Brighton Foundation Trust
Brighton Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Cashiers, North Carolina. Its 2025 grants supported organizations including a church, community and youth organizations, child care and education providers, food assistance groups, health clinics, and emergency services.
Brighton Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: Brighton Foundation Trust gave $263K across 66 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in North Carolina. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $263,000
- +18.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 66
- +3.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,985
- +15.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $2,533,676
- +26.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (23 of 66, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Brighton Foundation Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 323 Lone Chimney Dr PO Box 1783, Cashiers, NC 28717
Phone: (727) 215-3178
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Brighton Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Presbyterian Church -Highlands ($110K). Together the top 10 received $173K.
Grant Size Distribution
349 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 347 grants of 349 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to organizations in North Carolina, 7% to Indiana, 5% to Florida, 3% to New York, and 1% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 66 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Brighton Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 66 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 61% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $156K (2023) to $263K (2025). In 2025 it made 66 grants totaling $263K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church -Highlands Highlands, NC | Operations | $110,250 |
| Vision Cashiers Inc Cashiers, NC | Operations | $22,500 |
| Academy Prep Foundation St Petersburg, FL | Operations | $5,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau Cashiers, NC | Operations | $5,000 |
| Brooke's Place Indianapolis, IN | Operations | $5,000 |
| Hearts and Hope for Haiti Indianapolis, IN | Operations | $5,000 |
| Highlands Cashiers Health Found Highlands, NC | Operations | $5,000 |
| Highlands Community Child Development Center Highlands, NC | Operations | $5,000 |
| Project Rouj (Zanmi Fondwa) Zionsville, IN | Operations | $5,000 |
| Reach of Macon County Franklin, NC | Operations | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,533,676 | $790,641 | $267,326 | $263,000 | 66 | $264,923 | $790,160 | $261,582 |
| 2024 | $2,010,361 | $109,787 | $223,990 | $221,200 | 64 | $222,220 | $109,532 | $237,423 |
| 2023 | $2,124,564 | $71,802 | $157,991 | $155,950 | 70 | $156,971 | $80,181 | $195,198 |
| 2022 | $2,210,753 | $39,151 | $184,132 | $182,450 | 72 | $183,470 | $55,010 | $195,176 |
| 2021 | $2,355,734 | $-35,186 | $208,624 | $206,000 | 77 | $206,000 | $43,716 | $212,614 |
| 2020 | $2,602,544 | $168,849 | $225,444 | $221,050 | 75 | — | $168,594 | $186,483 |
| 2019 | $2,665,139 | $173,935 | $226,188 | $222,550 | 77 | — | $173,680 | $187,735 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brighton Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $262K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in several areas. Highlands Community Child Development Center describes its work as providing affordable preschool care and early childhood education. MANNA Food Bank says it works to end hunger in Western North Carolina, while St. Pete Free Clinic describes services in health care, food, recovery housing, and education. Other supported organizations describe work in community engagement, education, health care, emergency rescue, and care for children and families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 66 grants totaling $263,000. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $110,250, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest grant listed was $110,250 to First Presbyterian Church–Highlands for operations. Other notable grants included $22,500 to Vision Cashiers Inc for operations and $5,000 each to Academy Prep Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau, Brooke’s Place, Hearts and Hope for Haiti, Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, Highlands Community Child Development Center, Project Rouj (Zanmi Fondwa), Reach of Macon County, St Petersburg Free Clinic, and Village Green; each was listed for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jean Markley and Robert D. Markley as trustees.
Brighton Foundation Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jean Markley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert D. Markley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Brighton Foundation Trust
How much does Brighton Foundation Trust give each year?
Brighton Foundation Trust gave $263K across 66 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $221K across 64 grants.
What is Brighton Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
Brighton Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,985, across 66 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brighton Foundation Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Brighton Foundation Trust give grants?
Brighton Foundation Trust gives mostly in North Carolina: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Indiana (7%) and Florida (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (15 grants), Cashiers, NC (13 grants), Highlands, NC (8 grants) and Charlotte, NC (4 grants).
Does Brighton Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 66 grants with a stated purpose on Brighton Foundation Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (66 grants).
Who are Brighton Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
Brighton Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include First Presbyterian Church -Highlands ($110,250), Vision Cashiers Inc ($22,500) and Academy Prep Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brighton Foundation Trust?
Brighton Foundation Trust reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $265K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $262K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Brighton Foundation Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in several areas. Highlands Community Child Development Center describes its work as providing affordable preschool care and early childhood education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brighton Foundation Trust?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brighton Foundation Trust's EIN?
Brighton Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2032393. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Brighton Foundation Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Brighton Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brighton-foundation-trust-morg_dbb723f6c99648a39ad0d1d5206cb3dc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_352032393_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Brighton Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/brighton-foundation-trust-morg_dbb723f6c99648a39ad0d1d5206cb3dc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Brighton Foundation Trust'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.
Brighton Foundation Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?