Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation funds nonprofits working in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, so check that your work sits in one of those states before approaching it.
- A realistic request falls within its typical range of $20,000 to $475,000, and since half of its grants are $200,000 or less, pitching around or below that figure is sensible for a smaller organisation.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, beginning with an Organizational Summary submitted at any point in the year, so there is no fixed deadline to plan around.
- With 78% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, this points to a relationship-led foundation, so treat the Organizational Summary as the start of an ongoing conversation rather than a single application.
- Organisations running direct service programmes, individual elementary or secondary schools, fundraising events such as walk-a-thons or sporting events, or seeking scholarships, endowment support or grants to individuals should not apply, as these fall outside what it funds.
Overview
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation is a US private foundation based in Winstonsalem, 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 invites local, statewide, regional and national nonprofits serving the South, particularly those with a track record of helping people and places move out of poverty and achieve social and economic justice. It seeks power-building work to advance racial equity through democracy and civic engagement, supportive policies and institutions, and economic opportunity. Its partners are accountable to low-wealth communities, with people directly affected by systems of oppression in leadership. The Foundation values clear analysis of how race and power operate, strategies that build trust and leverage political will, and goal-oriented networks connecting grassroots organisations with statewide or institutional partners. It takes a long-term view of systems change while remaining responsive to opportunities to improve people’s lives. Its primary strategy strengthens state-based infrastructure; a complementary strategy works with organisations advancing restorative economic models, democratic practices, solidarity and community ownership.
Themes
- Democracy and civic engagement
- Supportive policies and institutions
- Economic opportunity
Geographic Focus
Priority: Alabama; Arkansas; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Mississippi; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; West Virginia.
What They Don't Fund
- Direct service programs
- Individual elementary or secondary schools — charter, private or public
- Fundraising events such as walk-a-thons, telethons and sponsorships
- Scholarships
- Athletes, teams or sporting events, including charity golf tournaments
- Endowments and cash reserves
- Grants to individuals
How to apply
Prospective partners begin by submitting an Organizational Summary at any point in the year; this lets Foundation staff learn about the organisation’s strategies, networks and goals.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 78% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 211 grants to organisations were $200,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation favours organisations with meaningful connections to low-wealth people and accountability through community governance.
- It values leadership that includes people directly affected by systems of oppression.
- It looks for groups with a clear analysis of how race and power operate in their context.
- It looks to support goal-oriented, values-aligned networks that share strategies and achieve impact in their places.
- Its partners take a long-term view of systems and policy change.
- It aims to be nimble and responsive when opportunities arise to improve people’s lives.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 19%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to organisations Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 66% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 76 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $203k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- ProGeorgia State Table · General operating/regranting$1,250,0002024 tax year
- Power Coalition for Equity and Justice · General operating/regranting$1,080,0002024 tax year
- Alabama Forward · General operating/regranting/ organizational development$850,0002024 tax year
- Mississippi Engaged · General operating/regranting/ organizational development$805,0002024 tax year
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice · General operating/regranting$700,0002024 tax year
- State Voices · General operating/regranting$675,0002024 tax year
- Center On Budget And Policy Priortities · General operating$637,5002024 tax year
- State Leadership Project · General operating/regranting$575,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Dwayne Patterson — Chief Equity Officer
- Elena Conley — Chief Strategy Officer
- Jennifer Barksdale — Chief Finance And Operations Officer
- Flozell Daniels Jr — Chief Executive Officer
- Will Vandenberg — Board Member
- Stephanie Tyree — Board Member
- Mary Mountcastle — Board Member
- Laura Mountcastle — Board Member
- Kenneth Mountcastle III — Board Member - Treasurer
- Kathy Mountcastle — Board Member
- Kara Mountcastle — Board Member - Secretary
- Holt Mountcastle — Board Member
- Dr Tim Lampkin — Board Member
- Jerry Gonzalez — Board Member
- Ashleigh Gardere — Board Member - President
- Chad Berry — Board Member - Vice President
- Tamieka Atkins — Board Member
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $27,128,329 | $21,796,670 | $177,340,979 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $16,143,088 | $9,802,500 | $185,812,542 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $26,318,548 | $17,666,250 | $181,658,302 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (336) 748-9222
- Winstonsalem, NC
- mrbf.org
Applying to Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (336) 748-9222
- Winstonsalem, NC
- mrbf.org