Chisholm Foundation

The Chisholm Foundation is a long-established private family foundation incorporated in August 1961 by Alexander F. Chisholm, a businessman, philanthropist, and churchman of Laurel, Mississippi. Now in its third generation of family stewardship — led by President John L. Lindsey, Treasurer Alexander C. Lindsey, and Secretary Nathan E. Saint Amand — the foundation has maintained three immutable program pillars: education, the arts, and religion. Officers receive no compensation, signaling a volunteer-led, values-driven board rather than a professionally staffed institutional operation.

The foundation's asset base has expanded dramatically, from $19.1 million in 2011 to $82 million by 2024, including a transformative $30.5 million contribution received in fiscal year 2023 alone. This capital growth — a 63% single-year jump — positions the foundation for sustained elevated grantmaking well into the late 2020s, making it a more consequential funder than its modest public profile suggests.

The foundation accepts applications from anywhere in the United States but retains a particular affinity for Mississippi-based organizations. Documented grantees span New York, Mississippi, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Washington state, indicating genuine national reach. Mississippi applicants benefit from board familiarity and established local relationships, but the pool is clearly not restricted to regional organizations.

The defining strategic preference is for new or demonstration projects — initiatives that prove a model and then attract additional funders to scale it. Operational support for existing programs and capital campaigns are typically lower priorities. Seed-stage work, pilot programs, and proof-of-concept projects align most naturally with the board's philosophy. The foundation also explicitly favors matching gift and challenge grant structures, which leverage its dollars and validate projects through third-party institutional endorsement.

The typical relationship pathway begins with an optional inquiry letter — a one-to-two page brief outline of the proposal sent to the Directors. This step is explicitly encouraged for first-time applicants and allows the foundation to quickly signal interest, sparing applicants the effort of a full submission when fit is absent. If the inquiry generates interest, a full narrative application follows. There is no formal portal or prescribed application form; submissions are sent by mail to P.O. Box 2766, Laurel, MS 39442 or by email to info@chisholmfoundation.org.

Competition is real: only a small fraction of received applications are funded in any given cycle, and strong proposals may be deferred to a subsequent year rather than declined outright. Patience and persistence across consecutive cycles is a viable long-term strategy.

The Chisholm Foundation operates two grant cycles annually, distributing awards in approximately May and November. Grants paid have grown substantially over 13 years of available data: $1.95 million in fiscal year 2011, rising to a peak of $5.93 million in 2021, with $4.44 million paid in 2023 and an estimated $5.9 million in charitable disbursements for 2024. Total giving (grants plus other qualifying charitable expenditures) consistently runs 15-20% above grants paid, bringing aggregate annual outflows to $5-7 million in recent years.

Award sizes range from $2,500 at the documented floor to $155,929 at the upper ceiling. With 180 awards distributed in fiscal year 2022 against $4.61 million in grants paid, the implied average grant was approximately $25,600. In 2013, 136 awards against $2.09 million in grants paid implies an average of roughly $15,400 — indicating that both the number of grantees and the average award size have grown meaningfully over time. The median grant likely falls in the $15,000–$30,000 range, though larger awards clearly exist given the documented upper bound.

Program area allocation is not publicly disclosed in 990 filings, where all grantees are reported as 'See Schedule Attached.' Based on the three stated pillars — education, arts, and religion — the distribution spans all three focus areas. Education historically attracts the largest share of private family foundation giving in this sector, but the foundation's roots in the churchman tradition of its founder suggest religion receives meaningful allocation as well.

Geographic patterns show a national portfolio with a Southern and Mississippi anchor. Confirmed recipient states include Mississippi, New York, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Washington state. Mississippi organizations carry a relational advantage from the board's home-state ties, but do not appear to monopolize the grantmaking pool.

The financial trajectory is compelling: assets grew from $38.3 million in 2020 to $82 million in 2024, a compound annual growth rate of approximately 21%. At the standard 5% private foundation minimum distribution on $82 million in assets, annual grantmaking should sustain at $4.1 million at minimum. Given the foundation's consistent track record of exceeding that threshold, applicants can reasonably expect annual giving in the $4.5–$6 million range through at least 2026.

The Chisholm Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among Southern private foundations: large enough to fund significant multi-year projects (with an $82M asset base and nearly $6M in annual giving) yet maintaining the operational simplicity and family character typical of a much smaller grantmaker. The table below compares it to regional and thematic peers active in overlapping focus areas. Peer figures are approximate, drawn from recent public 990 filings.

Chisholm stands out as the most accessible option in this peer set: unlike the Phil Hardin Foundation and the Lyndhurst Foundation — both of which require an invitation — Chisholm accepts unsolicited applications from qualifying organizations nationwide. Its three focus pillars are narrower than a community foundation but more consistent and predictable than many peer foundations that shift priorities with political or social trends. For organizations working in education, arts, or religion — particularly those with matching commitments or a demonstration project model — Chisholm represents a genuinely open-access pathway to grants in the $25,000–$155,000 range from a stable, multigenerational board that has not fundamentally changed its mission in 65 years of operation.

No press releases, news articles, or public announcements specific to The Chisholm Foundation of Laurel, Mississippi were identified in web searches for 2025 or 2026. This is consistent with the foundation's characteristically low public profile: the foundation's website carries a 'last updated June 2010' notation, and the organization maintains no apparent social media presence. The foundation does not issue press releases, publish annual reports publicly, or list grantee names on its website — making it one of the more opaque mid-sized foundations in the sector.

The most actionable recent data comes from ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Instrumentl, which aggregate IRS 990 filings through fiscal year 2024. Leadership as of the most recent filing consists of President John L. Lindsey, Treasurer Alexander C. Lindsey, and Secretary Nathan E. Saint Amand — three officers receiving no compensation, consistent with a volunteer-run family enterprise in its third generation.

The single most significant recent development is the fiscal year 2023 financial event: contributions received jumped from $1.5 million in FY2022 to $30.5 million in FY2023, driving total assets from $47.4 million to $77.3 million — a 63% single-year increase. The source of this contribution is not publicly disclosed in the 990 filing. By fiscal year 2024, assets reached approximately $82 million and charitable disbursements climbed to an estimated $5.9 million.

This capital event is the most important recent development for prospective applicants: it signals that the foundation has substantially expanded resources and may be actively deploying them at increased levels to meet minimum distribution requirements on the larger asset base through 2025 and 2026.

Start with an inquiry letter. The Chisholm Foundation explicitly offers and encourages this step for organizations that have not previously applied or that want a faster preliminary response. Keep the inquiry to one to two pages: briefly describe the organization, articulate the project and its direct connection to education, arts, or religion, state the dollar amount needed, and note any matching funders already committed. Send to info@chisholmfoundation.org or mail to P.O. Box 2766, Laurel, MS 39442. This step spares both parties effort when fit is absent.

Respect the two-deadline structure. Submit by March 1 for spring (May) decisions and by September 1 for fall (November) decisions. The guidelines specifically warn applicants to plan submissions well in advance of actual funding need — meaning review may extend several weeks beyond the stated decision month.

Lead with innovation, not operations. The board's stated preference is for 'new or demonstration projects which, if successful, can be continued and expanded with the help of additional financial supporters.' Do not frame requests as general operating support, ongoing program continuation, or endowment contributions. Instead, describe a discrete initiative with a defined timeline, measurable outcomes, and a clear path to sustainability or replication after Chisholm's support ends.

Build in a matching or challenge grant component. The foundation explicitly encourages applicants to 'seek matching gifts or challenge grants that can magnify Foundation funds.' Even a soft board match — 'our trustees have committed 1:2 matching contingent on external funding' — demonstrates organizational investment and credibility to a volunteer board that prizes leverage.

Include all required materials on first submission. The application requires: (1) project description and narrative, (2) organization summary with current officers and all board members, (3) line-item budget with timeline, (4) exact grant amount requested, (5) list of all other funders and pending proposals for this project, (6) copy of IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, and (7) published brochures or materials about the project or organization. Missing any of these invites delay.

Accept deferral as a positive signal. The foundation explicitly notes that 'worthwhile applications may be deferred to a subsequent year.' A deferral is not a rejection — reapply in the following cycle with updated project milestones and any new matching commitments secured since the original submission.