Arkwright Foundation
The Arkwright Foundation is a private foundation based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports 101 grants totaling $969,968, with most grant dollars going to recipients in South Carolina.
Arkwright Foundation at a glance
In short: Arkwright Foundation gave $970K across 101 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in South Carolina. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $969,968
- -5.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 101
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,604
- -9.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $16,824,516
- +4.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (14 of 101, 2024)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arkwright Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says applicants may contact Walter S. Montgomery Jr. by letter, personal visit, or phone call. Applicants must be charitable organizations. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Walter S Montgomery Jr
Mailing address: 314 South Pine Street Building 100, Spartanburg, SC 29302
Phone: (864) 585-9213
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Arkwright Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Spartanburg County Foundation ($274K). Together the top 10 received $759K.
Grant Size Distribution
483 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 466 grants of 483 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were South Carolina 91%, Maine 6%, North Carolina 2%, Virginia 1%, and Georgia 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 101 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Arkwright Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 101 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 50% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $646K (2021) to $1.0M (2023). In 2024 it made 101 grants totaling $970K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg County Foundation Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $273,700 |
| Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $195,000 |
| Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $86,250 |
| Episcopal Church of the Advent Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $74,900 |
| Hummingbird Farm Turner, ME | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| Spartanburg Community Dental Center Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $17,239 |
| Total Ministries Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| United Way of the Piedmont Gaffney, SC | General Operating Support | $13,500 |
| Ballet Spartanburg Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Wofford College Spartanburg, SC | General Operating Support | $11,394 |
Ready to take the next step with Arkwright Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,824,516 | $1,038,277 | $1,220,578 | $969,968 | 101 | $973,940 | $965,206 | $940,591 |
| 2023 | $16,076,670 | $642,183 | $1,149,784 | $1,024,689 | 97 | $1,025,902 | $518,301 | $907,531 |
| 2022 | $17,610,172 | $1,412,593 | $1,137,829 | $997,045 | 97 | $998,560 | $1,303,675 | $1,040,113 |
| 2021 | $18,353,780 | $1,911,812 | $700,689 | $646,395 | 95 | $648,285 | $1,766,546 | $993,217 |
| 2020 | $13,877,738 | $767,915 | $714,856 | $670,308 | 93 | — | $725,104 | $676,120 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arkwright Foundation reported a distributable amount of $941K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, health and dental services, community assistance, arts and culture, and food access. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ own missions: for example, Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg says it provides dental screenings, education, and services for qualifying children, while Total Ministries says it assists people in need with food, clothing, housing assistance, and other support.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 101 grants totaling $969,968. Grants ranged from $50 to $273,700, with a median of $2,000. The largest awards included $273,700 to Spartanburg County Foundation, $195,000 to Spartanburg Methodist College, $86,250 to Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg, $74,900 to Episcopal Church of the Advent, and $60,000 to Hummingbird Farm. The listed purposes for these grants were general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists M.L. Cates Sr. as chairman and Walter S. Montgomery Jr. as vice chairman.
Arkwright Foundation is led by Ml Cates Sr., Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ml Cates Sr.
Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Walter S. Montgomery Jr.
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Arkwright Foundation
How much does Arkwright Foundation give each year?
Arkwright Foundation gave $970K across 101 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 97 grants.
What is Arkwright Foundation's typical grant size?
Arkwright Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $9,604, across 101 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arkwright Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Arkwright Foundation give grants?
Arkwright Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maine (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Spartanburg, SC (78 grants), Charlotte, NC (2 grants) and Greenville, SC (2 grants).
Does Arkwright Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Arkwright Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (101 of 101) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Arkwright Foundation's largest grantees?
Arkwright Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Spartanburg County Foundation ($273,700), Spartanburg Methodist College ($195,000) and Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg ($86,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Arkwright Foundation?
Arkwright Foundation reported $16.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $974K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $941K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Arkwright Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, health and dental services, community assistance, arts and culture, and food access. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arkwright Foundation?
The filing says applicants may contact Walter S. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Arkwright Foundation's EIN?
Arkwright Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-6000066. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arkwright Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arkwright-foundation-morg_059ded1591a34d1886f9f77e2b715f78
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_576000066_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arkwright Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arkwright-foundation-morg_059ded1591a34d1886f9f77e2b715f78},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Arkwright Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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