Trinity Foundation

Trinity Foundation is a family foundation rooted in the McGeorge family's construction and materials businesses in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Founded in 1953 and operated entirely by volunteer leadership — Scott McGeorge (President), Haskell Dickinson (Vice President), and Wallace P. McGeorge III (Vice President), all receiving $0 compensation — the foundation reflects the values and community ties of a multi-generational Arkansas business family. Affiliated companies include Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company, McGeorge Contracting Co., E.C. Rowlett Construction Co., Jeffrey Sand Company, Pine Bluff Materials Co., Cornerstone Farm & Gin Co., and Cornerstone Farms.

The foundation's giving philosophy is relational and place-based. Grantees tend to be organizations already embedded in Pine Bluff's civic life, and the grantee list shows persistent multi-year relationships: Go Forward Pine Bluff has received at least 3 grants totaling $800,000; the University of Arkansas Foundation has received 3 grants totaling $290,000; Pine Bluff Positive Youth has received multiple grants exceeding $280,000 combined. This pattern signals that Trinity Foundation rewards proven partners and views grants as investments in long-term organizational capacity, not one-time project awards.

There is no formal RFP or competitive grant cycle for non-scholarship grants. The foundation accepts proposals on a rolling basis with no stated deadline, and no designated form or materials are required. This informality is deliberate — the foundation relies on board members' direct knowledge of the community to identify worthy recipients. For first-time applicants, an introduction through a current grantee, a community leader, or a business contact with McGeorge family connections significantly improves prospects.

The entry point for non-scholarship grants is a call or letter to Drew Atkinson at (870) 534-7120 or PO Box 7008, Pine Bluff, AR 71611-7008. A straightforward letter — one to two pages — describing the organization's work in the Pine Bluff area, the amount requested, and intended use is sufficient. Larger requests may prompt a site visit or follow-up call from board members.

With assets now at $14.4M (FY2025) and demonstrated capacity for $2M+ flagship grants, the foundation has significant capacity. First-time applicants should nonetheless calibrate initial requests to the $10,000–$50,000 range, establishing a track record before approaching for six-figure support.

Trinity Foundation's grantmaking has grown significantly over the past decade, rising from $363,000 in grants paid in FY2012 to $1,234,250 in FY2022. FY2025 data shows the foundation made at least $2.36M in documented grants, including a single $2.2M award to ACM / University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Total assets grew from $5.3M in FY2011 to $14.4M in FY2025, with a $7.06M asset realization event in FY2025 boosting annual revenues to $7.55M.

The foundation's typical grant size ranges from $3,500 to $300,000, with a median of $54,500 and an average of $75,250 across a representative sample of 13 grants. One-time flagship commitments can reach $2M+, as demonstrated by the UALR grant. Across 57 tracked grants totaling $5,296,184, the average grant is $92,916.

Breaking down historical giving by program area:

• Education and scholarships (~38%): Direct student scholarships account for $443,250; employee-children scholarships $158,500; university operating support includes $290,000 to UA Foundation, $150,000 to UAPB Foundation, and $60,000 to Middle Tennessee State University (reflecting employee-family ties).
• Community development and youth services (~35%): Go Forward Pine Bluff ($800,000 cumulative) is the anchor grantee; Our House Inc ($200,000), Pine Bluff Positive Youth ($280,000+), Boys & Girls Club ($20,000), Immerse Arkansas ($15,000), and civic revitalization projects round out this category.
• Health and human services (~13%): Jefferson Regional Cancer Center Foundation ($200,000), Baptist Health Foundation ($75,000), Arkansas Children's Hospital ($75,000), Jefferson School of Nursing ($12,000), Alzheimer's Association ($25,000).
• Arts and culture (~8%): Arkansas Arts Center ($165,000 cumulative), Arkansas Cinema Society ($10,000), Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival ($3,500), Muse Cultural Arts Center ($3,500), Pocket Community Theater ($3,500), Historic Arkansas Museum ($4,000).
• Civic and other (~6%): Downtown Little Rock Partnership ($25,000), Renew America Together ($10,000), Rotary Club – Little Rock ($3,000), Lamar Porter Complex Revitalization ($5,000), City of White Hall ($20,000).

Geographically, 54 of 57 tracked grants (95%) went to Arkansas organizations; 3 grants to Middle Tennessee State University reflect employee-family connections, not a strategic geographic shift. Pine Bluff and Jefferson County dominate, though Little Rock and statewide organizations (Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital) receive consistent support.

Among Arkansas family foundations serving regional communities, Trinity Foundation occupies a distinctive middle tier. It is far more accessible than Windgate (largely invitation-only, arts-restricted) or Winthrop Rockefeller (formal LOI process, statewide policy focus), which both operate at multiples of Trinity's scale. The Murphy Foundation in El Dorado offers the closest structural analog — a family-connected regional foundation with open applications, place-based focus, and a mix of education, health, and community giving — though Murphy operates at roughly 3–4x Trinity's asset base. Trinity's lack of required forms, rolling deadline, and direct board access make it among the most applicant-friendly private foundations in Arkansas at its asset tier. Note: Murphy Foundation, Windgate Foundation, and Winthrop Rockefeller asset and giving figures are publicly reported approximations.

The most significant development in Trinity Foundation's recent history is a $2,200,000 grant to the Association for Computing Machinery / University of Arkansas at Little Rock recorded in FY2025 — the largest single documented award in the foundation's history and more than double its typical annual grantmaking budget in prior years. This grant, categorized as operating support, suggests an emerging willingness to make transformational capital investments alongside the foundation's historically routine $25,000–$300,000 awards.

Two additional FY2025 grants are confirmed: $100,000 to Pine Bluff Positive Youth Development, consistent with the foundation's multi-year support for that organization, and $60,000 to Donna Terrell's Yoga Warriors — a Pine Bluff-area wellness organization not present in earlier filings, potentially indicating expanding interest in health equity programming.

Asset growth has been dramatic: from $6.29M in FY2018 to $8.15M in FY2022 to $14.4M in FY2025, including $7.06M in net investment gains in FY2025. Annual revenues reached $7.55M for FY2025 versus $1.49M in FY2022, though most reflects one-time asset appreciation rather than recurring investment income.

Leadership has remained unchanged across all available filings: Scott McGeorge serves as President; Haskell Dickinson and Wallace P. McGeorge III as Vice Presidents, all unpaid. The foundation also contributed a second $325,000 to the SEARK College Capital Campaign in coordination with affiliated companies McGeorge Contracting and Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel, bringing total documented support to that campaign to at least $650,000. No formal press releases or public announcements were identified for 2025–2026, consistent with the foundation's low-profile approach to grantmaking.

Call before you write. Non-scholarship applications have no form, no portal, and no deadline. The most effective first step is a direct phone call to Drew Atkinson at (870) 534-7120. Introduce your organization's work in Pine Bluff or central Arkansas and ask whether the foundation is currently reviewing letters in your program area. This call establishes the human contact that drives decisions at family foundations like Trinity and differentiates you from cold-mail applicants.

Lead with operating support. Every meaningful grant in the foundation's documented history is categorized as operating support. Proposals framed as "general operating support to sustain our programs serving Pine Bluff residents" align directly with the foundation's language and intent. Requests for project-specific or capital-campaign funding may be considered, but operating rationale should anchor the ask.

Anchor your narrative in Pine Bluff. Organizations working in Pine Bluff, White Hall, Dollarway, Watson Chapel, or Jefferson County broadly have a clear geographic advantage. Reference specific local institutions the foundation already supports — Go Forward Pine Bluff, Jefferson Regional Cancer Center, UAPB, Pine Bluff Positive Youth — to show you understand the regional ecosystem. Statewide organizations should demonstrate a meaningful Pine Bluff presence.

Size your first ask appropriately. New grantees in the database appear at $3,500–$25,000 on their first grant. Repeat grantees scale to $50,000–$300,000 over multiple cycles. An initial request of $10,000–$25,000 creates a low-risk entry point for board members and positions your organization for larger multi-year support.

Scholarship applicants: note hard eligibility limits. Scholarships are restricted to graduating seniors from 11 named high schools (Little Rock Hall, Mills, Central, McClellan, Parkview; Benton; Bauxite; Pine Bluff High, Dollarway, Watson Chapel, White Hall) or children of employees at the seven affiliated companies. Applications open via ISTS (aim.applyists.net/trint/) each fall; the March 1 deadline is firm and transcripts plus financial documentation are required.

Send a brief, clean proposal letter for non-scholarships. One to two pages. Include: organization name, EIN, mission, program description, population served, dollar request, intended use, and a brief financial snapshot. No attachments required unless requested. Avoid sector jargon; the foundation's board has deep roots in construction and community business.