Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation
The Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable, educational, and civic organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in North Carolina.
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation at a glance
In short: Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation gave $164K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in North Carolina. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $164,400
- +5.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,148
- +0.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,889,119
- -0.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (96% 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 Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 19763, Raleigh, NC 27619-9766
Phone: (919) 848-0420
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Campbell University Law School ($20K). Together the top 10 received $138K.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 110 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 4% to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 23 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $138K (2021) to $173K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $164K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell University Law School Raleigh, NC | Education | $20,000 |
| Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC | Education | $18,750 |
| Crisis Assistance Ministry Gastonia, NC | Charitable | $17,700 |
| The Salvation Army Charlotte, NC | CIVIC | $17,700 |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | Education | $16,000 |
| Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC | Education | $15,000 |
| United Way of Gaston County Gastonia, NC | CIVIC | $11,000 |
| Stower Family YMCA Belmont, NC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA | Education | $7,000 |
| Holy Angels Inc Belmont, NC | CIVIC | $5,250 |
Ready to take the next step with Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation?
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 | $2,889,119 | $209,958 | $211,278 | $164,400 | 23 | $173,933 | $169,639 | $183,905 |
| 2024 | $2,890,439 | $201,349 | $198,236 | $156,000 | 22 | $165,848 | $169,485 | $174,784 |
| 2023 | $2,887,326 | $110,641 | $198,021 | $159,630 | 24 | $168,540 | $89,605 | $163,857 |
| 2022 | $2,974,706 | $71,850 | $216,651 | $173,300 | 24 | $181,244 | $77,576 | $168,095 |
| 2021 | $3,119,507 | $250,928 | $180,058 | $138,300 | 17 | $147,433 | $218,726 | $181,912 |
| 2020 | $3,048,637 | $55,201 | $181,099 | $142,900 | 21 | — | $75,024 | $160,981 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation reported a distributable amount of $184K 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 reported 2025 grants include support for education, charitable, civic, and medical purposes. Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Mars Hill University says it equips students through liberal arts study, character development, service, and responsible citizenship; Crisis Assistance Ministry says it assists and advocates for people in financial crisis; and Holy Angels says it provides care and support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $164,400. Grants ranged from $250 to $20,000, with a median of $2,500. Among the largest grants were $20,000 to Campbell University Law School for education, $18,750 to Mars Hill University for education, $17,700 to Crisis Assistance Ministry for charitable purposes, and $17,700 to The Salvation Army for civic purposes. Other notable awards included $16,000 to Wake Forest University and $15,000 to Gardner-Webb University, both for education, and $11,000 to United Way of Gaston County for civic purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles D Gray III, Mary Ellen Jennings, and David P Nanney Jr as trustees.
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles D. Gray III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
David P. Nanney Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Mary Ellen Jennings
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $2K, to Charles D Gray III (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation
How much does Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation give each year?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation gave $164K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $156K across 22 grants.
What is Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's typical grant size?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $7,148, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation give grants?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gastonia, NC (8 grants), Raleigh, NC (3 grants), Belmont, NC (3 grants) and Winston-Salem, NC (2 grants).
Does Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (11 grants), "Civic" (5 grants) and "Charitable" (4 grants).
Who are Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's largest grantees?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Campbell University Law School ($20,000), Mars Hill University ($18,750) and Crisis Assistance Ministry ($17,700), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $174K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $184K (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 Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2025 grants include support for education, charitable, civic, and medical purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's EIN?
Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6046763. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/charles-and-irene-nanney-foundation-morg_19a962753bef430f9faed157da918550
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566046763_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Charles \& Irene Nanney Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/charles-and-irene-nanney-foundation-morg_19a962753bef430f9faed157da918550},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Charles & Irene Nanney Foundation'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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