Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund
The Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas, that filed Form 990-PF. Its 2026 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, with all listed grants designated for unrestricted general purposes.
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $318,183
- +12.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 11
- +10.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $28,926
- +1.8% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $5,112,086
- +0.4% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (62% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund
- Review Cycle
- June 1 is the deadline stated in the 2025 filing; that deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- June 1 is the deadline stated in the 2025 filing; that deadline has passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Bank Of America - Myra Savage
Mailing address: 301 Commerce St Fl 24, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 390-6921
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund funds
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%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2026 filing reports that 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 33% to Florida, and 5% to Georgia. The listed grants went to organizations in those three states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
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. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. 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.
Giving History
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.
Grants by year
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 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $5,112,086 | $373,081 | $354,103 | $318,183 | 11 | $331,134 | $343,758 | $366,049 |
| 2025 | $5,089,192 | $256,313 | $338,935 | $284,091 | 10 | $295,917 | $234,858 | $330,477 |
| 2024 | $5,179,994 | $922,906 | $311,364 | $280,409 | 10 | $291,265 | $903,817 | $294,406 |
| 2023 | $4,565,350 | $263,705 | $364,834 | $326,822 | 11 | $337,141 | $245,718 | $291,045 |
| 2022 | $4,663,213 | $455,788 | $335,964 | $302,080 | 11 | $313,325 | $431,632 | $336,949 |
| 2021 | $4,670,952 | $189,249 | $296,300 | $268,036 | 9 | — | $170,476 | $313,399 |
| 2020 | $4,678,730 | $190,580 | $281,223 | $246,708 | 11 | — | $173,661 | $278,004 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, NCH Healthcare System describes its mission as helping everyone live a longer, happier, and healthier life. Lees-McRae College says it helps students broaden their horizons and pursue careers through education and service. Crossnore Communities for Children says it champions the well-being of children and families, while Youth Haven describes its mission as providing home, hope, and healing to abused and neglected children and teens in Southwest Florida.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the fund reported 11 grants totaling $318,183. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $63,637, with a median of $20,000. All 11 listed grants were for unrestricted general purposes. Larger grants included $63,637 to First Presbyterian Church of Hickory, $50,000 to NCH Healthcare System, and $38,182 each to Lees-McRae College, Crossnore Communities for Children, and Grandfather Home for Children.
It calls for a letter describing the organization and purpose of the grant request, with awards restricted to purposes defined in IRC Section 501(c)(3).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Bank of America is listed as trustee on the 2026 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).
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 foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, NCH Healthcare System describes its mission as helping everyone live a longer, happier, and healthier life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund?
Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cecilia-young-willard-helping-fund-morg_b684a186181a4c72a216ecb6e7d37324
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746350893_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cecilia-young-willard-helping-fund-morg_b684a186181a4c72a216ecb6e7d37324},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Cecilia Young Willard Helping Fund'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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