The Wendell and Celia Ellis Family Foundation concentrates its giving on faith-based, local community support and a small number of larger institutional gifts. Most dollars flow to a single hometown congregation through repeated unrestricted contributions, with a secondary emphasis on supporting higher education via a sizable gift to Auburn University. Grants appear to focus on general operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Highly concentrated giving: majority of total dollars and many of the 14 grants go to one recurrent grantee (Lester Memorial UMC), supplemented by one large institutional gift to Auburn University and a handful of smaller local grants.
The Wendell and Celia Ellis Family Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated unrestricted support for Lester Memorial United Methodist Church in Oneonta. That congregation appears throughout the grant record at several sizes, alongside a much larger general contribution to Auburn University Foundation and smaller gifts to local civic and charitable groups. The pattern points to a foundation that funds institutions close to home rather than a broad program portfolio. Across the recent grants list, most awards are labeled general contribution, which suggests a preference for flexible support instead of narrowly restricted projects. The largest gift on file is $200,000 to Auburn University Foundation in 2025, while Lester Memorial United Methodist Church received multiple awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025 at $116,000, $60,000, and $50,000 levels. The same local church also received a $1,000 contribution, showing a wide range of grant sizes within the same beneficiary relationship. Other recipients include Oneonta Public Library, Blount County Children’s Center, Samaritan’s Purse, and United Way of Central Alabama, but the foundation’s core pattern remains concentrated in Oneonta and nearby Alabama institutions.
Faith-based support is a central thread. Lester Memorial United Methodist Church in Oneonta received repeated general contributions of $116,000 in 2023, $50,000 in 2024, and multiple $60,000 awards in 2025, indicating a sustained relationship rather than a single project grant. The foundation also backs education in Alabama. Auburn University Foundation received a $200,000 general contribution in 2025, the largest grant in the recent record. Local civic and family-serving organizations appear as well. Oneonta Public Library received $15,000 in 2025, and Blount County Children’s Center received $10,000 in 2025 and $2,000 in 2024. These gifts fit the same general contribution pattern seen elsewhere in the record. A small number of broader charitable gifts are present too, including $5,000 to Samaritan’s Purse in 2023 and $1,500 to United Way of Central Alabama in 2023.
Grant size is clustered around mid-sized gifts: the typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $60,000 at the 75th percentile. The record also includes a larger outlier at $200,000. Most awards are general contributions, pointing to flexible operating support rather than restricted project funding. The pattern is clearly recurring. Lester Memorial United Methodist Church appears in multiple years and at multiple amounts, which indicates an ongoing relationship. The foundation is organized as a family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$996K
$688K
$400K
$475K
Most grants fall between $10K and $60K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$60K
About 91% of grants go to recipients in AL.
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Notable grantees: Lester Memorial United Methodist Church, Auburn University Foundation, Other local religious and community nonprofits in Oneonta/Blount County
Giving is highly local. Ninety percent of grants go to recipients in Alabama, and the top state by grant count is Alabama. Oneonta shows up repeatedly through Lester Memorial United Methodist Church, Oneonta Public Library, and Blount County Children’s Center. Auburn is another Alabama recipient city through Auburn University Foundation. The only non-Alabama recipient cities in the recent list are Boone, North Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama.
The recent record centers on faith-based, educational, and local community organizations. Lester Memorial United Methodist Church, Auburn University Foundation, Oneonta Public Library, Blount County Children’s Center, Samaritan’s Purse, and United Way of Central Alabama all received general contributions.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the mid-range: $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $60,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a $200,000 award, which is notably larger than the rest of the distribution.
Yes. Lester Memorial United Methodist Church received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, including awards of $116,000, $50,000, $60,000, and $1,000. That pattern shows an ongoing relationship rather than one-off support.
Very concentrated. Alabama accounts for 90% of grants, and Alabama is the top state by grant count. The recent grants list is almost entirely made up of Alabama recipients, with one North Carolina recipient appearing in the record.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AUBURN, AL | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ONEONTA PUBLIC LIBRARY | ONEONTA, AL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BLOUNT COUNTY CHILDREN'S CENTER | ONEONTA, AL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BLOUNT COUNTY CHILDREN'S CENTER | ONEONTA, AL | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $116,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $1,500 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | ONEONTA, AL | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$200,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$60,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$60,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$60,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$60,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ONEONTA PUBLIC LIBRARY
$15,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BLOUNT COUNTY CHILDREN'S CENTER
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BLOUNT COUNTY CHILDREN'S CENTER
$2,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$116,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
$1,500GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
LESTER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION