Community Foundation Of Southwest
The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana (CFSWLA) is a Lake Charles-based community foundation that manages donor-advised funds, scholarships, and local grantmaking. The site lists the foundation's EIN (72-1508036), contact email and phone, fund listings, and scholarship/grant program pages with application instructions.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Local or regional nonprofits and charitable projects serving Southwest Louisiana (education, scholarships, disaster recovery, community development, faith-based and human services) or programs tied to specific donor-advised funds or scholarship programs.
Good Fit
- • Organization based in or serving southwest Louisiana or a clear in‑state project.
- • Requests for general operating support, scholarships, disaster rebuild, or community capital projects.
- • Existing relationship or referral from a local donor, board member, or the foundation’s staff.
- • Capacity to manage mid-size grants (most awards cluster in the $10K–$250K range).
Geography
Grants span about 15 states in the latest year, but the vast majority of dollars (roughly 79%) are concentrated in Louisiana, indicating a primarily in‑state focus with some out‑of‑state giving.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows roughly 69 distinct recipients and similar counts in prior years, demonstrating a broad and diverse recipient set rather than a tiny closed circle.
New Applicants
Behavior shows substantial turnover (40 new recipients in the latest year), which suggests new entrants can be funded, but there is no clear public application process and much giving is likely donor‑advised, so unsolicited applicants should expect a relationship‑or referral‑driven path.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
