Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund
The Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in North Carolina and Florida, with each listed grant designated for unrestricted general purposes.
Key facts about Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund
In short: Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund gave $318K across 11 grants in 2026 (avg $29K), mostly in North Carolina. 18% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 74-6350893
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026
- Annual giving (2026)
- $318,183
- Grants made (2026)
- 11
- Average grant
- $28,926
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2026)
- Total assets
- $5,112,086
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (62% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- June 1.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2026 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.1M
+0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$318K
+12.0% YoY
Grant Count
11
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
+1.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund reported a distributable amount of $366K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $29K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 73% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−3%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 90% 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 (2020–2026). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in education, child and family services, health care, and other fields. For example, Lees-McRae College describes its mission as helping students broaden their horizons and pursue careers through education and service. Grandfather Home for Children says it provides a safe, healing journey for children and families; Guadalupe Center says it works to break the cycle of poverty through education for Immokalee children; and Youth Haven says it provides home, hope, and healing to abused and neglected children and teens. Neighborhood Health Clinic describes its mission as delivering medical and dental care to low-income, uninsured Collier County residents.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 10 grants totaling $284,091. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $56,818, with a median of $32,046. All 10 grants were designated for unrestricted general purposes. Notable awards included $56,818 to First Presbyterian Church of Hickory, $50,000 to NCH Healthcare Systems, and $34,091 each to Lees-McRae College, Crossnore School, and Grandfather Home for Children.
Review Cycle
June 1.
Ready to take the next step with Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund is based in Dallas, Texas. In 2025, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 44% to recipients in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $247K (2020) to $327K (2023). In 2026 it made 11 grants totaling $318K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was First Presbyterian Church of Hickory ($64K). Together the top 10 received $308K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 53 (85%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church of Hickory Hickory, NC | Unrestricted General | $63,637 |
| NCH Healthcare Systems Inc Naples, FL | Unrestricted General | $50,000 |
| Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC | Unrestricted General | $38,182 |
| Crossnore Communities for Children Newland, NC | Unrestricted General | $38,182 |
| Grandfather Home for Children Banner Elk, NC | Unrestricted General | $38,182 |
| Guadalupe Center Inc Immokalee, FL | Unrestricted General | $20,000 |
| Elk River Helping Hands Banner Elk, NC | Unrestricted General | $20,000 |
| Youth Haven Inc Naples, FL | Unrestricted General | $15,000 |
| The Salvation Army Brookhaven, GA | Unrestricted General | $15,000 |
| Neighborhood Health Clinic Naples, FL | Unrestricted General | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,089,192 | $256,313 | $338,935 | $284,091 |
| 2024 | $5,179,994 | $922,906 | $311,364 | $280,409 |
| 2023 | $4,565,350 | $263,705 | $364,834 | $326,822 |
| Metric | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,112,086 | $5,089,192 | $5,179,994 |
| Revenue | $373,081 | $256,313 | $922,906 |
| Expenses | $354,103 | $338,935 | $311,364 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $331,134 | $295,917 | $291,265 |
| Net Investment Income | $343,758 | $234,858 | $903,817 |
| Distributable Amount | $366,049 | $330,477 | $294,406 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Bank of America is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's only listed officer is Bank Of America, Trustee on every filing since 2022 (compensated).
Officers on the 2026 filing
Bank Of America
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$27K (2022) → $31K (2026)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Bank Of America N A (2020–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $31K, to Bank of America (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Bank Of America - Robert Fox
Mailing address: 150 N College St Fl 26, Charlotte, NC 28255
Phone: (980) 683-9845
Email: n/a
Frequently asked questions about Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund
How much does Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund give each year?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund gave $318K across 11 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $284K across 10 grants.
What is Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's typical grant size?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's median grant in 2026 was $20,000, and its average grant was $28,926, across 11 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund that year got $29K on average.
Where does Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund give grants?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund gives mostly in North Carolina: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were Naples, FL (4 grants) and Banner Elk, NC (3 grants).
Does Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's largest grantees?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's largest 2026 grantees include First Presbyterian Church of Hickory ($63,637), NCH Healthcare Systems Inc ($50,000) and Lees-McRae College ($38,182), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $331K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $366K (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 Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in education, child and family services, health care, and other fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's EIN?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6350893. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund by hand.
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