Cousins Foundation Inc.

Cousins Foundation Inc. is a family-governed private foundation established by Atlanta real estate developer Tom Cousins in 1963, rooted in the Christian principle of Matthew 25:40 — serving those most in need. After more than six decades of giving, the foundation has sharpened its lens toward communities bearing the brunt of systemic racism, operating as a trust-based funder that values authentic, long-term relationships over transactional grantmaking.

The foundation explicitly funds general operating support, programs, and capital projects, making it more flexible than many funders of comparable size. All grants flow through a structured two-cycle annual process: an online Letter of Intent (submitted via the GrantInterface portal), staff review for alignment, optional staff call, potential full application invitation, an in-person site visit at the applicant's location, and finally a board decision informed by the Grants Advisory Committee. The sequential nature of this process means early-stage relationship credibility with program staff is essential — the board receives staff and committee recommendations, not raw applications.

First-time applicants should understand that this is not a fully open RFP. The foundation's database status of 'preselected only' signals that a meaningful share of grantees are known to staff before the LOI window opens. Organizations new to the portfolio should explicitly demonstrate connection to the three priority neighborhoods: the Carver cluster in South Atlanta, East Lake, and Grove Park. Work outside Metro Atlanta is considered only for communities of personal importance to the Cousins family, which historically includes Florida and occasional national-reach organizations.

Leadership is multi-generational: founder Tom Cousins, President Lillian C. Giornelli (his daughter), Vice President William C. Wren, and family trustees Grady and Ann D. Cousins. Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin serves as trustee, anchoring the foundation's civic identity. The grantee roster — Leap Year, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, East Lake Foundation, Focused Community Strategies — reveals a preference for neighborhood-transformation organizations embedded in specific Atlanta communities, not single-service citywide providers. With FY2024 grants paid of $1.335M from a $61.1M endowment, competition for a small number of grants in each bi-annual cycle is genuine.

Cousins Foundation Inc.'s grantmaking has undergone significant contraction since its 2020 peak. Grants paid reached $3.85M in FY2020 and $3.11M in FY2019, elevated by exceptional investment returns ($6.78M net investment income in FY2019, $4.0M in FY2020) and higher contributions received. By FY2024, grants paid had declined to $1.335M — a payout rate of roughly 2.2% against $61.1M in assets, below the IRS-mandated 5% minimum for private foundations. Total giving (including program-related expenditures) was $1.385M in FY2024 and $2.551M in FY2023, showing a modest recovery but remaining well below the $3.5M–$5.0M range seen from 2019–2021.

Individual grant sizes span a wide range. Foundation data across 24 recent grants shows a median grant of $28,750, an average of $99,583, and a range of $10,000 to $1,250,000. The gap between median and average reveals a bimodal distribution: many grants in the $20,000–$50,000 tier alongside a smaller cohort of significant awards. From recorded grantee data (44 grants, $2,930,250 total, average $66,597), the $50,000–$100,000 band is most common. Top awards include Oglethorpe University ($200,000), High Museum of Art ($125,000), and at least six organizations at exactly $100,000 (Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Paw Kids, Leap Year, Next Generation Men & Women). Smaller grants of $20,000–$25,000 went to Urban Clinic of Atlanta, Good Samaritan Health Center, Kids-Doc-On-Wheels, and Presbyterian Heritage Center.

Geographically, 79% of recorded grants flow to Georgia-based organizations (35 of 44), with the remainder distributed across Florida (4), Texas (2), and one each in DC, NC, and WA — the out-of-state giving appears tied to family legacy relationships. By program area, education and youth development dominate (Purpose Built Schools, Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Leap Year), followed by social services (Salvation Army, Covenant House, Wellspring Living, New American Pathways), arts (High Museum, National Black Arts Festival, Flux Projects), and health (Shepherd Center Foundation, Good Samaritan Health Center).

The table below compares Cousins Foundation Inc. with its sister entity and three other notable Atlanta-area funders. Asset and giving figures for peer foundations are approximate, drawn from public Form 990 filings and foundation profiles.

Cousins Foundation Inc. occupies a distinct niche: smaller in scale than Woodruff or Blank, but more relationship-accessible for neighborhood-embedded Metro Atlanta nonprofits. Its sister entity CF Foundation, Inc. — a public charity established in 1997 — operates through the same staff and application portal, and organizations that do not qualify for the private foundation may find CF Foundation a viable parallel track. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta offers a competitive open-grant alternative for organizations whose work spans beyond Cousins Foundation's three priority neighborhoods.

The Cousins Foundations (both entities combined) reported 80 grants totaling $6.5M in 2025, with lifetime giving reaching 3,444 grants since 1963. This figure encompasses both Cousins Foundation Inc. (the private foundation, EIN 58-6043765) and CF Foundation, Inc. (the public charity sister entity), which share staff, mission, and the same application portal.

For Cousins Foundation Inc. specifically, FY2024 Form 990-PF data shows total assets grew to $61.1M from $55.8M in FY2023 — an increase of approximately $5.3M — driven by $1.76M in net investment income. This asset recovery, up from a low of $51.6M in FY2022, may support modestly increased grantmaking as the foundation works toward minimum payout compliance.

The Spring 2026 cycle is currently in progress: LOI submissions opened January 19, 2026, the LOI window is now closed, full applications are due May 15, 2026, and the board meets June 4, 2026. The Fall 2026 cycle opens for LOI submissions July 13, 2026, with a November 6 application deadline and December 2 board meeting.

No major leadership changes were identified in recent research. Lillian C. Giornelli remains President, Tiffany Padolsky serves as Secretary/Treasurer (contact: tpadolsky@cffdn.org), and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Dana Jackson continue as trustees. No new program launches or formal strategy pivots were announced for 2025–2026, though the foundation's updated mission statement reflects a sharper racial equity framing than prior years.

The single most important factor for new applicants is geographic alignment. Cousins Foundation Inc. explicitly prioritizes three Atlanta neighborhoods: the Carver cluster in South Atlanta, East Lake, and Grove Park. If your organization's direct service footprint includes any of these zones, state it in the LOI's opening paragraph — not buried in a program description. If you serve a different part of Metro Atlanta, you must make a compelling case that your work is 'important to the family,' the foundation's language for considering exceptions.

Frame your theory of change using holistic, root-cause language aligned with the foundation's documented values. The foundation funds initiatives addressing systemic equity gaps, not crisis response alone. Phrases that resonate with their documented framing include 'root causes of social and economic disparities,' 'equitable access to resources,' 'structural barriers to economic mobility,' and language echoing Matthew 25:40's call to serve 'the least of these.' Avoid framing your organization primarily as a service provider without connecting services to long-term neighborhood transformation.

The LOI must cover four specific items that staff review for alignment: (1) geographic area served, (2) population served, (3) focus of the funding request, and (4) basic organizational information. Keep it factually precise — staff use it as a filter, not a sales document. Submitting outside the open window will not be received; the Fall 2026 portal opens July 13, 2026.

If your LOI is deferred to a future cycle rather than declined, treat this as a low-key invitation to deepen engagement. Follow up respectfully to confirm the deferral and ask whether a courtesy call with program staff would be appropriate — the foundation explicitly notes it 'may request a call to learn more.' Building staff familiarity before reapplying is a meaningful strategic advantage.

When invited to full application, prepare immediately for an in-person site visit at your organization's location. Identify which program staff and leadership will participate, have program outcome data and financials ready to present, and ensure your physical space communicates organizational health. For grant sizing, first-time applicants should target the $50,000–$100,000 range, which aligns with the most common award tier in grantee records. Requests above $100,000 appear reserved for anchor partners with established multi-year relationships.