Pearce Family Foundation Inc.

The Pearce Family Foundation operates as a tightly managed, family-controlled private grantmaking foundation in Sandy Springs, Georgia (Atlanta metro). Led by President Eugene L. Pearce III and Secretary/Treasurer Elizabeth R. Pearce, the foundation is entirely volunteer-run with zero officer compensation. The core funding strategy is distinctive for its consistency: each year the foundation selects exactly five charitable organizations and awards each an identical grant amount — a pattern that has held across every filing year examined. The foundation grows its annual grant pool steadily, increasing per-grant awards from $11,500 (2019) to $15,000 (2021) to $18,000 (2022), implying approximately $21,000 per grant in 2023. Funding is exclusively by invitation; the 990-PF explicitly confirms the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation functions as a vehicle for annual charitable giving by the Pearce family, who contribute appreciated stock (Home Depot shares, Microsoft, and diversified equities) each November. Grantee selection appears personal and relationship-driven, likely reflecting causes the Pearce family cares about directly, particularly disability services, youth education in the Atlanta metro, and animal welfare.

The Pearce Family Foundation's grantmaking exhibits a highly predictable structure: five equal grants per calendar year, distributed to Atlanta-area nonprofits, with grant amounts that increase each cycle roughly in line with asset growth. Total annual grantmaking has grown from $43,014 (2015) to $57,500 (2019) to $75,000 (2021) to $90,000 (2022) to $105,000 (2023). Assets have grown from approximately $554K in 2011 to $2.3M in 2024, a compound annual growth rate of roughly 10%. The foundation is funded almost entirely through annual contributions of appreciated stock from Eugene L. Pearce (contributing $109,987 in 2019 and $298,490 in 2021 in noncash/stock donations), with investment income from a diversified equity portfolio providing additional growth. The foundation carries essentially no operating overhead — administrative expenses represent less than 2% of assets. Grantees tend to recur across years, with a small set of consistent priority organizations (disability services, animals, youth education) supplemented by new additions each cycle. All grants are designated for general operating support. The minimum distributable amount required under IRS rules ($88,557 in 2021) is exceeded by actual grants, indicating disciplined compliance. Grant amounts consistently hover between $11,000 and $21,000, making this a typical mid-tier private foundation for individual project or operating-support grants.

The Pearce Family Foundation occupies the lower-middle tier of Atlanta-area private family foundations by asset size. Below is a comparison with similarly sized Georgia foundations:

The Pearce Foundation is smaller in assets than most Atlanta-area family foundations with active grantmaking programs, but its disciplined five-grant model ensures consistent, equal-sized disbursements rather than the highly variable grant sizes seen at peer foundations. Its focus on disability services and animal welfare is narrower and more personal than typical Atlanta private foundations, which tend toward broader educational and arts giving. The foundation's asset base has tripled from 2015 to 2024, outpacing many peers, suggesting continued growth in grantmaking capacity in coming years.

The Pearce Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications — the 990-PF explicitly states that the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Any path to funding must be through personal relationships with the Pearce family or board members: Eugene L. Pearce III (President), Elizabeth R. Pearce (Secretary/Treasurer), Virginia P. Seawell (Director), and Anne W. Worrell (Director). The board phone number on file is (404) 705-4589. Organizations most likely to receive consideration should align with the foundation's demonstrated priority areas: disability services (particularly for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities), youth education programs serving underserved Atlanta-area students, animal welfare and rescue organizations in Georgia, community development in Atlanta neighborhoods, and Alzheimer's or other healthcare research. Grantees consistently receive identical award amounts (currently approximately $18,000–$21,000), suggesting the foundation does not respond to larger specific project asks. All grants are for general operating support. The foundation's accountant, Henning, Dowdy & Jones, LLC at the same Sandy Springs address, may be a secondary point of contact. Given the informal, relationship-driven selection process, organizations already serving Metro Atlanta with established reputations and strong board connections to the Atlanta professional community are best positioned.