Established in 1999, The Charles Lafitte Foundation supports innovative and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others achieve healthy, satisfying, and enriched lives. Diverse in scope, it supports education, children’s advocacy, medical research & initiatives, and the arts. The foundation is flexible, supporting specific projects and annual contributions, valuing a solid track record, inventive problem-solving, and the satisfaction derived from volunteering and giving back.
The Charles Lafitte Foundation Grant Program aims at empowering individuals and improving communities through four main pillars: education, children’s advocacy, medical research & initiatives, and the arts. In education, it focuses on providing access and innovative approaches for all students, especially those with learning disabilities and at-risk populations. Children's advocacy efforts target mitigating hardships like child abuse and literacy challenges. Its support for medical research looks to enhance healthcare, disease prevention, and quality of life, often focusing on neglected issues. The arts funding seeks to cultivate talent, support artists, and promote access and therapy through creative programs. The foundation prefers underwriting projects with distinct goals, values creativity and innovation, promotes inclusiveness and diversity, requires engaged follow-up, carefully reviews financials favoring low overhead costs, and aims for long-term organizational stability. It typically eschews political or religious programs, advocating a practical approach to humanitarian issues.