C D Spangler Foundation Inc
C D Spangler Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1956, it was founded by businessman Clemmie Spangler, who owned National Gypsum and served as president of the University of North Carolina. The foundation supports education, human services, health, religion, and arts and culture, primarily in North Carolina.
C D Spangler Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: C D Spangler Foundation Inc gave $27.6M across 131 grants in 2025 (avg $211K), top state North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $27,611,795
- +13.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 131
- -1.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $210,777
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $739,713,407
- +16.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (48% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to C D Spangler Foundation Inc
- 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: P O Box 36007, Charlotte, NC 28236-6007
Phone: (704) 372-4500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who C D Spangler Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was FFTC - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $20.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
494 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 307 grants of 494 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated primary focus is North Carolina. In 2025, 48% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 19% to California, 18% to the District of Columbia, 8% to Massachusetts, and 2% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 131 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How C D Spangler Foundation Inc gives
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $18.1M (2020) to $27.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 131 grants totaling $27.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FFTC - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $5,000,000 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society Washington, DC | To Assist in Health and Human Services | $5,000,000 |
| UCSF Foundation - Ms & Neuroinflammation Center San Francisco, CA | To Assist in Health and Human Services | $5,000,000 |
| Arts - Capital Campaign Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $1,000,000 |
| Charlotte Ballet - Capital Campaign Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $1,000,000 |
| Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation - Capital Campaign Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Educational Opportunities | $1,000,000 |
| Harvard Business School Boston, MA | To Assist in Educational Opportunities | $1,000,000 |
| Case Method Institute for Education & Democracy Cambridge, MA | To Assist in Educational Opportunities | $500,000 |
| Charlotte Bilingual Preschool - Capital Campaign Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Educational Opportunities | $500,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity - Capital Campaign Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with C D Spangler Foundation Inc?
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 | $739,713,407 | $106,080,281 | $28,606,599 | $27,611,795 | 131 | $27,618,995 | $71,050,682 | $33,130,523 |
| 2024 | $637,576,139 | $112,283,505 | $25,428,046 | $24,339,020 | 133 | $24,354,039 | $77,266,705 | $28,627,952 |
| 2023 | $525,081,380 | $84,541,335 | $25,305,306 | $24,538,240 | 109 | $24,547,640 | $54,137,647 | $23,114,576 |
| 2022 | $467,156,525 | $39,402,450 | $25,890,365 | $25,753,680 | 120 | $25,762,730 | $9,553,125 | $24,156,360 |
| 2021 | $547,764,463 | $34,692,558 | $19,265,846 | $18,775,110 | 1 | $18,783,620 | $34,692,558 | $25,291,582 |
| 2020 | $449,542,357 | $65,837,239 | $18,225,789 | $18,144,730 | 1 | — | $7,132,239 | $19,253,816 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, C D Spangler Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $33.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing identifies education, human services, health, religion, and arts and culture as areas it supports. Its 2025 grants included support for educational opportunities, health and human services, and arts and cultural organizations.
Grantees describe a range of work in these areas. For example, Heart Math Tutoring says it helps elementary students build math skills and academic enthusiasm by connecting schools with volunteer tutors. Crisis Assistance Ministry describes its work as assisting and advocating for people in financial crisis. Charlotte Bilingual Preschool says it prepares Spanish-speaking children for school and life through dual-language, multicultural early childhood education. Wellesley College describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 131 grants totaling $27,611,795. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $5 million, with a median grant of $27,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $5 million each to the FFTC - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund for program support, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for health and human services, and the UCSF Foundation - MS & Neuroinflammation Center for health and human services. Other grants included $1 million each for the Arts capital campaign, Charlotte Ballet capital campaign, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation capital campaign, and Harvard Business School.
Additional 2025 recipients included Wellesley College ($300,000), United Way of an individual recipient ($275,000), myFutureNC Inc. ($250,000), Heart Math Tutoring ($180,000), and Crisis Assistance Ministry ($150,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Meredith R. Spangler, Chairman; W. D. Cornwell Jr., Vice President/Secretary/Treasurer/Director; Anna Spangler Nelson, Vice President/Director; Abigail R. Spangler, Director/President; Cindy L. Marr, Assistant Vice President/Assistant Secretary; Meghan G. Ellis, Assistant Vice President/Assistant Secretary; and Meredith Spangler Nelson Rhyne, Vice President/Assistant Secretary.
C D Spangler Foundation Inc is led by Abigail R. Spangler, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Abigail R. Spangler
Director & President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meredith R. Spangler
Chairman
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Anna Spangler Nelson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
W. D. Cornwell Jr.
Vice President, Secretary, Tr & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Cindy L. Marr
Assistant Vice President & Assistant Secretary
Vice President & Assistant Secretary → Assistant Vice President & Assistant Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meghan G. Ellis
Assistant Vice President & Assistant Secretary
Vice President & Assistant Secretary → Assistant Vice President & Assistant Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meredith Spangler Nelson Rhyne
Vice President & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Melissa W. Cornwell (2020) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 C D Spangler Foundation Inc
How much does C D Spangler Foundation Inc give each year?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc gave $27.6M across 131 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24.3M across 133 grants.
What is C D Spangler Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $27,500, and its average grant was $210,777, across 131 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does C D Spangler Foundation Inc give grants?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc's top state is North Carolina, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (19%) and District of Columbia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (45 grants), Raleigh, NC (3 grants), Boone, NC (3 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does C D Spangler Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 131 grants with a stated purpose on C D Spangler Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Assist in Educational Opportunities" (74 grants), "Program Support" (47 grants) and "To Assist in Health and Human Services" (10 grants).
Who are C D Spangler Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include FFTC - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund ($5,000,000), National Multiple Sclerosis Society ($5,000,000) and UCSF Foundation - Ms & Neuroinflammation Center ($5,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is C D Spangler Foundation Inc?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc reported $739.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $27.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $33.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does C D Spangler Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing identifies education, human services, health, religion, and arts and culture as areas it supports. Its 2025 grants included support for educational opportunities, health and human services, and arts and cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from C D Spangler Foundation Inc?
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 C D Spangler Foundation Inc's EIN?
C D Spangler Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6061548. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does C D Spangler Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in C D Spangler Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). C D Spangler Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/c-d-spangler-foundation-inc-morg_a7cdbd2238d94cfab53d8fdad3613538
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566061548_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{C D Spangler Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/c-d-spangler-foundation-inc-morg_a7cdbd2238d94cfab53d8fdad3613538},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 C D Spangler Foundation Inc'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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