sports and recreation, environment, and accessibility and inclusion. Recent grants also show related emphasis on youth mental health, K–12 education, and access barriers.

What is the typical grant size?

The open grant programs list a grant size range of $5,000 to $50,000. In the recent grants sample, several awards sit at $25,000, $30,000, and $50,000, while some larger strategic grants rise to $75,000, $130,000, $183,000, and $450,000.

Which kinds of organizations receive support?

The foundation funds qualified nonprofits and municipalities, and some program descriptions mention government agencies as eligible. Recent recipients include research foundations, museums, schools, youth-serving nonprofits, health organizations, and arts groups.

Where do most grants go?

The recent grant list is centered on Baton Rouge and other Louisiana locations such as New Orleans, Metairie, and Gonzales, with a smaller set of grants outside Louisiana in Bethesda, New York, and Washington, DC. The supplied recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.

Pennington Family Foundation

Name: Pennington Family Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism

DENHAM SPRINGS, LAWebsite2259078908

About Pennington Family Foundation

To continue Irene Wells Pennington and C.B. “Doc” Pennington’s vision and commitment to philanthropic giving, focusing on the arts, health and chronic diseases, social and emotional learning, and accessibility and inclusion for all.

Focus Areas

Social and emotional learningHealth and chronic diseasesThe artsPublic safety and economic developmentDisasters / community resilienceSports and recreationEnvironmentAccessibility and inclusion

Who They Fund

children and youth (K–12, afterschool participants)low-income and access-barrier populationsveteranspeople with disabilities and Special Olympics athletes

About Pennington Family Foundation

The Pennington Family Foundation’s giving reflects Irene Wells Pennington and C.B. “Doc” Pennington’s philanthropic vision, with a pattern of support that reaches across the arts, health and chronic diseases, social and emotional learning, and accessibility and inclusion. In 2025, its largest reported grant went to Pennington Biomedical Foundation for THE ANSWER 2025/2024 ANNUAL SUPPORT, underscoring a continuing commitment to chronic disease research and population health. The foundation also backed Baton Rouge Symphony through the Pennington Great Performers series, linking its arts support to concert underwriting and youth music outreach. Other major awards show the breadth of its interests: The Emerge Center received support, as did Athletes for Hope for strengthening Baton Rouge youth mental health. The foundation’s recent grant list also includes access-centered work, such as support for Knock Knock Children’s Museum’s Access for All Initiative and Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s Inclusion Initiative. Across these grants, the foundation appears to favor practical program support, underwriting, and annual awards that align with specific projects or continuing institutional needs.

What Pennington Family Foundation Funds

Health and chronic disease funding is a clear thread in the foundation’s recent grants. Pennington Biomedical Foundation received $450,000 for THE ANSWER 2025/2024 ANNUAL SUPPORT, and Baton Rouge General Foundation received $130,000 for Arts in Medicine at BR General, tying wellness support to a hospital-based program. In youth mental health and social-emotional learning, Athletes for Hope received $75,000 for strengthening Baton Rouge youth mental health, and Baton Rouge Youth Coalition Inc. received $50,000 for Class of 2029 SRL/SEL programs. Arts support is another consistent lane: Louisiana Arts & Science Museum received $50,000 for the Superhuman Body show and LASM gala sponsorship, while The National World War II Museum received $30,000 for Education and Access K12. The foundation also backs access and inclusion work, including $25,000 to Playmakers of Baton Rouge for the Inclusion Initiative.

How Pennington Family Foundation Gives

The foundation’s stated general grant programs use a $5,000–$50,000 range, and the recent grant list shows many awards clustered at $25,000, $30,000, and $50,000, alongside larger strategic commitments such as $450,000 and $183,000. Grantmaking appears annual, with several programs described as once-a-year awards made near year-end. The foundation supports both open competitive grants and invited or commissioned efforts, including strategic funding for Pennington Biomedical Research Center and a foundation-led Great Performers series. Recipients also recur in related forms of support, such as annual support, underwriting, and project-specific awards.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$1.9M

Total Assets

$37.8M

Total Revenue

$4.4M

Total Expenses

$2.1M

Geographic Reach

Local5 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL FOUNDATION	BATON ROUGE, LA	$450,000	2025	THE ANSWER 2025/2024 ANNUAL SUPPORT
BATON ROUGE SYMPHONY	BATON ROUGE, LA	$183,000	2025	PENNINGTON GREAT PERFORMERS
BATON ROUGE GENERAL FOUNDATION	BATON ROUGE, LA	$130,000	2025	ARTS IN MEDICINE AT BR GENERAL
THE EMERGE CENTER	BATON ROUGE, LA	$89,240	2025	2024 ANNUAL SUPPORT

Pennington Family Foundation

About Pennington Family Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About Pennington Family Foundation

What Pennington Family Foundation Funds

How Pennington Family Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Geographic Reach

Deep Analysis

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Where Pennington Family Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Pennington Family Foundation

How does Pennington Family Foundation make grants?

What are the foundation’s main focus areas?

What is the typical grant size?

Which kinds of organizations receive support?

Where do most grants go?

Open Grant Opportunities

General Grantmaking (Pennington Family Foundation Grants Center)

Recent Grants

Pennington Family Foundation

About Pennington Family Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About Pennington Family Foundation

What Pennington Family Foundation Funds

How Pennington Family Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Geographic Reach

Unlock Deep Analysis

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The Grant Brief

Funding Style

Topics

Where Pennington Family Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Pennington Family Foundation

How does Pennington Family Foundation make grants?

What are the foundation’s main focus areas?

What is the typical grant size?

Which kinds of organizations receive support?

Where do most grants go?

Open Grant Opportunities

General Grantmaking (Pennington Family Foundation Grants Center)

Recent Grants