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Living Legacy Foundation

Annual Giving
$21.2M
Grant Range
$10K - $5.3M

Living Legacy Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21.2M (2024)
  • Total Assets: $164.8M (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $5,300,000
  • Median Grant: $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (U.S.)
  • Number of Annual Grants: Approximately 60-72 grants

Contact Details

Official Website: https://www.livinglegacyoc.org

Address: Costa Mesa/Newport Beach, California (exact office address not publicly listed)

Note: The foundation does not provide public contact information for grant inquiries as they do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Living Legacy Foundation is a private, family-managed foundation established in 2018 (registered in California in March 2019) by CEO Richard Hutcheson and President/Executive Director Alisha Ballard. With assets exceeding $164 million as of 2024, the foundation distributes approximately $21 million annually to organizations addressing poverty and inequality. The foundation's mission is to "financially support organizations that are helping those struggling daily with the circumstances of poverty," with particular focus on access to healthcare, food, shelter, clothing, and education. The foundation emphasizes innovative solutions to community problems and seeks to invest in programs that strengthen families and communities, particularly benefiting disadvantaged and vulnerable populations with limited opportunities. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded 294 grants totaling over $58 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Living Legacy Foundation operates as a private independent foundation that awards grants proactively to preselected organizations. The foundation does not operate structured grant programs with specific application cycles or deadlines. Grants are awarded on a rolling basis through trustee discretion.

Grant Amounts:

  • Range: $10,000 - $5,300,000
  • Median grant: $100,000
  • Annual grants: 60-72 organizations

Priority Areas

Based on documented grants and stated mission, the foundation prioritizes:

Poverty Alleviation:

  • Healthcare access for underserved populations
  • Food security and nutrition programs
  • Shelter and housing services
  • Basic needs support (clothing, essential services)

Education:

  • Educational access for disadvantaged youth
  • Music industry education and career pathways
  • Programs serving homeless and foster youth
  • College scholarships for vulnerable populations

Youth Development:

  • Programs for homeless youth
  • Foster care support services
  • Career development opportunities
  • Arts and music education

Faith-Based and Community Organizations:

  • General operating support for churches and faith-based nonprofits
  • Community strengthening initiatives
  • International humanitarian organizations

Notable Focus: The foundation has demonstrated particular interest in music industry education and access, reflecting President Alisha Ballard's background as co-founder of EqualizeHer (promoting women's representation in the music industry) and Inherit the Music with Kings of Leon (providing music education access).

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly list exclusions, but operates exclusively through trustee-selected organizations rather than responding to external requests.

Governance and Leadership

Board and Key Personnel

Richard Hutcheson - CEO

  • Chief executive officer overseeing foundation strategy

Alisha Ballard - President/Executive Director

  • Holds master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University
  • Co-founder of EqualizeHer, an initiative promoting equal representation of women across all sectors of the music industry
  • Co-founder of Inherit the Music with Kings of Leon, providing music education access to young people
  • Daughter-in-law of the late David Eugene Ballard, for whom the foundation named a scholarship

Heather Miller - Vice President

Rick Hutcheson - Vice President

Leadership Philosophy

The foundation's mission statement emphasizes a strategic approach to funding: "financially support organizations that are helping those struggling daily with the circumstances of poverty." Leadership emphasizes innovative solutions and programs that strengthen families and communities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Living Legacy 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.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Trustee discretion and selection
  • Pre-existing relationships with leadership
  • Proactive identification of organizations by foundation board members

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate a public application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants. The foundation awards approximately 60-72 grants annually to organizations selected by trustees.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Recent Grant Examples

Based on available Form 990 data from 2022, documented grants include:

Large Grants ($500,000+):

  • Philanthropic Impact Foundation (Nashville, TN) - $5,300,000 - General Support
  • CityServe International (Springfield, MO) - $1,200,000 - General Support
  • Mission Activation Charity (Midland, MI) - $645,000 - General Support
  • Elton John AIDS Foundation Inc. (New York, NY) - $500,000 - General Support
  • Fresno Christian Schools (Fresno, CA) - $500,000 - General Support

Notable Mid-Range Grant:

  • Music Forward Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) - $150,000 - Established the David Eugene Ballard Scholarship, a $10,000 annual scholarship for students who have experienced homelessness or been in foster care and are pursuing college degrees in music business, live-event operations, production, music engineering, or music business management

The foundation's geographic reach is national, supporting organizations across the United States including California, Texas, New York, Tennessee, Missouri, and many other states.

Application Success Factors

Since the Living Legacy Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, this section focuses on the types of organizations and characteristics that align with funded grants:

Organizations That Align With Foundation Priorities:

  1. Demonstrated Impact on Poverty: Organizations showing measurable outcomes in addressing healthcare access, food security, shelter, or basic needs for vulnerable populations

  2. Youth-Focused Programs: Particularly those serving homeless youth, foster care populations, or providing educational and career opportunities to disadvantaged young people

  3. Innovative Approaches: The foundation's mission statement emphasizes "innovative solutions to community problems," suggesting preference for programs with creative or novel approaches to persistent social issues

  4. Family and Community Strengthening: Programs that build resilience and capacity within families and communities rather than providing only temporary assistance

  5. Music and Arts Education: Given leadership's involvement in music industry initiatives, programs providing music education access to underserved youth may be of particular interest

  6. Faith-Based Organizations: The foundation has supported churches and faith-based nonprofits, indicating openness to religious organizations with strong community impact

  7. General Operating Support: Many documented grants specify "General Support," indicating the foundation provides flexible funding rather than restricting grants to specific projects

Quote from Leadership:

Alisha Ballard described the foundation's approach when establishing the Music Forward scholarship: "The foundation is focused on supporting organizations that help people who suffer from poverty, poor health, abuse, lack of education, and a lack of opportunities to better their lives."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry

  • Relationship-Driven: Organizations receiving grants likely have pre-existing connections to foundation leadership or board members

  • Significant Grant Capacity: With $21+ million in annual giving and median grants of $100,000, this is a substantial funder when organizations are selected

  • Broad Geographic Reach: Despite California/Tennessee base, the foundation funds nationally across major metropolitan areas and smaller communities

  • Focus on Vulnerable Populations: Strong alignment with organizations serving people experiencing poverty, homelessness, abuse, or lack of educational opportunities

  • Music Industry Connection: President Alisha Ballard's leadership in music industry equity initiatives suggests potential receptivity to music education and arts access programs

  • Flexible Funding: Many grants designated for "General Support" indicate willingness to provide unrestricted operating support rather than project-specific funding

References

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