Huey And Angelina Wilson Foundation

The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation operates as a place-based private foundation with an enduring mandate: address the root causes of social and economic problems in the Greater Baton Rouge 10-parish area. Founded in 1986 and active in grantmaking since 2000, the foundation holds $170.47M in assets under President David Beach, who succeeded retiring longtime President Daniel Bevan. Bevan remains a trustee, signaling governance continuity during the transition.

Grantmaking is organized into three distinct pillars. Engage provides multi-year operational and capacity-building support to established organizations; the current cycle is closed, with the next round opening in Fall 2026 (LOI window: July 31 – August 7) for two-year grants covering 2027–2028. Empower funds direct service, capacity and collaboration building, systems change, and capital investments through an annual cycle (2026 cycle opened January 26). Equip/Strategic Mission Grants is the vehicle for larger transformational investments, using an LOI screening process (June 8–18, 2026 for the current cycle).

The foundation strongly favors established nonprofits with demonstrated community track records. Analysis of the top 50 grantees shows that repeat, multi-year relationships are the norm: New Schools For Baton Rouge received $2.705M across 3 grants; Capital Area United Way, $467,500 across 4 grants; The Walls Project, $450,000 across 4 grants. First-time applicants should not expect major awards immediately — the typical relationship arc involves an initial smaller grant followed by deepening support as the foundation builds confidence in an organization's capacity and community embeddedness.

The giving philosophy centers explicitly on "the sick and disabled, the indigent, and the formerly incarcerated" — populations often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy. Organizations that address root causes of poverty, inequality, and recidivism rather than merely treating symptoms will find the strongest resonance. The Empower program requires applicants to demonstrate community engagement — specifically that they work "with" rather than "to" the communities they serve, with resident voice integrated into program design and evaluation.

Geographic eligibility is strict: only 501(c)(3) organizations serving Greater Baton Rouge or with a statewide Louisiana focus are considered. All 358 recorded grants went to Louisiana organizations, with zero out-of-state exceptions in the grantee data. Applications from organizations based outside Louisiana or primarily serving other geographies will not be considered.

IRS 990 filings record a median grant of $35,000 and an average of $43,625 across 144 individual grants, with a full range of $90 to $700,000. Analysis of 358 cumulative grants across the foundation's full grantee history shows a higher per-transaction average of $58,030 — reflecting the multi-year, multi-grant relationships that dominate the portfolio. Top grantees accumulate $150,000–$2.7M over 3–4 grant cycles, implying average annual grants to core partners of $50,000–$900,000 at peak.

Annual giving has been consistent and substantial across all available years: - FY2022: Total giving $8.99M; grants paid $7.27M - FY2021: Total giving $8.19M; grants paid $6.28M - FY2020: Total giving $8.20M; grants paid $6.98M - FY2019: Total giving $5.77M; grants paid $4.04M - FY2014: Total giving $3.60M; grants paid $3.24M

The step-up from FY2019 to FY2020 — a ~42% increase in grants paid — suggests a deliberate strategic expansion of grantmaking activity. The consistent gap between total giving and grants paid each year likely reflects program-related investments or direct charitable expenditures beyond cash grants. With FY2024 assets of $170.47M and revenue of $7.69M (primarily investment income), the foundation distributes approximately 5% of assets annually, consistent with the IRS minimum distribution requirement.

Geographic distribution: 100% of 358 recorded grants went to Louisiana organizations, all within the Greater Baton Rouge 10-parish footprint.

By program area (inferred from grantee analysis): - Education and youth development (~30%): New Schools For Baton Rouge ($2.705M), Big Buddy Program ($360K), City Year Baton Rouge ($350K), Gardere Community Christian School ($340K), Cristo Rey Franciscan High School ($240K), Junior Achievement ($250K), Teach For America ($180K), Stand For Children ($148K), Baton Rouge Youth Coalition ($150K) - Human services and basic needs (~28%): Capital Area United Way ($467K), Salvation Army ($260K), St. Vincent de Paul ($252K), Hope Ministries ($280K), Catholic Charities ($151K), Volunteers of America ($180K), Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge ($170K) - Criminal justice and reentry (~12%): The Walls Project ($450K), Louisiana Parole Project ($415K), O'Brien House ($168K), AmiKids Baton Rouge ($150K) - Housing and community development (~11%): Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge ($376K), Gulf Coast Housing Partnership ($150K), Plank Road Area Investment Corporation ($150K) - Health and disability (~11%): Louisiana Hemophilia Foundation ($234K), Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge ($175K), Emerge School For Autism ($155K), Capital Area Autism Network ($150K) - Capacity building and advocacy (~8%): Louisiana Resource Center For Educators ($284K), Louisiana Alliance For Nonprofits ($180K), Center For Planning Excellence ($178K), Louisiana Industries For The Disabled ($296K)

The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among Louisiana philanthropic institutions — a well-endowed private foundation with $170M in assets focused exclusively on Greater Baton Rouge and statewide Louisiana impact. The table below compares it to four peer institutions (figures approximate from public filings; verify against current IRS 990 data):

Note: Peer asset and giving figures are approximate estimates from publicly available sources and may differ from the most recent IRS filings.

Wilson Foundation stands out for its singular geographic discipline — the 10-parish Baton Rouge area — combined with an explicit focus on the most vulnerable populations: the sick and disabled, indigent, and formerly incarcerated. Unlike the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (a community foundation accepting a wide range of community projects), Wilson maintains a tightly defined mission that makes it uniquely accessible — and deeply aligned — for Baton Rouge human-services, reentry, and education nonprofits. Its $35K median grant and history of multi-year support make it particularly well-suited to mid-sized organizations building operational depth. For applicants working in the Baton Rouge service space, Wilson Foundation is often the most mission-aligned and reliably accessible private funder in the region, with a predictable application calendar and a genuine preference for long-term grantee relationships.

The most significant recent development is a leadership transition: longtime President Daniel J. Bevan has retired, with David Beach succeeding him. Beach appeared in foundation IRS filings with compensation of $199,548 in his first recorded year, rising to $224,550 and then $231,071 in the most recent available filing — a trajectory consistent with growing institutional responsibility. Bevan, who served as a trustee with $0 compensation in recent filings, remains on the board, providing governance continuity.

On the financial side, foundation assets grew from $145.65M (FY2022) to $170.47M (FY2024), recovering from the pandemic-era peak of $180.09M in FY2021. The FY2024 revenue of $7.69M — primarily net investment income — positions the foundation to sustain $8–9M in annual grantmaking through the medium term.

For 2026, the foundation has published a detailed program calendar: - Empower: 2026 application cycle opened January 26, 2026 - Nonprofit Capacity Building Institute: Application opens June 18, 2026 - Strategic Mission Grants (Equip): LOI opens June 8, due June 18, 2026 - Engage: Currently closed; limited Fall 2026 funding for 2027–2028 grants, with LOI opening July 31 and due August 7, 2026

The Engage portfolio's structural shift to a two-year cycle with a scheduled LOI screening window — rather than a continuous open application — represents a meaningful change toward fewer but deeper grantee partnerships. No major strategic redirection has been publicly announced beyond the program calendar updates, but organizations should monitor hawilsonfoundation.org/news/ for announcements under Beach's new leadership. The foundation's established trustee bench — including Cornelius A. Lewis, Donna M. Saurage, J. Gerard Jolly, Denver C. Wilson, and Andrea Doming — provides stable oversight through the transition.

Know the full grant calendar. The foundation runs multiple programs on different timelines, and missing a window means waiting months for the next entry point: - Empower: late-January opening (2026 cycle opened January 26); submit by 4th Friday of February for the standard cycle - Strategic Mission Grants LOI: June 8 – June 18, 2026 - Nonprofit Capacity Building Institute: opens June 18, 2026 - Engage LOI: July 31 – August 7, 2026 (for 2027–2028 grants)

Select the correct program pillar — this is critical. Applying to the wrong program is a common and costly error: - Engage is for multi-year general operating or capacity support (next LOI: July 31, 2026) - Empower is for project or programmatic funding across four investment types: Direct Service, Capacity & Collaboration Building, Systems Change, or Capital - Strategic Mission Grants (Equip) is for large, transformational investments; requires an LOI screening before a full proposal

Contact foundation staff before applying for the first time. Staff explicitly recommend that first-time applicants reach out to Ebony Starks to confirm alignment. Treat this as a genuine pre-screening step, not a formality — a brief conversation will clarify whether your request fits current priorities and save significant proposal-writing time.

Lead with root-cause framing. The foundation was explicitly built to address "the underlying causes" of social problems, not symptoms. Proposals should articulate how your work targets structural drivers of poverty, recidivism, or health disparities — not just the immediate needs your programs address.

Demonstrate co-creation, not service delivery. The Empower guidelines value organizations working "with" rather than "to" their communities. Provide concrete examples: advisory boards with community members, resident-led program design, or participant feedback loops built into your model.

Show your evaluation approach. The foundation expects evaluation measures to be in place or a credible plan to develop them. Include a logic model or outcome framework — even a simple one — to demonstrate accountability maturity.

Calibrate your initial ask to the relationship. The median grant is $35,000 and the average is $43,625. While established multi-year partners receive $100,000–$700,000 annually, first-time applicants should make initial asks commensurate with their track record with this funder. Large first-ask amounts without an established relationship rarely succeed.

Submit exclusively online. No paper, email, or fax applications are accepted. All submissions go through the online portal at www.hawilsonfoundation.org. Retain the submission confirmation receipt.