The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Foundation's stated focus is population health and community wellness, with capacity building, collaboration and innovation as themes, so work that clearly connects to these is the best fit; other published sources report its geographic focus as Cochise County and eastern Santa Cruz Counties.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $1,000 and $25,000 and the median is $1,600, so a small request is realistic, although its largest grant was about $880,000, and stated programme ceilings are up to $2,500 for Fast Pitch Grants, up to $5,000 for Responsive Grants and up to $50,000 for Innovative Grants.
- Check the eligibility, guidelines and deadlines for your chosen programme, apply electronically, and contact staff well in advance of the deadline with questions, since first-time Innovative Grants applicants must attend the pre-recorded workshop.
- Repeat funding is substantial, with 73% of its grant dollars to organisations in its latest filing going to organisations it had funded in the two filings before, so relationships may matter, and staff may ask for more information or an in-person presentation during review.
- Political activities and labor organizations are excluded from funding, so such organisations should not apply.
Overview
The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona is a US private foundation based in Sierra Vista, AZ.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website and other web pages about the foundation (irp.cdn-website.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona makes grants to nonprofit organisations and government entities working to improve population health and community wellness. Its grantmaking includes board-identified initiatives and responses to community needs, alongside education and technology grants that strengthen organisational capacity. It supports capacity-building through education and resource development, and emphasises collaboration between organisations and innovation in fulfilling their missions. Applicants must show a clear relation to population health and community wellness, and proposals are assessed for community need, meaningful plans, measurable benefits and outcomes, sustainability, the population served and a reasonable budget.
Themes
- Population health and wellness
- Capacity building
- Collaboration
- Innovation
Geographic Focus
Cochise County; eastern Santa Cruz Counties. (as reported in other published sources)
What They Don't Fund
- Political activities
- Labor organizations
- Grants that would impair the Foundation’s tax-exempt status or, in the sole discretion of the Board, would cause the Foundation embarrassment (as reported in other published sources)
How to apply
Applicants review the eligibility, guidelines and deadlines for their chosen cycle, then submit the grant application electronically through the online system. Each cycle has its own requirements and submission deadline.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 73% 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 355 grants to organisations were $1,600 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation assesses community need, meaningful plans, measurable benefits and outcomes, sustainability, population served, a reasonable budget, and collaboration. (as reported in other published sources)
- Staff may request additional information or an in-person presentation during review.
- Recipients must provide ongoing status reports demonstrating performance on grant metrics. (as reported in other published sources)
- Organisations are encouraged to contact staff well in advance of the deadline with questions. (as reported in other published sources)
- First-time applicants to Innovative Grants must attend the pre-recorded workshop.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 30% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to organisations The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 135 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1,300 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Cochise County Sheriff's Office · Mental health support team$383,0562024 tax year
- Dragonfly Community Alliance · Community center/food pantry$50,0002024 tax year
- Boys and Girls Club of Sierra Vista · Palominas satellite$50,0002024 tax year
- Boys and Girls Club of Bisbee Douglas Unit · Douglas unit collaborative effort$50,0002024 tax year
- Step Up Bisbee Naco · Expansion of workforce housing initiative$50,0002024 tax year
- Arizona Border Alliance · Douglas community communication project$50,0002024 tax year
- Willcox Community Food Pantry · Sustaining transportation capacity$45,0002024 tax year
- City of Douglas · Visioning for the future$32,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Polly Gosa MSN RN — Director
- Kraig Fullen — Director
- Wendy Conger — Director
- Alexandra Boneo — Director
- Brian Barkdull — Director
- Andrea Ruble — Secretary
- Mark Savage — Vice Chair
- Michael Groves — Chair
- Margaret Hepburn — Chief Executive Officer
- Robert White JR — Director
- Lana Tompkins-Stutzman — Director
- Devyn Thurber MSN MPH PNP-BC — Director
- Iwona Snyder MSN RN — Director
- Sharon Reynolds — Director
- Maureen Kappler — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,354,404 | $2,059,486 | $61,237,634 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,697,622 | $989,041 | $67,032,634 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,654,324 | $1,100,899 | $73,002,665 | 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 The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (520) 335-6015
- info@lfsaz.org
- barbara.nichols@lfsaz.org
- Sierra Vista, AZ
- lfsaz.org
Applying to The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (520) 335-6015
- info@lfsaz.org
- barbara.nichols@lfsaz.org
- Sierra Vista, AZ
- lfsaz.org