About Rapides Foundation
To improve the health status of Central Louisiana.
Focus Areas
Healthcare accessBehavioral health integrationTobacco prevention and cessationSubstance and alcohol abuse preventionHealthy eating and active livingEducation (early childhood, effective schools, career readiness)Economic development and workforce developmentNonprofit capacity building and leadership developmentMedication accessCancer screening / early detection
Who They Fund
young children / early learners and their familiesK-12 students (including school readiness & effective schools)
About Rapides Foundation
The Rapides Foundation’s largest recent grant was $5,343,750 to the Rapides Parish School Board for the 2025-2028 Rapides Early Childhood Network ECE Funding Access Program. That award signals the foundation’s core pattern: long-running, multi-year support for Central Louisiana institutions that work on early childhood access, school readiness, and related community systems. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs school boards, health access providers, workforce builders, and regional intermediaries rather than one-off projects alone. The foundation also made major commitments to education and regional capacity through The Orchard Foundation, including $4,308,154 for increasing educational attainment and achievement and a later $587,100 college and career readiness grant. In health, it has supported Cmap Express with grants for patient assistance, medication access, primary care access, cancer detection, and healthy lifestyle programming. Its portfolio also reaches into healthcare training, including support for nursing, sonography, and surgical technology pathways. The repeated presence of public institutions, community organizations, and regional development groups shows a funder focused on place-based change in Central Louisiana.
What Rapides Foundation Funds
Early childhood and K-12 education are central to the foundation’s grantmaking. It awarded $3,103,165 to the Natchitoches Parish School Board for 2025-2028 early childhood education funds, and $634,700 to the same grantee for 2024-2025 ECE community engagement and access matching grants. The Rapides Parish School Board also received $1,880,000 for 2024-2025 ECE community engagement and access matching grants. Healthcare access appears in several forms. Cmap Express received $1,589,608 for a pharmacy and patient assistance program and $544,619 to improve primary care access and promote early cancer detection. Workforce development is another theme: Northwestern State University received $719,600 to increase the BSN workforce in Alexandria by expanding clinical admissions, plus $675,000 to establish a sonography education program. Regional economic development also received support through a $2,000,000 grant to Central Louisiana Technical Community.
How Rapides Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $58,133, a median of $142,000, and a p75 of $336,748, with several multimillion-dollar awards at the top end. The grant list shows repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years, including school systems, The Orchard Foundation, Cmap Express, Louisiana Central, and Northwestern State University. That pattern points to sustained, programmatic funding rather than isolated awards. The foundation is a Public Charity, qualifies as a Regular Funder, and also makes program-related investments. Grants are local in scope and heavily concentrated in Louisiana.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$16.5M
Total Assets
$363.1M
Total Revenue
$10.3M
Total Expenses
$12.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $58K and $337K, with a median of $142K.
25th Percentile
$58K
Median
$142K
75th Percentile
$337K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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