Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation supports education, health, social services, and faith-based services in North Georgia.

IP TAKE: Although this funder does not have a website and lacks transparency, it is an accessible one to contact directly and apply for a grant before one of two annual deadlines.

PROFILE: Established in 1994, the Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation is a private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert Harold Harrison, an only child, founded this grantmaking entity on behalf of his parents, Luther and Susie. He was the founder and owner of Harrison Poultry, a poultry processing plant that was a large employer in Barrow County, Georgia. With his mother an educator, Harrison was interested in education philanthropy during his lifetime and until his death in 2001. Today Harrison’s daughters and long-time friends and employees serve as the foundation’s directors. Grantmaking supports education, health, social services and faith.

The foundation does not have a website to guide grant seekers. However, it gives regularly to United Methodist organizations and local health and education efforts. Past support has gone to the Cancer Foundation of NE Georgia, Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, Communities in Schools of Georgia, Camp Twin Lakes, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Foundation grants tend to be between $5,000 and $100,000. Review the funder’s recent tax records to learn more about its local giving. The foundation has been giving out nearly $4 million annually in recent years. The foundation’s giving is largely focused on North Georgia and Barrow County, Georgia. Although the foundation is based in Atlanta, grants are also awarded in the towns of Athens, Decatur, Alpharetta, and Bethlehem. In fact, grants are only made to groups that are located within a 50-mile radius us Bethlehem, Georgia.

This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. Grant seekers should contact the foundation to request an application form, address the application to the attention of Administrative Manager Larry Hooks, and submit the form by mail by either February 15 or August 15.

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