Helping to Move People and Places out of Poverty

Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation

Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation

The Babcock Foundation partners with organizations and networks working to alleviate poverty and increase social and economic justice in 11 Southern states. We believe in democracy, opportunity and the power of partnerships, and we follow the lead of local experts who know what their communities need to thrive.

We support collaborative, multi-strategy, place-based work focused on democracy and civic engagement, economic opportunity, and supportive policies and institutions. We believe sustained, general-support grants are critical to helping organizations remain nimble and effective. In addition to grantmaking, we make strategic investments aligned with our mission and values. 

Established in 1953 with a $12 million bequest from Mary Reynolds Babcock, in its early days the Foundation supported historically black colleges and universities, grassroots advocacy groups, voter education and government accountability efforts – a unique legacy for Southern family philanthropy. 

The values that guided the Foundation in those days – fairness, democracy, equity and opportunity – continue to be our North Star today. 

Our Mission & Vision

Grants

Stories

Announcing our New Strategic Directions

The South is evolving, and our work is evolving with it.

After two years of careful reflection and conversations with grantee partners and other experts across the region, the Babcock Foundation is pleased to share our deepened commitments to center power building and racial equity in...

MRBF Launches CEO Search

The board and staff of the Babcock Foundation have formally launched our search for our next CEO. We hope our grantee and philanthropic partners will take a look at our announcement and consider whether they know excellent folks who fit the bill. This is an exciting time to join the Foundation....

Micah Gilmer

MRBF Announces Interim CEO

Babcock Foundation trustee Dr. Micah Gilmer has agreed to serve as Interim CEO for the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. Gilmer is Cofounder and Senior Partner of Frontline Solutions , a Black-owned consulting firm dedicated to making the world more just for all. In that role, Gilmer leads the...

MRBF

Issues

Places

  • Imprints Cares Celebrates MRBF Property Donation with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

    Note: This is Imprints Cares' news release about the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 19, 2022.

    Imprints Cares Dedicates Ready for School Center

    Winston-Salem, NC, May 19, 2022 – Thanks to a generous gift from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Imprints Cares is pleased to announce a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Ready for School Center on...

  • Announcing our New Strategic Directions

    The South is evolving, and our work is evolving with it.

    After two years of careful reflection and conversations with grantee partners and other experts across the region, the Babcock Foundation is pleased to share our deepened commitments to center power building and racial equity in everything we do, from grantmaking to investments, organizational culture to communications. This...

  • MRBF Launches CEO Search

    The board and staff of the Babcock Foundation have formally launched our search for our next CEO. We hope our grantee and philanthropic partners will take a look at our announcement and consider whether they know excellent folks who fit the bill. This is an exciting time to join the Foundation. We are adding new employees to help us grow our impact across our 11-state Southern region. We are...

  • MRBF Announces Interim CEO

    Babcock Foundation trustee Dr. Micah Gilmer has agreed to serve as Interim CEO for the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. Gilmer is Cofounder and Senior Partner of Frontline Solutions , a Black-owned consulting firm dedicated to making the world more just for all. In that role, Gilmer leads the consulting team, supports staff in their work with clients, and works closely with senior leaders at...

    Micah Gilmer

  • This is Personal: Our Statement on Anti Asian Violence

    The board and staff of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation send our deepest condolences to the families of the eight people killed in Georgia this week, six of them Asian women. While the investigation continues, the horrific attacks by a 21-year-old white man cannot be separated from America’s long, ugly history of white supremacy, structural racism, socioeconomic inequity and misogyny....