Medical College of Georgia Foundation

What Medical College of Georgia Foundation does

The Medical College of Georgia Foundation, Inc. is a Georgia-incorporated 501(c)(3) public charity founded on October 19, 1954, by five alumni who pooled $450 to create a philanthropic arm for the state's public medical school (established 1828). Headquartered at 720 St. Sebastian Way in the historic Sutherland Mill in Augusta, GA, adjacent to the Augusta University Health Sciences Campus, the foundation operates with approximately 9 staff members and is governed by its own board under President & CEO Ian Mercier and COO/CFO Angela Rees. Its sole structural purpose is to steward charitable gifts and endowment assets in support of the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Health Sciences Colleges, and the Wellstar-MCG Health System.

The foundation's core "products" are giving and fund-management services rather than software: an online donation portal, a searchable endowed-fund database, planned giving (bequests, trusts, retirement assets), securities transfers via State Street Global Services, real estate gifts, and endowment establishment at minimum funding tiers ranging from $25,000 (other endowment) to $2,000,000 (Distinguished University Chair). Underlying assets are managed as a diversified investment portfolio (equities, hedge funds, real assets, direct real estate), with endowment spending computed at roughly 4% of a three-year rolling average market value. Three wholly-owned subordinate corporations extend the platform: Paceline (cancer research fundraising, est. 2018, over $9M raised), the Belltower Student Foundation (student-managed philanthropy program, $500K allocated, 30+ members, launched 2024), and the HUB for Community Innovation (56,000 sq ft community campus). Technology infrastructure is minimal — a Wix-hosted website, online donation forms, and standard back-office tools — with no documented APIs, integrations, or AI capabilities.

The business model is donor-funded: revenue streams include charitable donations (cash, securities, real estate, planned gifts), investment portfolio returns, and real estate management. Pricing is not market-priced but expressed as minimum endowment funding thresholds. The foundation disburses funds via direct institutional grants to MCG/AU for endowed chairs (79 active, 60 fully funded), scholarships ($3.6M in FY 2024-2025, 282 students impacted including 68 full-ride), faculty support ($3.7M in FY 2024-2025), and research funding ($3.7M annually). Customer/beneficiary segments are concentrated in a single institutional ecosystem (MCG, AU, Wellstar-MCG, Georgia communities via Peach State Scholars), while donor segments are a long tail of alumni and community supporters. Total cumulative distributions to MCG since 1972 exceed $142 million.

Name

Medical College of Georgia Foundation

Legal name

Medical College of Georgia Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://mcgfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Medical College of Georgia Foundation is a nonprofit foundation managing a $413 million endowment to support the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Health Sciences Colleges, and Wellstar-MCG through endowed chairs, scholarships, research funding, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding (EDAIAOAD)

Keywords

• Charitable giving services
• Endowment management
• Medical education funding
• Philanthropic foundation
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Giving and Donations: The foundation receives charitable donations from alumni, supporters, and community members. Donors can give through various methods including online donations, mail-in checks, securities transfers, real estate gifts, and planned giving arrangements.
2. Investment Portfolio Returns: The foundation manages a diverse investment portfolio including real estate, equities, hedge funds, and real assets. Endowment earnings are disbursed annually to provide perpetual funding for donor-specified purposes. The spending rate is computed on the average market value at the end of the previous 3 years.
3. Real Estate Management: The foundation manages real estate investments as part of its diverse portfolio and accepts gifts of real estate from donors, which are counted at fair market value by independent appraisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Medical College of Georgia Foundation raises, manages, and distributes charitable funds to support the Medical College of Georgia, the Health Sciences Colleges at Augusta University, and the hospitals and clinics of Wellstar-MCG. It operates an online giving platform, processes planned gifts, securities, real estate, and endowments (with minimum funding levels from $25,000 to $2,000,000), and stewards a diversified investment portfolio (including real estate) to provide perpetual funding for scholarships, professorships, research, and faculty support. It also oversees subordinate corporations focused on cancer research fundraising, student philanthropy education, and community innovation.

Product overview

The Medical College of Georgia Foundation operates as a philanthropic foundation offering a suite of giving and fund management services rather than a traditional software product. Its core offerings include an online donation/giving platform supporting fund-specific contributions, planned giving (bequests, trusts), securities transfers via State Street Global Services, real estate gifts, and endowment establishment services with minimum funding from $25,000 to $2,000,000. The foundation also sponsors subsidiary programs including Paceline (cancer research fundraising through cycling), the Belltower Student Foundation (student-managed $500,000 portfolio for philanthropy education), the HUB for Community Innovation (56,000 sq ft community campus), and the MCG Stethoscope Program providing medical equipment to students. Fund search and conference exhibit payment services round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Giving Platform Web-based donation portal allowing donors to contribute to the Medical College of Georgia and related healthcare programs. Supports fund-specific giving, general unrestricted gifts, and various payment methods.
• Fund Search & Management Searchable database of endowed funds, scholarships, and program funds supporting Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia. Donors can browse and contribute to specific funds.
• Planned Giving Services Structured giving options including bequests, trusts, and retirement asset donations that provide long-term support for MCG while offering tax benefits to donors.
• Securities Gift Processing Service for donating appreciated stock and bonds, enabling donors to avoid capital gains tax while receiving charitable deductions. Electronic and physical stock transfers processed via State Street Global Services.
• Endowment Establishment Endowed fund creation service supporting perpetual scholarships, professorships, and research programs. Minimum funding levels range from $25,000 to $2,000,000 depending on endowment type.
• Real Estate Gifts Acceptance and management of real property donations including residences, vacation homes, farms, and vacant lots. Provides charitable deductions and avoids capital gains tax for donors.
• MCG Stethoscope Program Program providing stethoscopes to incoming freshman medical students, funded by alumni, faculty, and friend donations. Symbolizes the bond between MCG and its future physicians.
• Paceline Charitable cycling and fundraising initiative that raises money for cancer research at the Georgia Cancer Center. Established in 2018 through MCGF partnership and has raised more than $9 million for cancer research.
• Belltower Student Foundation Student-led foundation providing hands-on opportunities to learn about philanthropy, stewardship, investing, and finance. Manages $500,000 in assets with over 30 student members.
• HUB for Community Innovation 56,000 sq ft community campus at the gateway to the AU Health Sciences Campus, originally envisioned as the Dream Center. Focuses on community engagement and innovation.
• Conference Exhibit Fee Processing Online payment system for conference exhibit fees, enabling organizations to register and pay for exhibition space at MCG Foundation events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $142 million distributed to MCG since 1972
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Belltower Student FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ambition to give students hands-on opportunities to learn about philanthropy, stewardship, investing and finance. MCG Foundation committed $500,000 to establish the foundation. Belltower manages a $500,000 portfolio of assets allocated by MCGF. The foundation has over 30 student members.
• PacelinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018MCGF, in partnership with founder Dag Grantham, established Paceline in 2018 with the goal of funding cancer research at the Georgia Cancer Center. Paceline has raised more than $9 million for cancer research. The partnership includes a dedicated Paceline Operational Fund (Fund #1300).
• HUB for Community InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally envisioned by Doug Neil and the MCG Foundation as the 'Dream Center', the HUB for Community Innovation is a 56,000 sq ft community campus at the gateway to the AU Health Sciences Campus. MCGF Executive Director Alex Griffin serves in leadership roles.
• Augusta UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCG Foundation serves as the umbrella foundation for Augusta University, one of Georgia's most diverse and dynamic public research universities. The foundation supports all Health Sciences Colleges at AU, including three campuses in Augusta, a partnership campus in Athens, and satellite campuses throughout the state.
• Wellstar-MCGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation supports the hospitals and clinics of Wellstar-MCG, providing funding for clinical operations, research facilities, and healthcare delivery programs.
• State of Georgia / Peach State Health PlanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with the State of Georgia and Centene/Peach State Health Plan, the MCG Foundation established the Peach State Scholars Program for students desiring to work in the most underserved parts of Georgia.
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)majorOthersMCG researchers received a $1.9 million PCORI grant for expanding inclusion in clinical research. The foundation supports these research initiatives at MCG.
• National Cancer Institute / NIHmajorOthersA Paceline grant winner at Georgia Cancer Center secured a $2.8 million NCI/NIH grant for breast cancer research, demonstrating the foundation's impact in enabling larger federal research funding.
• Community Foundation for the CSRAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Community Foundation for the CSRA are suite-mates next door in the historic Sutherland Mill headquarters building.
• TextronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaceline and Textron partnered to donate bikes to local students as part of Textron's Reaching Potential Through Manufacturing program.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Emory University Office of Development: Largest peer medical-academic fundraising operation in Georgia. Directly comparable as a university-aligned development foundation supporting medical education, research, and patient care in the same state with similar endowed chair and scholarship programs.
• Morehouse School of Medicine: Georgia-based public medical school with similar mission to MCG, focusing on health equity and underserved populations. Highly comparable as a peer Georgia medical school that also relies on philanthropic support and faces similar state funding dynamics.
• Robert W. Woodruff Foundation: Major Georgia-based private foundation with significant healthcare and education grantmaking, including historic gifts to Emory and other Georgia institutions. Directly comparable as a Georgia-focused grantmaking foundation operating at similar scale with healthcare/education focus.
• Vanderbilt Medical Center Development: Academic medical center development office supporting a major southeastern medical school with endowed chairs, scholarships, and research funding. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and capital deployment model.
• Duke University Medical Center Development: Top-tier academic medical center development operation supporting Duke's medical school with endowed chairs, scholarships, and research grants. Comparable in operating model and asset scale, though at a larger institution.
• Baylor College of Medicine Development: Standalone medical school (non-university-affiliated) with a sophisticated foundation supporting medical education and research. Comparable as a medical-school-specific philanthropic foundation with similar endowed chair and scholarship programs.
• Johns Hopkins Medicine Development: Leading academic medical center development operation with endowed chairs, research grants, and scholarship programs. Comparable in mission and structure, though operating at much greater scale nationally.

Broad incumbents

• Commonwealth Fund: National health-focused foundation supporting healthcare research and policy, including medical education initiatives. Comparable as a health philanthropy organization but operates at much larger scale and broader national scope than MCGF.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Largest US health-focused philanthropy, supporting health research, medical education, and workforce development. Comparable in healthcare philanthropy mission but at vastly greater scale and national breadth.
• Kresge Foundation: Major national foundation with significant health and education grantmaking programs. Comparable as a multi-purpose philanthropic foundation supporting higher education and health initiatives, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MCGFoundationInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcg-foundation-inc
• Xx.com/mcgfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medical College of Georgia Foundation