The Strain Foundation concentrates its giving in Alabama, funding a mix of direct-service organizations and policy/advocacy groups that advance secure housing, local food and farming, and opportunity for low-income families. Grants are sizable and strategic — often multi-year or repeated — supporting both project delivery (Habitat, child/family services) and systems-change work (legal advocacy, rural higher education and sustainable agriculture). The portfolio reflects a preference for place-based investments that combine practical assistance with civic and policy engagement to improve economic stability in Alabama communities.
A defining feature of Strain Foundation’s recent giving is its repeated support for Alabama housing, food systems, and public-interest advocacy. The largest recent grant in the data is $155,000 to The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, alongside a steady pattern of Alabama-based awards that connect direct services with longer-term community capacity. In housing, the foundation has backed Habitat for Humanity of Autaugachi more than once, including grants of $70,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025, showing continued attention to affordable homeownership and repair. Its portfolio also reaches into agriculture and local food, with grants to Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Net in Birmingham. Beyond service delivery, Strain Foundation has funded policy and legal advocacy through groups such as Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Alabama Arise, indicating an interest in both immediate assistance and structural change. The overall picture is of a local funder that concentrates resources in Alabama while supporting a mix of charities, schools, conservation groups, and advocacy organizations.
Housing is one of the clearest themes in the portfolio. The foundation gave $70,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 to Habitat for Humanity of Autaugachi in Prattville for housing assistance, and also granted $20,000 to Low Income Housing Initiative in Huntsville for housing services. Food and farming is another recurring area: Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Net in Birmingham received $100,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 for promoting agriculture. Child and family support also appears in the record, including a $50,000 grant to Embrace Alabama Kids in Montgomery. The foundation also funds civic and policy work, such as $35,000 to Alabama Arise in Montgomery to improve lives marginalized by poverty and $10,000 to Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice for racial justice.
Typical grants cluster around $7,250 at the 25th percentile, a median of $10,000, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile, with larger awards going to a smaller set of recurring partners. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Habitat for Humanity of Autaugachi, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Net, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, and Crisis Center of Birmingham, which points to repeat support rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is structured as a private foundation and funds individuals. No application process is stated in the data.
$395K
$5.1M
$454K
$463K
Most grants fall between $7K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Concentrated, mid-to-large grants with repeat funding to a handful of Alabama-focused organizations; combines program delivery grants with funding for policy/advocacy groups rather than many small or national grants.
Notable grantees: Habitat for Humanity of Autauga/Chilton, The University of the South, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Alabama Arise, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Grants are overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Alabama: 85% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Birmingham appears frequently in the recent-gifts list, along with Montgomery, Prattville, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Mobile. Outside Alabama, the only recipient country shown is the United States, and the data includes one Tennessee grantee in Sewanee. The giving footprint is therefore heavily centered on Alabama communities, with a small number of awards elsewhere in the U.S.
The recent grants point to housing, agriculture, family services, and advocacy. Examples include Habitat for Humanity of Autaugachi for housing assistance, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Net for promoting agriculture, Embrace Alabama Kids for children and family support, and Alabama Arise and Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice for poverty and racial-justice work.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Habitat for Humanity of Autaugachi, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Net, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, and Crisis Center of Birmingham. That pattern suggests ongoing support for selected partners rather than only one-time awards.
The grant-size distribution centers on smaller awards: the 25th percentile is $7,250, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. Larger grants do appear, but most awards in the data sit in that range.
Yes. Alabama is the top state by grant count, and 85% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Alabama recipients include organizations in Birmingham, Montgomery, Prattville, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Mobile.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, alongside its grants to organizations across housing, food systems, education, conservation, and advocacy.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF AUTAUGACHI | PRATTVILLE, AL | $50,000 | 2026 | HOUSING ASSISTANCE |
| ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NET | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $50,000 | 2026 | PROMOTING AGRICULTURE |
| ALABAMA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW AN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $30,000 | 2026 | RACIAL JUSTICE |
| ALABAMA ARISE | MONTGOMERY, AL | $30,000 | 2026 | IMPROVE LIVES MARGINALIZED BY POVERT |
| STUDIO TWO THREE | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2026 | ARTS SUPPORT |
| UAB O'NEAL CANCER CENTER | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $20,000 | 2026 | CANCER TREATMENT CENTER |
| INDIAN SPRINGS SCHOOL | INDIAN SPRINGS, AL | $15,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| MOBILE BAYKEEPER | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | DEFEND AND REVIVE WATER HEALTH |
| YOUR TOWN ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY LEADER WORKSHOP |
| WEST ALABAMA FOOD BANK | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | FOOD BANK |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL AL | BESSEMER, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | FOOD BANK |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | RESTORE AND PROTECT CHESAPEAKE BAY |
| BRIDGE MINISTRIES | RICHLAND, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | MINISTRY SUPPORT |
| LOW INCOME HOUSING INITIATIVE | HUNTSVILLE, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | HOUSING SERVICES |
| ALABAMA CASA NETWORK | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | ADVOCATE FOR ABUSED CHILDREN |
| CAHABA RIVER COALITION | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | WATERSHED PROTECTION & CONSERVATION |
| LEADERHIP BIRMINGHAM | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATING COMMUNITY LEADERS |
| THE CRISIS CENTER | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | HOTLINE SUPPORT SERVICE |
| AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AUBURN, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL AND ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITI |
| ALABAMA INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIN | TALLADEGA, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR AIDB PROGRAMS |
| VOICES FOR ALABAMAS CHILDREN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY OUTREACH |
| MAGIC CITY ACCEPTANCE CENTER | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SERVICE DOGS ALABAMA | HOPE HULL, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | SERVICE DOG TRAINING AND PLACEMENT |
| BLANKET FORT HOPE | COLUMBIANA, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SUPPORT |
| BLACK WARRIOR RIVERKEEPER INC | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | PROTECT AND RESTORE BLACK WARRIOR RI |
| URBAN MINISTRY | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY SUPPORT |
| ALABAMA PUBLIC RADIO | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | STUDENT RADIO BROADCAST TRAINING |
| COOSA RIVERKEEPER | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | PROTECT AND RESTORE COOSA RIVER |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH | SEWANEE, TN | $155,000 | 2025 | HIGHER EDUCATION |
| EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | CHILDREN AND FAMILY SUPPORT |
| ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NET | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | PROMOTING AGRICULTURE |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF AUTAUGACHI | PRATTVILLE, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | HOUSING ASSISTANCE |
| ALABAMA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW AN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $35,000 | 2025 | RACIAL JUSTICE |
| ALABAMA ARISE | MONTGOMERY, AL | $35,000 | 2025 | IMPROVE LIVES MARGINALIZED BY POVERT |
| ALZHEIMER'S OF CENTRAL AL | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $25,000 | 2025 | ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND SERVICES |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $25,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CONTROL |
| ALABAMA INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIN | TALLADEGA, AL | $20,000 | 2025 | ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR AIDB PROGRAMS |
| YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $20,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY SUPPORT |
| LOW INCOME HOUSING INITIATIVE | HUNTSVILLE, AL | $20,000 | 2025 | HOUSING SERVICES |
| INDIAN SPRINGS SCHOOL | INDIAN SPRINGS, AL | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| VESTAVIA HILLS METHODIST CHURCH | VESTAVIA HILLS, AL | $15,000 | 2025 | CHURCH |
| GIRLS INC OF CENTRAL ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $15,000 | 2025 | MENTORING OF GIRLS |
| CAHABA RIVER SOCIETY | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $15,000 | 2025 | RESTORING AND PROTECTING WATERSHED |
| WEST ALABAMA FOOD BANK | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $15,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| ALABAMA RIVERS ALLIANCE | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION WORK |
| PRISM UNITED | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | LGBTQ SUPPORT |
| CASA OF JEFFERSON COUNTY | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE COURT APPOINTED ADVOCATES |
| KID ONE TRANSPORT | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL TRANSPORT |
| THE KNIGHTS AND ORCHIDS SOCIETY | SELMA, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | BLACK TRANS SUPPORT |
| VOICES FOR ALABAMAS CHILDREN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY OUTREACH |
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF AUTAUGACHI
$50,000HOUSING ASSISTANCE
ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NET
$50,000PROMOTING AGRICULTURE
ALABAMA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW AN
$30,000RACIAL JUSTICE
UAB O'NEAL CANCER CENTER
$20,000CANCER TREATMENT CENTER
MOBILE BAYKEEPER
$10,000DEFEND AND REVIVE WATER HEALTH
YOUR TOWN ALABAMA
$10,000COMMUNITY LEADER WORKSHOP
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL AL
$10,000FOOD BANK
BRIDGE MINISTRIES
$10,000MINISTRY SUPPORT
LOW INCOME HOUSING INITIATIVE
$10,000HOUSING SERVICES
ALABAMA CASA NETWORK
$10,000ADVOCATE FOR ABUSED CHILDREN
CAHABA RIVER COALITION
$10,000WATERSHED PROTECTION & CONSERVATION
LEADERHIP BIRMINGHAM
$10,000EDUCATING COMMUNITY LEADERS
THE CRISIS CENTER
$10,000HOTLINE SUPPORT SERVICE
ALABAMA INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIN
$10,000ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR AIDB PROGRAMS
BLANKET FORT HOPE
$5,000HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SUPPORT
BLACK WARRIOR RIVERKEEPER INC
$5,000PROTECT AND RESTORE BLACK WARRIOR RI
URBAN MINISTRY
$5,000COMMUNITY SUPPORT
ALABAMA PUBLIC RADIO
$5,000STUDENT RADIO BROADCAST TRAINING
COOSA RIVERKEEPER
$5,000PROTECT AND RESTORE COOSA RIVER
EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS
$50,000CHILDREN AND FAMILY SUPPORT
ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NET
$50,000PROMOTING AGRICULTURE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF AUTAUGACHI
$50,000HOUSING ASSISTANCE
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN ALABAMA
$25,000CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CONTROL
ALABAMA INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIN
$20,000ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR AIDB PROGRAMS
YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM
$20,000COMMUNITY SUPPORT
LOW INCOME HOUSING INITIATIVE
$20,000HOUSING SERVICES
VESTAVIA HILLS METHODIST CHURCH
$15,000CHURCH
CAHABA RIVER SOCIETY
$15,000RESTORING AND PROTECTING WATERSHED
PRISM UNITED
$10,000LGBTQ SUPPORT
CASA OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
$10,000PROVIDE COURT APPOINTED ADVOCATES
KID ONE TRANSPORT
$10,000MEDICAL TRANSPORT