This foundation concentrates almost exclusively on supporting Mobile, Alabama’s cultural life and built heritage, with heavy emphasis on Mardi Gras institutions and downtown historic restoration. The bulk of funding is directed to a few local organizations — especially the Mobile Carnival Association — with occasional grants to local private education and heritage projects. Their giving reinforces traditional civic rituals and downtown preservation that sustain Mobile’s tourism and community identity.
Concentrated, locally focused giving: several large grants to a small set of repeat grantees (majority of funds to Mobile Carnival Association) alongside consistent six-figure awards to downtown preservation and a local private school. Predominantly single-year large gifts aimed at sustaining core cultural and heritage institutions.
The David J Cooper Family Charitable Foundation Inc. gives in a very specific local lane: Mobile, Alabama’s Mardi Gras institutions, historic restoration work, and a small set of civic and educational nonprofits. Its largest recent grant, $600,000 in 2025 to the Mobile Carnival Association, signals how central carnival tradition is to the foundation’s identity. The same pattern appears in other large awards to MAMGA - Nineteen Thirty Eight Legacy, the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association, and the Mobile Carnival Museum, all of them tied to the city’s parade culture and public-facing heritage. The foundation also backs preservation work that supports downtown Mobile’s built environment, including the Dauphin Street Restoration Society and the Historic Restoration Society. Alongside that core emphasis, it makes selective grants to local private education and nearby institutions such as UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Christ Church Cathedral, and the University of Alabama. The result is a grant portfolio anchored in place-based civic memory: supporting the organizations that shape how Mobile celebrates, preserves, and presents itself.
A major thread in the foundation’s giving is Mardi Gras and carnival tradition in Mobile. It awarded $150,000 in 2025 to Mamga - Nineteen Thirty Eight Legacy and $100,000 in 2024 to the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association, both unrestricted. The Mobile Carnival Museum also received $40,000 in 2024 and $20,000 in 2025, indicating continued support for institutions that interpret and preserve the city’s carnival culture. Preservation is another recurring lane. The foundation gave $100,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025 to the Dauphin Street Restoration Society, plus $100,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2023 to the Historic Restoration Society. It also supported Christ Church Cathedral with $95,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2023, showing attention to historic buildings that anchor Mobile’s civic landscape. Education appears as a smaller but consistent theme. UMS-Wright Preparatory School received $100,000 in 2023 and $15,000 in 2024, while the University of Alabama and its Culverhouse College of Business also appear among recent awards.
The typical grant size is modest, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $2,000, and a p75 of $10,000. The top of the distribution is much larger, however, with multiple six-figure awards concentrated in a handful of local recipients. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: several organizations appear across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including the Mobile Carnival Association, Dauphin Street Restoration Society, Historic Restoration Society, Christ Church Cathedral, UMS-Wright Preparatory School, and Madison Ridgeland Academy. The foundation is a private family foundation, makes unrestricted grants, and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$1.3M
$17.5M
$3.9M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $1K and $10K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$10K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: Mobile Carnival Association, MAMGA - Nineteen Thirty Eight Legacy / MAMGA Nineteen Thirty Eight, Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association, Dauphin Street Restoration Society, Historic Restoration Society
Giving is overwhelmingly centered in Alabama, with 78% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and the top state by grant count also Alabama. Mobile is the main recipient city, including awards to the Mobile Carnival Association, the Dauphin Street Restoration Society, and the Mobile Carnival Museum. Outside Alabama, the foundation’s recent grants reach Madison, Mississippi; Peachtree City, Georgia; and Highlands, North Carolina, but those appear far less frequently than Mobile-area recipients.
Recent grants show a strong concentration in Mobile, Alabama’s Mardi Gras organizations, historic preservation groups, and a smaller set of local education and civic institutions. Named recipients include the Mobile Carnival Association, the Dauphin Street Restoration Society, the Historic Restoration Society, UMS-Wright Preparatory School, and Christ Church Cathedral.
Its grant sizes are usually small, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $2,000, and a p75 of $10,000. The distribution also includes larger awards, including several six-figure grants in the recent list.
Yes, but infrequently. The recipient distribution is 78% in Alabama, and the recent grants list also includes recipients in Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina, such as Madison Ridgeland Academy, Phi Mu Foundation, and Vision Cashiers.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, which indicates recurring support. Examples in the recent grants list include the Mobile Carnival Association in 2023, 2024, and 2025, plus Dauphin Street Restoration Society, Historic Restoration Society, Christ Church Cathedral, UMS-Wright Preparatory School, and Madison Ridgeland Academy across more than one year.
The foundation’s recent grants are marked unrestricted, and it is listed as making no grants to individuals and no program-related investments. That points to flexible charitable support rather than restricted project-only funding.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOBILE CARNIVAL ASSOCIATION | MOBILE, AL | $600,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAMGA - NINETEEN THIRTY EIGHT LEGACY | MOBILE, AL | $150,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DAUPHIN RESTORATIN SOCIETY | MOBILE, AL | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAMGA NINETEEN THIRTY EIGH | MOBILE, AL | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE UNIV OF ALABAMA | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $58,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE BIG BAND SOCIETY | MOBILE, AL | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CULVERHOUSE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $27,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MADISON RIDGELAND ACADEMY | MADISON, MS | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| VISION CASHIERS | HIGHLANDS, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM | MOBILE, AL | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNITED WAY | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HIGHLAND CASHIERS HEALTH FOUNDATION | HIGHLANDS, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| INFIRMARY FDN | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | BREVARD, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAMGA NINTEEN THIRTY EIGHT | MOBILE, AL | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FUND MCGILL TOOLEN CATH HS | MOBILE, AL | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITY MOBILE | MOBILE, AL | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UMS WRIGHT | MOBILE, AL | $4,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHATTOOGA CLUB EMPLOYEE SC | CASHIERS, NC | $3,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SALVATION ARMY | MOBILE, AL | $2,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE AREA COUNCIL BSA | MOBILE, AL | $1,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRAGG MITCHELL MANSION | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CONDE CHARLOTTE MUSEUM | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHRIST CH CATHEDRAL | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| USS BATTLESHIP FDN | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST IGNATIUS CATHOLIC PARIS | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JOHN ED MATHISON LEADERSHI | MONTGOMERY, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITY MOBILE | MOBILE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| IMPACT 100 BALDWIN CO | FAIRHOPE, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SHRINERS HOSPITAL | TAMPA, FL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MCKEMIE PL | MOBILE, AL | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BELLA VOICE OF MOBILE | MOBILE, AL | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GLENVILLE CASHIERS RESCUE | CASHIERS, NC | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST JUDE RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ALZHEIMERS ASSN | HOUSTON, TX | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE CARNIVAL ASSOCIATION | MOBILE, AL | $204,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DAUPHIN STREET RESTORATION SOCIETY | MOBILE, AL | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE AREA MARDI GRAS ASSOCIATION | MOBILE, AL | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HISTORIC RESTORATION SOCIETY | MOBILE, AL | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL | MOBILE, AL | $95,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PHI MU FOUNDATION | PEACHTREE CITY, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM | MOBILE, AL | $40,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MADISON RIDGELAND ACADEMY | MADISON, MS | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UMS-WRIGHT PREPARATORY SCHOOL | MOBILE, AL | $15,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HIGHLAND CASHIERS HEALTH FOUNDATION | HIGHLANDS, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
MAMGA - NINETEEN THIRTY EIGHT LEGACY
$150,000UNRESTRICTED
DAUPHIN RESTORATIN SOCIETY
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
MAMGA NINETEEN THIRTY EIGH
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
THE UNIV OF ALABAMA
$58,000UNRESTRICTED
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
MOBILE BIG BAND SOCIETY
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CULVERHOUSE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
$27,000UNRESTRICTED
VISION CASHIERS
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
HIGHLAND CASHIERS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
INFIRMARY FDN
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MAMGA NINTEEN THIRTY EIGHT
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
FUND MCGILL TOOLEN CATH HS
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
COMMUNITY MOBILE
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
CHATTOOGA CLUB EMPLOYEE SC
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
SALVATION ARMY
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
MOBILE AREA COUNCIL BSA
$1,500UNRESTRICTED
BRAGG MITCHELL MANSION
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
CONDE CHARLOTTE MUSEUM
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
CHRIST CH CATHEDRAL
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
USS BATTLESHIP FDN
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
ST IGNATIUS CATHOLIC PARIS
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
JOHN ED MATHISON LEADERSHI
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
COMMUNITY MOBILE
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
IMPACT 100 BALDWIN CO
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
SHRINERS HOSPITAL
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
MCKEMIE PL
$500UNRESTRICTED
BELLA VOICE OF MOBILE
$500UNRESTRICTED
GLENVILLE CASHIERS RESCUE
$500UNRESTRICTED
ST JUDE RESEARCH HOSPITAL
$500UNRESTRICTED
ALZHEIMERS ASSN
$500UNRESTRICTED
DAUPHIN STREET RESTORATION SOCIETY
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
MOBILE AREA MARDI GRAS ASSOCIATION
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
$95,000UNRESTRICTED
PHI MU FOUNDATION
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM
$40,000UNRESTRICTED