Bernhardt Furniture Foundation

LENOIR, NC EIN: 51-0202755 Website

The Bernhardt Furniture Foundation is a private foundation established in 1947 and based in Lenoir, North Carolina. It operates as a company-sponsored foundation with a volunteer leadership team and no paid staff.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.3M

+14.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$204K

+11.0% YoY

Grant Count

-6.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

+18.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bernhardt Furniture Foundation reported a distributable amount of $218K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports health clinics and organizations involved with:

Arts and culture
Education
Cancer
Hunger
Human services
Christianity
Civic support
Community and economic development

Grantmaking

Review Cycle

May 30th

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Primary funding focus is North Carolina, with grants distributed to organizations in:

Collettsville
Hickory
Hudson
Lenoir
Morganton
Rutherford College
Caldwell County region

Grant Distribution by State

North Carolina $981K (100%)

States

North Carolina

Cities

CollettsvilleHickoryHudsonLenoirMorgantonPattersonRutherford CollegeThomasville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Fiscal Year (FYE October 2024):

Total assets: $4,310,115
Total revenues: $856,101
Total expenses: $274,981
Total giving: $203,500
Investment income and dividends: $102,394
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $290,607

Previous Year (FYE October 2023):

Total assets: $4,310,115
Total revenues: $473,500
Investment income: $82,171

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,310,115	$3,751,139	$3,395,735
Revenue	$856,101	$593,611	$583,126
Expenses	$274,981	$240,096	$228,936
Qualifying Distributions	$255,168	$224,813	$209,864
Net Investment Income	$375,778	$106,306	$138,962
Distributable Amount	$218,172	$184,225	$177,364

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

136 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Caldwell County Yokefellow Inc ($20,000), Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc ($20,000), Helping Hands Clinic Inc ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOME OF NC THOMASVILLE, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$1,000
BIG HOUSE FAMILY MINISTRY LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$2,500
CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL LENOIR, NC	EDUCATIONAL	$5,000
CALDWELL COUNCIL ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$10,000
CALDWELL COUNTY YOKEFELLOW INC LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$20,000
CALDWELL FRIENDS LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$4,500
CALDWELL HALFWAY HOUSE LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$15,000
CALDWELL HERITAGE MUSEUM LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$2,000
CALDWELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$20,000
CALDWELL OPPORTUNITIES LENOIR, NC	CIVIC SUPPORT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by a volunteer board with no compensation:

G. Alex Bernhardt Sr. (President)
James R. Collett Jr. (Vice President)
G. Alex Bernhardt Jr. (Vice President)
Anne H. Bernhardt (Vice President)
William F. Howard III (Treasurer)
Kevin McDougall (Secretary)
John E. Cahill (Assistant Secretary-Treasurer)
Dawn T. Barrett (Assistant Secretary)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
G ALEX BERNHARDT SR	PRESIDENT	2	—
JAMES R COLLETT JR	VICE PRESIDENT	2	—
G ALEX BERNHARDT JR	VICE PRESIDENT	2	—
WILLIAM F HOWARD III	TREASURER	2	—
ANNE H BERNHARDT	VICE PRESIDENT	2	—
KEVIN McDOUGALL	SECRETARY	2	—
JOHN E CAHILL	ASST SEC-TREAS	2	—
DAWN T BARRETT	ASST SECRETARY	2	—

Contact Information

Mailing Address: PO Box 740 Lenoir, NC 28645-0740

Phone: 828-759-6288

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bernhardt Furniture Foundation fund?

The foundation supports health clinics and organizations involved with: • Arts and culture • Education • Cancer • Hunger • Human services • Christianity • Civic support • Community and economic development

How do I apply for a grant from Bernhardt Furniture Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $1,000–$20,000 • Median grant amount: $5,000 • Recent grant activity: 26–28 grants made annually **Recent Grantees (2024):** • Caldwell County Yokefellow ($20,000) • Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation ($20,000) • Helping Hands Clinic ($20,000) • United Way of Caldwell County **Application Process:** • Application deadline: May 30th • Foundation application form required • Appears open to new applicants

Where does Bernhardt Furniture Foundation make grants?

Primary funding focus is North Carolina, with grants distributed to organizations in: • Collettsville • Hickory • Hudson • Lenoir • Morganton • Rutherford College • Caldwell County region

What size grants does Bernhardt Furniture Foundation award?

In 2024, Bernhardt Furniture Foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $204K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Bernhardt Furniture Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bernhardt Furniture Foundation reported a distributable amount of $218K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Bernhardt Furniture Foundation's EIN?

Bernhardt Furniture Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0202755. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.