Akerson Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 54-1991343 · since 2000affscholars.org·District of Columbia·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$512k

Annual giving to organisations, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$150k

Typical grant (median)

1 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

This funder mainly gives to individuals. Around 52% of its grant-making in tax years 2022–2024 went to individuals rather than organisations, so it may not be a good fit for organisational applicants.

Key takeaways

The foundation's stated mission is increasing access to higher education for first-generation college students through renewable four-year scholarships, so a charity's work fits best where it connects directly to that aim.
Its filing records $512,043 paid, but neither the filing nor its website gives a grant range, so the size of a suitable request cannot be judged from them; the scholarship it describes goes up to $50,000 and is for individual students, not organisations.
The filing lists an online application, but the website's instructions cover only the scholarship and set out no route for organisations, so a grant writer should not assume an organisational request will be considered without first making contact.
Every grant dollar it paid to organisations in the latest filing went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so an approach is best led by a relationship or a clear link to its higher education aim rather than a cold application.
No deadlines are given, so timing can be flexible, but there is no stated date to plan around.

Overview

Akerson Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Charlotte, NC.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation describes its mission as increasing access to higher education for first-generation college students, through renewable four-year scholarships. Its scholarship selection considers academic achievement, financial need and school/community engagement, and recipients attend the college or university of their choice. The foundation’s filings also record grants to organisations: most went to a food bank, with another grant to a children’s organisation. Those organisational grants were recorded for general operating support or building, rather than for a stated specialist field. The website’s scholarship guidance is directed to students; it does not set out a separate organisational grant programme or explain how organisations can seek support.

Themes

Higher education access

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in District of Columbia.

How to apply

The filing lists an online application, while the website’s application instructions are for the individual scholarship; it gives no organisational application route.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

District of Columbia100%

The largest single recipient received 95% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations Akerson Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.

Grants

1 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $150k

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Capital Area Food Bank · General operating /build
$150,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Keith D Akerson — Director / Secretary
Gretchen E Akerson — Vice President / Executive Director
Elizabeth C Akerson — Director / Treasurer
Daniel F Akerson — Chairman

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$563,271	$395,735	$8,534,485	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$545,933	$414,962	$10,548,989	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$709,328	$512,043	$12,971,465	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.