OVERVIEW: The Lucille S. Beeson Charitable Trust supports human services, animals, youth, education, health and other community needs in Alabama.
IP TAKE: Although this foundation maintains a low public profile, it provides substantial, ongoing support to some important Alabama nonprofits. It will be tough to gain this funder’s attention, but Birmingham organizations with strong records of community service may wish to reach out.
PROFILE: Established in 2001, the Lucille S. Beeson Charitable Trust is an independent foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Lucille Stewart Beeson was a local philanthropist who created a charitable trust in her will to support local causes. She was one of the first women to attend law school in the 1920s and was also known as a scholar, humanitarian, inventor and collector. This foundation funds local efforts for human services, education, religion, health and other community needs. This funder does not maintain a website, limiting information about specific grantmaking interests and priorities.
Grants for Public Health, Human Services and Homelessness
Overall, health, well-being and human services comprise the foundation’s largest giving area, with grants prioritizing organizations that serve poor and marginalized people in the Birmingham and Montgomery areas.
- The Baptist Health Foundation receives ongoing support from the foundation.
- Services for homeless and housing insecure people appear to be an area of strong interest recently. Grantees include Boys and Girls Ranches of Alabama and the Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission.
- Other human services recipients include United Ability, the Salvation Army and Gateway, which provides counseling services for children in the foster system in the Birmingham area.
Grants for Education
The foundation has scaled back its education giving of late. Its main recipient in past years has been the Junior League of Birmingham.
Grants for Religious Causes
The foundation supports Christian organizations, including some faith-based providers of human services in Alabama.
- Grantees include the Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook and the Christian Service Mission of Birmingham.
Grants for Animal Welfare
The foundation does not name animals as an area of interest, but it provides ongoing support to the Birmingham Zoo and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $400,000 and $1.1 million. In a recent year, this funder gave close to $10.4 million to Alabama nonprofits.
- Note that this funder has supported the same corps of grantees annually for several years in a row.
- This foundation does not typically accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits and only funds preselected organizations.
- Direct general questions to the staff at 205-420-7753. A mailing address is provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Lucille S. Beeson Charitable Trust
PO Box 11647
Birmingham, AL 35202-1647
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