Mcfadden Foundation Inc.

McFadden Foundation Inc. is a private operating foundation — a critical structural distinction that fundamentally shapes how grant seekers should approach it. Unlike traditional grantmaking foundations, operating foundations deploy their charitable resources primarily through programs they directly conduct. In McFadden's case, nearly all of the foundation's annual qualifying distributions fund the operation of the McFadden Nature Center, a 1,240-acre conservation sanctuary at 5540 River Road, Donalsonville, Georgia, situated along the Chattahoochee River.

The foundation was endowed through a $18.3 million contribution in 2013 and has grown to $29.8 million in assets through investment returns, without meaningful external contributions since. Control appears to rest with the Kirbo family — Glenn A. Kirbo serves as an unpaid trustee, and the foundation's IRS contact is listed as "% Helen Kirbo." Angela Hagen serves as Chair/President/VP/Secretary, while Raymond Wilson (the nature center's Shop and Trail Manager at ~$53K/year) and Sherryl Lapping (Director of Research at ~$46K/year) are compensated trustees who also hold operational roles at the center.

External grants are historically near-zero: only two documented external grants in 11+ years of IRS filings — $19,263 to Florida A&M University in 2021 for architectural competition scholarships, and $100 to Friendship House Corporation in 2024. This is not the pattern of a foundation building relationships with grantee organizations; it is the footprint of an organization that primarily invests in its own programs.

The most realistic path for external organizations is not a direct grant application but a partnership or sponsorship relationship with the McFadden Nature Center itself. The center operates field trips, guided tours, RV camping, volunteer programs, and conservation research on its 1,240-acre property. Organizations delivering conservation education, native plant or wildlife research, or community environmental programming in the southwest Georgia and north Florida corridor have the strongest natural alignment.

One significant forward-looking signal: as of June 2026, mcfaddenfoundation.org displays a "Launching Soon" page with an email signup form. This is the clearest indication that the foundation may be preparing to establish a formal external grantmaking program. Grant seekers with strong conservation missions should subscribe now and monitor for the launch announcement.

McFadden Foundation Inc.'s financial architecture reflects an operating foundation model in which annual qualifying distributions fund the foundation's own charitable programs rather than external organizations. This distinction is essential for interpreting the foundation's financial data correctly.

Asset growth (2013–2024): Total assets grew from $19.4M at founding (2013) to $29.8M in 2024 — approximately 54% growth over 11 years — driven entirely by investment returns. Net investment income has ranged from $582K (2020) to $1.94M (2021), with $714K in 2023 and dividends alone of $936K in 2024.

Annual qualifying distributions (total "giving" in financial databases): - 2013: $361,874 - 2014–2015: ~$461K–$462K - 2019: $733,898 - 2020: $712,208 - 2021: $721,310 - 2022: $823,567 - 2023: $883,255

This steady increase from ~$362K (2013) to $883K (2023) — a 144% rise over the decade — tracks the nature center's expanding operations, not a growing portfolio of nonprofit grantees.

External grants to outside organizations (the only amounts that matter for grant seekers): - 2024: $100 (Friendship House Corporation) - 2021: $19,263 (Florida A&M University — architectural competition scholarships) - All other years on record: $0

Of approximately $5.4M in total qualifying distributions from 2019 to 2023, less than $20,000 (0.37%) reached external organizations. The 2021 FAMU grant is notable: Florida A&M is a historically Black university in Tallahassee, FL (near the foundation's registered address), and the architectural competition scholarship suggests openness to design-oriented education with potential environmental applications.

Operating expenses: Annual expenses run approximately $1.0M–$1.02M. Officer compensation for three compensated trustees (Hagen ~$50K, Wilson ~$53K, Lapping ~$46K) totals ~$148K–$160K, or roughly 15–16% of total expenses. The remaining $840K–$870K covers nature center operations, trails, programs, and facilities.

Revenue sources (2024): $936K dividends (34%), $1.73M asset sales (63%), $12.5K other income (0.5%). The foundation generates strong investment returns and is financially stable with no debt.

The five peer foundations identified by asset similarity all hold assets in the narrow $29.7M–$29.8M range and share the NTEE T23 classification (Philanthropy & Grantmaking), but differ substantially in operating model, geography, and external grant activity. Note: detailed annual giving and application data for peers are not publicly available in standard databases.

McFadden occupies a distinctive niche among these similarly-sized peers. The NV Energy Charitable Foundation is a corporate giving arm of a Nevada utility, likely distributing to community causes across that state and following a corporate CSR agenda. The McCaw Family Foundation is associated with the McCaw telecommunications family of Washington State, typically a preselected family grantmaker. The Frederic C. Hamilton Family Foundation reflects a Denver business family's private philanthropy. None maintain documented open grant cycles based on available public data.

The key differentiator for McFadden is its operating foundation structure: the entire charitable program is a single 1,240-acre nature sanctuary, leaving no portfolio of grantee organizations that external applicants can point to as precedent. Grant seekers who are accustomed to researching peer grantees for alignment signals will find this analysis unrewarding — the relevant comparisons are to other conservation operating foundations, not to similarly-sized grantmaking foundations.

The most significant recent development is the McFadden Nature Center's active infrastructure expansion in 2025–2026. The center is pursuing a major trail grant for its Donalsonville, GA property, with a community input survey that closed May 13, 2026 — indicating the foundation is itself navigating the grant-seeker process. A dedicated Grant Specialist, Valerie Peacock, was hired to lead these efforts, a meaningful organizational investment.

Simultaneously, a capital campaign is underway, with a downloadable brochure on the nature center's website soliciting support for facility development. The campaign scope has not been publicly quantified, but the 1,240-acre property on the Chattahoochee River near Donalsonville, GA is an active site with RV camping, guided tours, educational programs, and volunteer operations.

On the financial side, fiscal year 2024 showed strong investment performance: $2.73M in total revenue (the highest since 2021's $2.26M), driven by $1.73M in asset sales and $936K in dividends. Assets reached a record $29.8M. External charitable disbursements remained minimal — $100 to Friendship House Corporation.

Leadership is stable: Angela Hagen (Chair/President), Raymond Wilson (Trustee/Trail Manager), Sherryl Lapping (Trustee/Research), and Glenn A. Kirbo (Trustee/unpaid) have held their positions across at least four consecutive 990 filings. Executive Director Hiram Mock leads day-to-day operations at the nature center. The grantmaking website mcfaddenfoundation.org remains in "Launching Soon" status as of June 2026 — a signal that the foundation may be preparing for a future public-facing grantmaking role, though no timeline has been announced.

The most important step before investing time in a McFadden Foundation application is to understand that no formal grant program currently exists. Two external grants in eleven years of IRS filings — totaling $19,363 — do not constitute a grantmaking program. Approaching McFadden as a standard grant opportunity will result in a non-response.

Monitor the new website first. The 'Launching Soon' status of mcfaddenfoundation.org is the highest-priority signal in the current landscape. Subscribe to the email notification list immediately. When the site launches, it will likely publish the foundation's first formal application guidelines, focus areas, and deadlines. Being an early subscriber positions you for first-mover advantage when the program opens.

Engage the nature center as a program partner. The McFadden Nature Center (mcfaddennaturecenter.org) operates educational field trips, conservation research, guided tours, and volunteer programs. Organizations offering native species expertise, environmental curriculum, or conservation technology that could enhance the center's programs should pursue a formal partnership discussion before any grant inquiry. Contact Executive Director Hiram Mock at (229) 999-3355. Partnership relationships built with operating foundations frequently precede any formal grant relationships.

Use the foundation's own mission language. The mission statement — "to share and care for the land, air, water, and animals entrusted to us through meaningful environmental education, balanced conservation and preservation, for the benefit of our community now and future generations" — is the filter through which any proposal will be evaluated. Proposals should explicitly reference conservation, native flora and fauna, environmental education, and community benefit in the southwest Georgia/north Florida region.

Set realistic grant size expectations. The only substantial external award on record was $19,263. Even if a formal program launches, early-stage awards are unlikely to exceed $25,000. Do not submit a $100,000+ request without a multi-year track record with the foundation.

Approach through the Kirbo family connection cautiously and respectfully. Glenn A. Kirbo (unpaid trustee) and Helen Kirbo (official IRS contact) represent the family stewardship of this foundation. Any cold outreach to the registered address at 2180 Gates Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32312, or to phone number (229) 254-2100, should be a brief letter of inquiry — not a full proposal — until a formal program is announced.