Editing Ray Charles (section)

===The Ray Charles Foundation===
[[File:RayCharlesStatue.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Statue by Andy Davis in Ray Charles Plaza in Albany, Georgia]]Founded in 1986, the Ray Charles Foundation maintains the mission statement of financially supporting institutions and organizations in the research of hearing disorders.<ref name="Ray Charles Foundation:Mission Statement">{{cite web|title=Mission Statement|url=http://www.theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_FoundationMissionStatement.html |publisher=Theraycharlesfoundation.org |access-date=December 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222191513/http://theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_FoundationMissionStatement.html|archive-date=February 22, 2015 }}</ref> Originally known as The Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders, it was renamed in 2006 and has provided financial donations to numerous institutions involved in hearing loss research and education.<ref name="Benedict College receives $500,000 gift from the Ray Charles Foundation">{{cite web|title=Benedict College receives $500,000 gift?|url=http://www.benedict.edu/cms/?q=node/1150 |publisher=Benedict.edu |access-date=December 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016235443/http://www.benedict.edu/cms/?q=node%2F1150|archive-date=October 16, 2014 }}</ref> The purpose of the foundation has been "to administer funds for scientific, educational and charitable purposes; to encourage, promote and educate, through grants to institutions and organizations, as to the causes and cures for diseases and disabilities of the hearing impaired and to assist organizations and institutions in their social educational and academic advancement of programs for the youth, and carry on other charitable and educational activities associated with these goals as allowed by law."<ref name="Ray Charles Foundation">{{cite web |title=About the Foundation |url=http://www.theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_AboutTheFoundation.html|publisher=Theraycharlesfoundation.org|access-date=December 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222105537/http://theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_AboutTheFoundation.html|archive-date=February 22, 2015 }}</ref>

Recipients of donations include [[Benedict College]], [[Morehouse College]], and other universities.<ref name="Morehouse gets $3 million gift from Ray Charles Foundation">{{cite news |title=Morehouse Gets $3 Million Gift from Ray Charles Foundation |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/morehouse-gets-million-gift-from-ray-charles-foundation/FhyAhoAU09wDLnC9BUADFJ/ |publisher=Ajc.com |access-date=June 8, 2021 |last1=Jeffries |first1=Fran |archive-date=June 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608225847/https://www.ajc.com/news/morehouse-gets-million-gift-from-ray-charles-foundation/FhyAhoAU09wDLnC9BUADFJ/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The foundation has taken action against donation recipients who do not use funds in accordance with its mission statement, such as the [[Albany State University]], which was made to return a $3 million donation after not using the funds for over a decade.<ref name="Daily News">{{cite web |title=Ray Charles Foundation wants $3 million gift back from Albany State University - NY Daily News |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/ray-charles-foundation-3-million-gift-back-albany-state-university-article-1.1022939 |website=New York Daily News |access-date=December 16, 2018 |date=February 15, 2012 |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408015540/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/ray-charles-foundation-3-million-gift-back-albany-state-university-article-1.1022939 |url-status=live }}</ref> The foundation houses its executive offices at the historic RPM International Building, originally the home of Ray Charles Enterprises and now also home to the Ray Charles Memorial Library on the first floor, which was founded on September 23, 2010 (what would have been his 80th birthday). The library was founded to "provide an avenue for young children to experience music and art in a way that will inspire their creativity and imagination", and is not open to the public without reservation, as the main goal is to educate mass groups of underprivileged youth and provide art and history to those without access to such documents.<ref name="Ray Charles Memorial Library">{{cite web|title=About the Library|url=http://www.theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_AboutTheLibrary |publisher=Theraycharlesfoundation.org |access-date=December 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006093827/http://www.theraycharlesfoundation.org/RCF_AboutTheLibrary |archive-date=October 6, 2014 }}</ref>