George And Beverly Rawlings Endowment Foundation Inc.

The George and Beverly Rawlings Endowment Foundation is a preselected-only grantmaker with no public application process — a designation that fundamentally shapes how any organization must approach it. This is not a foundation where a cold letter of inquiry or online application form will open doors. The foundation's roots are deeply personal: George Rawlings, who passed away March 16, 2023, at age 77, built both a business empire (The Rawlings Group, 1,600 employees in LaGrange, KY) and a philanthropic legacy grounded in evangelical Christian faith. He co-founded The Rawlings Foundation in 2000 alongside his father, Dr. John Rawlings, specifically to advance the Gospel and Christian education worldwide.

The endowment vehicle (EIN 84-3892154) was established in April 2020 and remained a nominal entity until FY2024, when a $530 million contribution — almost certainly from George Rawlings' estate — transformed it into a $516 million institution. This means the foundation is effectively in its first active grantmaking generation under a board of three: Chairperson Kathleen Madden Barrens, Director Rosendo Usandizaga, and Secretary/Treasurer Kandy Kirchner. Building a direct relationship with these board members is the only realistic pathway to funding.

Organizations with the strongest fit share two characteristics: a mission rooted in Christian faith (ideally youth ministry, evangelical outreach, or Christian higher education), and some geographic or personal connection to LaGrange and Oldham County, Kentucky. Baptist Health La Grange received $3 million from the Rawlings family directly, and Liberty University received multi-million-dollar investments including contributions of rare biblical manuscripts. International Christian organizations operating in countries where The Rawlings Foundation runs camps — Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Philippines, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania — may also find alignment.

For any organization positioned to seek a relationship, the entry point should be through shared networks: Liberty University alumni circles, Baptist Health Foundation leadership, or evangelical ministry networks with Kentucky ties. The Rawlings Company at 112 S First Ave, LaGrange, KY 40031, and the email address therawlingsfoundation@rawlingscompany.com, represent the most direct contact channels while the foundation's governance matures.

The financial history of the George and Beverly Rawlings Endowment Foundation divides cleanly into two eras separated by the founder's March 2023 death.

Pre-endowment phase (FY2019-FY2023): The foundation existed essentially on paper, holding between $1 and $41,508 in total assets across five fiscal years. Total giving over this period amounted to approximately $72,918 — modest distributions that likely funded the operating costs of related ministry activities. Revenue in most years was recorded as $1 (a bookkeeping placeholder), with a single $100,000 contribution in FY2020 generating $58,492 in giving that year.

Post-endowment phase (FY2024): Everything changed. The foundation reported $543.7 million in total revenue, including $530 million in contributions received — the signature of a major estate transfer following George Rawlings' death. Total assets at fiscal year-end stood at $516.4 million, and the foundation disbursed $24 million in charitable distributions (93.9% of total expenses of $25.6 million). Additional investment income included $7.7 million in dividends and $3.7 million from asset sales, suggesting the endowment is already generating substantial returns.

At a 4.7% payout rate on $516M in assets, the foundation slightly trails the IRS-mandated 5% minimum distribution requirement — a pattern common in the first active year of a newly funded endowment as the board establishes grantmaking infrastructure. In year two and beyond, disbursements should approach or exceed $25-26 million annually.

No grantee-level data is publicly available in the current Form 990 filings, meaning the $24M in charitable disbursements for FY2024 cannot be broken down by recipient, program area, or grant size. Given the Rawlings family's documented giving history through The Rawlings Foundation (approximately $75 million to Christian youth camps in 13 countries, Liberty University, and Baptist Health La Grange), the endowment's distributions almost certainly flow heavily toward these same categories: international evangelical youth ministry, Christian higher education, and regional Kentucky healthcare.

The foundation's peers by asset size are all established California and Colorado grantmakers in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category, providing useful context for the Rawlings Endowment's scale and potential trajectory.

The Rawlings Endowment sits in a peer group of half-billion-dollar foundations, but differs sharply in one respect: nearly all its peers are multi-generational institutions with established program staff, published grant guidelines, and active grantmaking histories. The Rawlings Endowment is in its first active year, newly endowed by estate transfer, with an all-volunteer board and no public-facing application infrastructure. The Charles K. Blandin Foundation offers the most instructive comparison — it is geographically focused (rural Minnesota), values-driven, and operates with a defined community mission — a model the Rawlings board may well adopt for LaGrange and Oldham County as it matures.

The defining event in the foundation's recent history is the death of its founder and namesake, George R. Rawlings, on March 16, 2023, at age 77. Liberty University's formal tribute, published March 23, 2023, described him as a "faithful supporter and friend" whose family ties to the university stretched to its founding era through his father, Dr. John Rawlings, an advisor to Liberty founder Jerry Falwell. The John W. Rawlings School of Divinity in the Freedom Tower bears his father's name.

In the years immediately before his death, Rawlings was an active and highly visible philanthropist in LaGrange. In 2018, he and Beverly donated $1 million for the George and Beverly Rawlings Women's Center at Baptist Health La Grange. In 2019, they donated $2 million for the hospital's emergency department renovation — described at the time as the largest single gift Baptist Health La Grange had ever received.

The FY2024 Form 990 filing — the most recent available — reflects the post-death endowment transfer: $530 million in contributions received, pushing total assets to $516.4 million and enabling $24 million in disbursements. No press releases or public announcements accompanied these disbursements, consistent with the foundation's low public profile.

As of March 2026, no new leadership appointments, program announcements, or grant cycles have been publicly disclosed. The foundation operates through The Rawlings Company at its LaGrange address and shares contact infrastructure with the operating youth camp ministry. The board of Kathleen Madden Barrens, Rosendo Usandizaga, and Kandy Kirchner is guiding the endowment through its inaugural grantmaking period.

Because this foundation is preselected-only with no public application process, the standard grant-seeking playbook does not apply. The following tips are specific to the Rawlings Endowment's situation:

1. Relationship is the only door. There is no portal, no LOI form, and no annual RFP cycle. The sole pathway to funding is a personal connection to Kathleen Madden Barrens, Rosendo Usandizaga, or Kandy Kirchner — or a warm introduction from a current or past Rawlings family beneficiary (Baptist Health La Grange, Liberty University, or an organization in The Rawlings Foundation's international camp network).

2. Lead with shared faith values. Every documented Rawlings gift has been explicitly Christian in orientation — evangelical youth ministry, Christian higher education, faith-based healthcare. Organizations that cannot authentically articulate an evangelical Christian mission should not pursue this foundation; misalignment on this core value is disqualifying.

3. LaGrange and Oldham County as anchor geography. The Rawlings family lived in LaGrange, employed 1,600 people there, and made their largest local gifts to Baptist Health La Grange. Kentucky-based nonprofits with Oldham County ties have a structural advantage over national organizations.

4. International reach is an asset, not a liability. The Rawlings Foundation operates camps in 10 countries. Organizations with established international evangelical youth programs — particularly in Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, or Tanzania — may find the endowment's interests highly aligned.

5. Timing is uncertain. The foundation is in its first active grantmaking year. Do not expect a defined grant cycle or decision timeline. Patience and sustained relationship-building over 12-24 months is the realistic horizon.

6. Avoid the generic charity pitch. George Rawlings' philanthropy was intensely personal — named buildings, hands-on involvement with youth camps, family-named endowments. Any approach should reflect deep familiarity with his legacy and frame the ask in terms of continuing or honoring that specific vision.