Brown-Forman Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 82-4595018 · since 2019brownformanfoundation.org·Louisville·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$9.8M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

From $25,000

Grant range

From the funder's website

$60,000

Typical grant (median)

59 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Foundation funds arts and culture, lifelong learning, community well-being, shared natural spaces and alcohol responsibility, and it intends to support organisations located in, or directly serving lives in, Louisville, Kentucky, so a group outside that area should check that its work reaches people there before applying.
It does not fund individuals, public schools (K-12), group tours, athletic teams or leagues, religious organisations such as churches and synagogues, capital campaigns or sponsorship requests, and it accepts only public charities described in Section 509 (a) (1) or 509 (a) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, so those organisations should not apply.
Its grant range starts at $25,000, and across the filing and the prior one, half of its 98 grants to organisations were $60,000 or less, so a request in that region fits its usual pattern.
Applications go through its formal online application by May 1, August 1, November 1 or February 1, and proposals must align with at least one focus area and give a sound basis for measuring goals and outcomes.
Repeat giving is strong, with 72% of grant dollars to organisations in the filing going to groups it had also funded in the earlier filing, so a first-time applicant should bear in mind that most grant dollars went to returning grantees.

Overview

Brown-Forman Foundation is a US private foundation based in Louisville, KY.

What they fund

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

Priority Areas

The Foundation invests in organisations that support its vision of transformative community impact through arts and culture, lifelong learning, and community initiatives. It backs cultural institutions that foster shared experiences and improve quality of life through the arts; organisations that expand access to education, mentorship and career pathways for people of all ages; and initiatives that strengthen community well-being, steward shared natural spaces and promote alcohol responsibility. Its intended applicants are organisations located in, or providing services that directly impact lives in, Louisville, Kentucky.

Themes

Arts and culture
Lifelong learning
Community well-being
Shared natural spaces
Alcohol responsibility

Geographic Focus

Louisville, Kentucky.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
Public schools (K-12)
Group tours
Athletic teams or leagues
Requests by foreign organizations
Religious organizations such as churches and synagogues
Any organization that is not a public charity described in either Section 509 (a) (1) or 509 (a) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code
Third parties seeking donations on behalf of nonprofit organizations – donations must be made directly to a nonprofit rather than, for example, to a business partner requesting on behalf of an organization
Political organizations or for political campaign purposes
Requests to carry on a voter registration drive
Grant requests for projects that include lobbying, propaganda, or other attempts to influence legislation
Organizations that lack non-discrimination policies
Organizations that have a history of discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability, or any other legally protected status
Past grantees who have failed to provide a completed grant agreement, grant report, or other required documentation
Requests to satisfy the personal pledge of a Foundation or Brown-Forman director, officer, key staff person, or family member thereof
Requests that, if granted, would provide a personal benefit to a Foundation or Brown-Forman director, officer, key staff person, or family member thereof, other than naming or similar publicity
Capital campaign requests
Sponsorship requests

How to apply

Applicants submit proposals using the Foundation’s formal online grant application and provide a follow-up grant report.

Deadlines: Submission deadlines are May 1, August 1, November 1 and February 1 each year.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 72% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 98 grants to organisations were $60,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The applicant’s mission and project outcomes must align with at least one of the Foundation’s focus areas.
Proposals should provide a sound basis for measuring project goals and projected outcomes.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Kentucky100%

The largest single recipient received 24% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2023, 72% of grant dollars went to organisations Brown-Forman Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

59 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $60,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 59 grants in tax year 2023 by size

$10k–$25k5%

$25k–$50k24%

$50k–$100k36%

$100k–$250k22%

$250k–$500k5%

$500k–$1M3%

$1M and over5%

Median $60,000 (tax year 2023)

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

West End School · General program support
$2,000,0002023 tax year
Simmons College of Kentucky · General program support
$1,000,0002023 tax year
Louisville Central Community Centers · General program support
$1,000,0002023 tax year
Louisville Urban League · General program support
$500,0002023 tax year
Academy of Music Production Education and Development · General program support
$500,0002023 tax year
Louisville Orchestra · General program support
$450,0002023 tax year
Kentucky Dance Council · General program support
$400,0002023 tax year
University of Louisville Foundation · General program support
$265,0002023 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Dwight Haygood — Director
Garvin Deters — Director
Maureen Brekka — Director
Sue Perram — Treasurer
Crystal Peterson — President
Chris Brown — Director
Lawson Whiting — Director
Jill Horn — Executive Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$3,957,954	$7,218,000	$81,819,690	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$4,202,773	$9,782,000	$99,766,995	Filing for 2023 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.