Anonymous Trust is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina, established in 2010 from the estate of Nancy Bryan Faircloth, a philanthropist and heiress. The foundation operates with a notably lean structure—maintaining just four employees and a minimalist approach to overhead, reflecting the founder's philosophy that foundations should not become "puffed up" with administrative costs. The Trust takes a place-based approach to philanthropy, focusing on elevating and empowering rural, under-resourced, and marginalized communities in eastern North Carolina through grantmaking, resource development, and relationship building.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$122.3M
-7.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.7M
+8.9% YoY
Grant Count
246
+23.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$64K
-11.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Anonymous Trust reported a distributable amount of $14.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: Taking a place-based approach, the Trust seeks to elevate and empower rural, under-resourced, and marginalized communities in eastern North Carolina through grant-making, resource development, and relationship building. The organization seeks to find grassroots, community-based organizations as well as partnerships with larger institutions to impact system change.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Education (pre-K through post-secondary)
- Health and Human Services
- Arts and Cultural programming
- Community and Economic Development
- Historic Preservation
- Environment
- Disaster Relief
Education has been central to the Trust's work since inception, beginning with the establishment of a scholarship program in 2011. Scholarships, teacher fellowships, and funding for innovative and sustainable educational opportunities remain important priorities.
Grantmaking
Invitation only
Grant Range
s:**
Average Grant
amount: $72,410
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust focuses exclusively on eastern North Carolina, with particular emphasis on Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties. The foundation prioritizes rural and underserved communities in this region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $132,206,821 (2023)
- $122,328,461 (2024)
- $285 million (2021)
Annual Giving:
- $14,409,677 (2023)
- $12.3 million (reported in one source)
Total Revenues:
- $7,178,865 (2024)
Total Expenses:
- $17,242,736 (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $122,328,461 | $132,206,821 | $116,687,991 |
| Revenue | $7,178,865 | $30,587,157 | $4,755,382 |
| Expenses | $17,242,736 | $15,395,941 | $13,421,334 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $17,016,810 | $15,192,563 | $13,069,154 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,889,643 | $30,346,248 | $4,525,480 |
| Distributable Amount | $14,194,598 | $11,772,206 | $12,568,188 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Arise Collective ($1,769,165), American Heart Association ($413,000), Campbell University ($205,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE DECATUR, GA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR ALLURE J BEST | $24,110 |
| ALEXIS COLEMAN CLINTON, NC | TEACHER STIPEND | $400 |
| ALLEGHENY COLLEGE MEADVILLE, PA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR SAUL E MESA NUNEZ | $20,977 |
| ALLISON WILLIAMS CLINTON, NC | TEACHER STIPEND | $150 |
| AMANDA CARTER BASS CLINTON, NC | TEACHER STIPEND | $400 |
| AMERICAN EXPRESS CARDMEMBER SERVICE CAROL STREAM, IL | EXPENSES FOR COLLEGE INTERVIEWS, VISITS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND BOOKS | $6,709 |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DURHAM, NC | GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT (125,000 CHALLENGE; 288,000 OUTRIGHT) | $413,000 |
| ANGELA LYNN MARTIN AUTRYVILLE, NC | LOVE OF LEARNINGS GRANTS TEACHER STIPEND | $2,000 |
| ANNA OPHELIA KAMP CLINTON, NC | INITIAL NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION | $1,975 |
| ARISE COLLECTIVE RALEIGH, NC | OUTRIGHT GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT (1,700,000) AND CAPITAL PAYMENT (69,165) | $1,769,165 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by a team of six board members described as "a band of five contrarian women and one courageous man." Identified individuals include:
- Anne B. Faircloth (Trustee)
- Maria M. Lynch (Trustee)
- Margaret Turlington (Scholarship Coordinator)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANNE B FAIRCLOTH | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| MARIA M LYNCH | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| MARGARET TURLINGTON | SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR | 40 | $152,250 |
| KIMBERLY K BREEDEN | SIMPLY EAST FUND DIRECTOR | 40 | $147,000 |
| DEBORAH M AIKEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $204,335 |
Contact Information
Address: 4130 Parklake Ave Ste 100, Raleigh, NC 27612-4463
Phone: 919-256-6937
Email: info@anonymoustrust.org
Website: https://anonymous-trust.org/
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Anonymous Trust fund?
**Mission Statement:** Taking a place-based approach, the Trust seeks to elevate and empower rural, under-resourced, and marginalized communities in eastern North Carolina through grant-making, resource development, and relationship building. The organization seeks to find grassroots, community-based organizations as well as partnerships with larger institutions to impact system change. **Primary Funding Areas:** • Education (pre-K through post-secondary) • Health and Human Services • Arts and …
How do I apply for a grant from Anonymous Trust?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 199 awards totaling $14.4 million in 2023 • Made 182 grants in 2024 • Distributed more than $88 million since inception • Over $50 million granted between 2017-2021 alone **Grant Sizes:** • Grant range: $1,000 to $7,250,000 • Average grant amount: $72,410 • Median grant amount: $5,500 • Typical awards: $50 to $1,948,747 **Grant Types:** • General operating support grants • Challenge grants • Teacher stipends • Multi-year grants • Major institutional grants ($1 million…
Where does Anonymous Trust make grants?
The Trust focuses exclusively on eastern North Carolina, with particular emphasis on Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties. The foundation prioritizes rural and underserved communities in this region.
What size grants does Anonymous Trust award?
In 2024, Anonymous Trust awarded 246 grants totaling $15.7M — an average of about $64K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Anonymous Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Anonymous Trust reported a distributable amount of $14.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Anonymous Trust's EIN?
Anonymous Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-6220561. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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