Offering our fellow man a helping hand: Founded in Mississippi in 1986, the Whitman Mayo Foundation has served as a champion for entrepreneurship while supporting academic excellence in disadvantaged communities. Mayo was born in Harlem, New York City, and later moved to California, where he went on to serve in the U.S. Army. He began acting in college and went on to have a legendary acting career. Many remember Whitman Mayo's iconic portrayal of "Grady Wilson" on Sanford & Son, but he was also an educator, teaching drama at Clark Atlanta University. Moved by the level of abject poverty he witnessed in the South, Mayo set off to use his fame and access to raise funds for women's homeless shelters, healthcare education for the impoverished, and academic scholarships for disadvantaged youths. The Whitman Mayo Foundation was founded in the core values Whitman Mayo demonstrated throughout his life; giving back to those who need it most, and promoting self-sufficiency through philanthropy.
Our mission is to unite human, financial, academic, and technological resources to enhance the quality of life in the United States and across the globe. Founded with the support of the late-actor and educator Whitman Mayo and his family, the Whitman Mayo Foundation strives to fulfill Mayo’s legacy and promote the power of giving.