Irene W & CB Pennington Private Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered and you should not send one unless it has invited you to approach it.
- Its grants go to a varied mix of recipients, including fire departments, sheriff's offices, schools, health and research bodies, disaster-response groups, arts organisations and conservation bodies, with most recorded grant dollars going to Louisiana.
- No geographic focus is stated, so Louisiana should not be read as a rule about who may apply.
- If you are invited, a modest request fits its pattern: half of its 263 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less, the median grant was $20,000, and about 8 in 10 fell between $5,000 and $100,000, although its largest grant was $400,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Its filing shows no grants paid in its most recent year, so do not assume a regular cycle, and treat any approach as relationship-led.
Overview
Irene W & CB Pennington Private Foundation is a US private foundation based in Baton Rouge, LA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings do not state a general list of fields funded. The grant record shows a varied range of recipient organisations, including volunteer fire departments, sheriff's offices, schools, health and research organisations, disaster-response groups, arts organisations and conservation bodies. Listed purposes include fire engines, school enhancements, emergency equipment, disaster-response units, health-related work, wetlands conservation and concert programming. Most recorded grant dollars went to Louisiana, with smaller totals reaching other states. The filed application information says contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Louisiana and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 263 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 6% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 130 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- McManus Volunteer Fire Department · Project fire engine "tanker/pumper"$400,0002023 tax year
- East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office · 2022 donation$300,0002023 tax year
- United Cajun Navy · United cajun navy$260,0002023 tax year
- Silliman Institute · Silliman institute's middle school enhancements$250,0002023 tax year
- Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program · State of play baton rouge$250,0002023 tax year
- East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office · Director of special projects salary$210,0002023 tax year
- Center for Mind Body Medicine · Training post covid$190,0002023 tax year
- West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office · Operation take down / active shooter$185,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Claude Pennington — Trustee
- Sharon Palmer Pennington — Trustee
- Shannon Smith — Trustee
- Mary Pennington — Trustee
- Paula P Delabretonne — Trustee
- Daryl B Pennington SR — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $8,611,262 | $5,501,546 | $138,612,078 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $7,847,175 | $5,544,032 | $23,932,437 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $258,559 | $0 | $21,802,078 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to Irene W & CB Pennington Private Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (225) 383-3412
- Baton Rouge, LA
Applying to Irene W & CB Pennington Private Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (225) 383-3412
- Baton Rouge, LA