The Isdell Family Foundation gives like a mission-driven family foundation with a strong conservation bent, pairing major support for global wildlife and biodiversity organizations with a smaller but consistent cluster of Atlanta-area civic and youth-serving nonprofits. A notable second thread is South Africa-linked giving, especially the University of Cape Town and African conservation groups, suggesting personal or place-based ties as well as an interest in education and research. Most gifts are repeat support to a relatively small set of organizations, often over multiple grants, rather than a wide dispersion of one-time awards.
A $2.1 million unrestricted grant to See (Schedule) in 2023 signals how The Isdell Family Foundation operates: it makes a small number of large awards, often with general-purpose terms, and pairs international conservation with Atlanta-area education and animal welfare. The foundation’s recent grants also show repeated support for a few trusted partners. American Friends of Birdlife International received $381,815 in 2024 and $879,328 in 2025, while Atlanta Humane Society was funded at $130,000 in 2024 and $330,000 in 2025. That pattern points to long-running relationships rather than one-off gifts. In the education and community side of the portfolio, Pace Academy received $100,000 in 2024 and $560,800 in 2025, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta appears in consecutive years as well. The grant list combines U.S. institutions with conservation and higher-education support that reaches beyond Georgia, including the University of Cape Town Fund and The Nature Conservancy of Africa. Overall, the foundation’s recent activity centers on conservation, education, and animal welfare through sizable grants rather than broad, high-volume giving.
International conservation is a major thread in the portfolio. In 2025, The Isdell Family Foundation gave $879,328 to American Friends of Birdlife International for general support, and it also backed World Wildlife with a $250,000 grant. Georgia land and river protection also appears repeatedly: The Nature Conservancy of GA received $275,000 in 2025 and $200,000 in 2024, while Georgia River Network received $60,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in 2024. Education is another clear area of support, with Pace Academy receiving $560,800 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024. The foundation also funded the University South Carolina with $20,000 in 2025 and Fernbank Museum of Natural History with $210,000 in 2025.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $70,000 at the median, and $210,000 at the 75th percentile, which fits a strategy built around relatively large awards. The recent record shows repeated support across years for several recipients, including BirdLife-affiliated conservation, Atlanta education, and animal-welfare organizations, rather than a one-time model. The grants shown are all general or unrestricted in purpose, with one unrestricted award listed in 2023. It also appears to rely on direct grantmaking rather than program-related investments, and it does not fund individuals.
$2.5M
$10.2M
$1.7M
$2.6M
Most grants fall between $25K and $200K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$200K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in GA.
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Concentrated giving to a core portfolio of repeat grantees, with many organizations receiving multiple grants over time and several six-figure commitments. The foundation appears to favor multi-year, general operating support for a mix of global conservation groups and a smaller circle of Atlanta-based nonprofits.
Notable grantees: American Friends of Birdlife International, University of Cape Town Fund, The Nature Conservancy of GA, Pace Academy, Atlanta Botanical Garden
All of the recent grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients. Georgia is the top state by grant count, with many awards landing in Atlanta and nearby cities such as Athens and some statewide conservation groups. Atlanta appears often across the list, including grants to Atlanta-based education, animal welfare, botanical, museum, and conservation organizations. Outside Georgia, New York City appears through the University of Cape Town Fund and American Friends of Birdlife International, while Washington, DC and Bellingham, WA also appear among recipients.
Recent grants support international bird and habitat conservation, Georgia land and river preservation, Atlanta animal welfare, and independent K–12 and higher-education institutions. Named recipients include conservation groups, schools, museums, and humane services organizations, with several grants marked general support.
Yes. The recent record shows repeat support for several recipients across 2024 and 2025, including American Friends of Birdlife International, Atlanta Humane Society, The Nature Conservancy of GA, Pace Academy, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia River Network, and Trees for Atlanta.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $70,000 at the median, and $210,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger gifts in the hundreds of thousands and one multi-million-dollar unrestricted grant.
Georgia is the top state by grant count. Atlanta is the most common city in the grant list, with additional grants reaching Athens and statewide Georgia organizations, while all recent grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace Academy | Atlanta, GA | $550,800 | 2026 | General |
| Friends of South Georgia Island | Carbondale, CO | $500,000 | 2026 | General |
| American Friends of Birdlife International | New York, NY | $359,883 | 2026 | General |
| Fernbank Museum of Natural History | Atlanta, GA | $250,000 | 2026 | General |
| Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2026 | General |
| Atlanta Humane Society | Atlanta, GA | $150,000 | 2026 | General |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $120,000 | 2026 | General |
| Skyland Trails Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | General |
| Georgia River Network | Athens, GA | $60,000 | 2026 | General |
| The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | Atlanta, GA | $45,000 | 2026 | General |
| Trust for Public Land | Los Angeles, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| Wildlife Media | Bellingham, WA | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| Trees for Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Captain Planet Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| The Nature Conservancy of GA | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| University South Carolina | Columbia, SC | $20,000 | 2026 | General |
| Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Path Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| American Friends of Birdlife International | New York, NY | $879,328 | 2025 | General |
| Pace Academy | Atlanta, GA | $560,800 | 2025 | General |
| Atlanta Humane Society | Atlanta, GA | $330,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Nature Conservancy of GA | Atlanta, GA | $275,000 | 2025 | General |
| World Wildlife | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | General |
| Fernbank Museum of Natural History | Atlanta, GA | $210,000 | 2025 | General |
| Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Nature Conservancy of Africa | Arlington, VA | $200,000 | 2025 | General |
| Skyland Trails Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $95,000 | 2025 | General |
| Georgia River Network | Athens, GA | $60,000 | 2025 | General |
| Wildlife Media | Bellingham, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Innternational | Atlanta, GA | $40,000 | 2025 | General |
| Captain Planet Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| Trees for Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| World Parrot Trust | Traavelers Rest, SC | $20,000 | 2025 | General |
| University South Carolina | Columbia, SC | $20,000 | 2025 | General |
| Path Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | General |
| Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper | Atlanta, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| University of Cape Town Fund | New York, NY | $1,500,000 | 2024 | General |
| American Friends of Birdlife International | New York, NY | $381,815 | 2024 | General |
| Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta, GA | $250,000 | 2024 | General |
| Fernbank Museum of Natural History | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2024 | General |
| The Nature Conservancy of GA | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2024 | General |
| Atlanta Humane Society | Atlanta, GA | $130,000 | 2024 | General |
| Pace Academy | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $70,000 | 2024 | General |
| Wildlife Media | Bellingham, WA | $50,000 | 2024 | General |
| Georgia River Network | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | General |
| The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | Atlanta, GA | $35,000 | 2024 | General |
| Trees for Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2024 | General |
| Captain Planet Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 2024 | General |
Pace Academy
$550,800General
Friends of South Georgia Island
$500,000General
American Friends of Birdlife International
$359,883General
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
$250,000General
Atlanta Humane Society
$150,000General
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$120,000General
Skyland Trails Atlanta
$100,000General
Georgia River Network
$60,000General
Wildlife Media
$30,000General
The Nature Conservancy of GA
$25,000General
University South Carolina
$20,000General
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
$15,000General
American Friends of Birdlife International
$879,328General
Pace Academy
$560,800General
Atlanta Humane Society
$330,000General
The Nature Conservancy of GA
$275,000General
World Wildlife
$250,000General
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
$210,000General
Skyland Trails Atlanta
$100,000General
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$95,000General
Georgia River Network
$60,000General
Wildlife Media
$50,000General
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Innternational
$40,000General
University South Carolina
$20,000General
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
$10,000General
American Friends of Birdlife International
$381,815General
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
$200,000General
The Nature Conservancy of GA
$200,000General
Pace Academy
$100,000General
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$70,000General
Wildlife Media
$50,000General
Georgia River Network
$50,000General