Priddy Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $4,245,000 (2023)
Grant Range: $1,000 - $2,000,000
Average/Median Grant: $200,000
Total Assets: $18,624,743
Number of Grants: 9 (2023)
Geographic Focus: Multi-state (Louisiana, Nevada, Georgia, Texas, New York)
Application Process: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 1980 Festival Plaza Dr Ste 770, Las Vegas, NV 89135-2961

Phone: 704-900-5267

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Priddy Family Foundation was established in 2016 by Robert and Carol "Kikie" Priddy, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. With total assets of approximately $18.6 million, the foundation awarded $4.2 million in grants in 2023. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with a focused giving strategy centered primarily on New Orleans institutions, with additional support for healthcare and community development initiatives in Las Vegas and other select locations.

Robert Priddy is a 1969 Tulane University graduate (bachelor's degree in economics) who serves on the Board of Trustees for The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The family established the foundation with a clear mission: "We established our family foundation in 2016 to give back to the city that has given so much to us," according to Shannon Acks, President of the foundation and former CPA with Deloitte & Touche.

The foundation's giving reflects deep family connections to both World War II history (Robert's father, Clarence Nathern Priddy, was a Pharmacist's Mate First Class on the USS Colorado; Kikie's father, Edward Hughes Fitzpatrick, served with the Navy Seabees) and to New Orleans, particularly Tulane University.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Priddy Family Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with application cycles. All funding decisions are made by the board of directors, and grants are awarded on an invitation-only basis to preselected organizations.

Priority Areas

Based on recent grant history, the foundation's clear funding priorities include:

1. Brain Health and Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Strong emphasis on dementia, Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injury, and other neurodegenerative disorders
Particular interest in veterans' brain health and PTSD treatment
Support for music therapy as a treatment modality

2. Veterans' Health and Services

Programs serving military veterans, especially those with brain injuries and mental health challenges
Integration of music therapy for veteran populations

3. Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Support for university-based entrepreneurship programs
Innovation institutes and startup incubation
Public education improvement initiatives

4. World War II History and Education

Major support for museums and educational programming related to WWII
Preservation of oral histories and veteran stories

5. Higher Education

Endowment support for universities
Research funding, particularly in brain science
Student programming and facilities

Geographic Focus

While headquartered in Las Vegas, the foundation's giving is heavily concentrated in New Orleans, Louisiana, with secondary support for initiatives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additional grants have been awarded to organizations in Georgia, Texas, and New York.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and only funds preselected organizations. Based on their giving pattern:

Organizations without existing relationships to board members
Requests outside their core focus areas (brain health, veterans, WWII history, education/entrepreneurship)
General operating support for organizations not already in their portfolio

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

Robert Priddy - Director and Chairman
Carol "Kikie" Priddy - Director
Shannon Priddy Acks - President, former CPA with Deloitte & Touche, member of Tulane University Board of Trustees and Tulane Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council
Michael Acks - Secretary (highly compensated)
Christopher Priddy - Treasurer

Key Affiliations:

Robert Priddy serves on the Board of Advisors for Tulane's Cowen Institute
Robert Priddy serves on The National WWII Museum's Board of Trustees
Shannon Acks serves on the Tulane University Board of Trustees
Shannon Acks is a member of the Tulane Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council

Leadership Perspectives

Shannon Acks on the foundation's mission: "We established our family foundation in 2016 to give back to the city that has given so much to us."

Robert Priddy on music therapy for dementia: Explaining his motivation for supporting the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center's music therapy program, Priddy noted that he and his wife "believed this type of therapy might really be something for people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Priddy Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

All grants are awarded through board discretion, typically to organizations where board members have existing relationships, leadership roles, or deep personal connections. The foundation's giving pattern shows sustained, multi-year support to a small number of recipient organizations rather than broad distribution across many grantees.

Getting on Their Radar

Due to the highly selective nature of this foundation's grantmaking, there are limited pathways for new organizations to receive funding. Based on available information:

Tulane University Connection: The strongest pathway to foundation support appears to be through Tulane University, where multiple board members serve in leadership capacities. Organizations working in partnership with Tulane on brain health research, innovation/entrepreneurship, or veterans' services may have opportunities to be introduced to the foundation through those established relationships.

Board Member Networks: Robert Priddy's role on The National WWII Museum Board of Trustees and Shannon Acks' positions on Tulane boards suggest that organizations working within these networks may have greater visibility.

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center: The foundation has a demonstrated multi-year commitment to the music therapy program at this Las Vegas institution, suggesting continued engagement with this organization's work.

Recent Major Grants

2023 Grant Recipients:

Tulane Entrepreneurship - $2,000,000 (General Support)
The National WWII Museum - $1,500,000 (General Support)
Tulane Educational Fund - $250,000 (Endowment)
Tulane Center for Brain Health - $200,000 (General Support)
Cleveland Clinic - Music Therapy (Las Vegas) - $200,000 (General Support)
New Orleans Opera Association (General Support)
Liberty City Community Development - $1,000 (General Support)

Multi-Year Commitments:

The National WWII Museum (announced February 2022): $7.5 million commitment—the third largest individual gift in the Museum's history—to complete the Liberation Pavilion and develop the Priddy Family Foundation Freedom Theater, an immersive, cinematic experience focused on the lasting impact of World War II and the ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights.

Tulane Brain Institute (2018): $1 million to create the Priddy Family Spark Research Endowed Fund, providing competitive awards to faculty for early-stage research in brain science and neurodegenerative diseases.

Tulane Center for Brain Health: $1 million (announced 2019) to help treat military veterans suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and mental health issues, with an emphasis on music therapy through the Priddy Family Brain Health Fund.

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health (Las Vegas): Nearly $500,000 donated since 2018 for the music therapy program, with an additional $1 million pledge in 2021 to fund general operations, purchase new instruments, and expand the program over five years.

Application Success Factors

Given that this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, the foundation's giving patterns reveal clear preferences:

1. Multi-Year Institutional Relationships The foundation demonstrates sustained commitment to a small number of institutions rather than one-off grants. Organizations currently in their portfolio receive repeated, escalating support over multiple years.

2. Alignment with Family Connections Virtually all major grants connect to Robert and Kikie Priddy's personal history—Tulane University (Robert's alma mater), The National WWII Museum (honoring their fathers' service), New Orleans (described as "the city that has given so much to us"), and Las Vegas (their current home).

3. Innovation in Brain Health The foundation shows particular interest in novel approaches to brain health, especially music therapy. Robert Priddy's support for Cleveland Clinic's music therapy program demonstrates openness to non-traditional treatment modalities backed by research.

4. Veterans' Services Programs serving military veterans, particularly those addressing invisible wounds (traumatic brain injury, PTSD, mental health), align strongly with the foundation's priorities.

5. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystems Support for Tulane's innovation infrastructure (Innovation Institute, entrepreneurship programs, public education improvement) suggests interest in creating sustainable ecosystems rather than funding isolated projects.

6. Named Recognition Major gifts receive naming recognition (Priddy Family Foundation Freedom Theater, Priddy Family Brain Health Fund, Priddy Family Spark Research Endowed Fund), suggesting the foundation values institutional acknowledgment and legacy.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted - This foundation operates exclusively through board-initiated relationships. Cold outreach is not effective.
New Orleans focus dominates - Despite Las Vegas headquarters, the vast majority of grants support New Orleans institutions, particularly Tulane University and The National WWII Museum.
Brain health is the signature issue - Across multiple institutions and geographies, support for neurodegenerative disease research and treatment (especially music therapy) is the most consistent theme.
Think multi-million, multi-year - Recent major commitments ($7.5M to WWII Museum, $1M pledges to Tulane and Cleveland Clinic) indicate the foundation makes substantial, sustained investments rather than many small grants.
Board service creates giving opportunities - Robert Priddy's trustee role at The National WWII Museum preceded their largest gift. Organizations where Priddy family members serve in governance may have opportunities for major support.
Personal mission drives all decisions - Shannon Acks' statement about "giving back to the city that has given so much to us" and the family's WWII veteran heritage inform all funding priorities. Alignment with the family's values and biography is essential.
Music therapy for brain health is a unique niche - The foundation's multi-year, multi-site commitment to music therapy (Cleveland Clinic, Tulane) represents a distinctive funding interest that differentiates this foundation from others in the brain health space.

References

All sources accessed December 2024.