Charles Russell Wellons Foundation
The Charles Russell Wellons Foundation is a private foundation based in Durham, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations for purposes including religious activity, education, scholarships, and ministry.
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation at a glance
In short: Charles Russell Wellons Foundation gave $195K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in North Carolina. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $194,865
- -11.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,119
- -7.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,100
- Total assets
- $8,222,465
- +12.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (5 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Charles Russell Wellons Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact Charlene Hamlett; the filing directs applicants to contact the named individual for forms and materials. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Charlene Hamlett
Mailing address: PO Box 52328, Durham, NC 27717
Phone: (919) 643-2441
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Charles Russell Wellons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Comf ($77K). Together the top 10 received $172K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 113 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, North Carolina recipients received 67% of grant dollars, followed by South Carolina at 12%, Tennessee at 10%, Florida at 5%, and Virginia at 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Charles Russell Wellons Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 24 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $4K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 49% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $195K (2024) to $931K (2020). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $195K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Comf Fayetteville, NC | Religious | $76,765 |
| Welch College Gallatin, TN | Scholarship | $20,000 |
| Bob Jones University Greenville, SC | Education | $17,500 |
| Grace Ministries Durham, NC | Ministry/Education | $15,500 |
| WRTP Raleigh, NC | Religious | $10,000 |
| Appalachian State University Boone, NC | Education | $8,000 |
| Pensacola Christian Pensacola, FL | Education | $7,400 |
| Liberty Lynchburg, VA | Education | $5,900 |
| UNC Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Education | $5,900 |
| Holmes Bible College Greenville, SC | Education | $4,800 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,222,465 | $1,353,288 | $473,276 | $194,865 | 24 | $194,865 | $109,010 | $401,193 |
| 2023 | $7,338,645 | $1,566,303 | $463,307 | $220,100 | 25 | $220,100 | $105,111 | $366,398 |
| 2022 | $6,238,407 | $831,428 | $390,577 | $217,449 | 19 | $217,449 | $591,589 | $311,552 |
| 2021 | $5,796,364 | $518,297 | $511,562 | $300,250 | 18 | $300,250 | $236,236 | $308,734 |
| 2020 | $5,788,112 | $234,923 | $1,153,138 | $930,660 | 27 | — | $34,190 | $312,772 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Charles Russell Wellons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $401K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants include support for educational institutions and religious or ministry-related organizations. For example, Welch College describes its mission as educating leaders to serve Christ, his church, and his world through biblical thought and life. Appalachian State University Foundation says it supports the university’s students, faculty, staff, and community, while Pensacola Christian College describes its work as providing a distinctively Christian liberal arts education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $194,865. Grants ranged from $200 to $76,765, with a median grant of $3,100. The largest awards included $76,765 to COMF for a religious purpose; $20,000 to Welch College for a scholarship; $17,500 to Bob Jones University for education; and $15,500 to Grace Ministries for ministry and education. Other notable awards included $10,000 to WRTP, $8,000 to Appalachian State University, and $7,400 to Pensacola Christian.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William T. Allen as president and Charlene Hamlett as secretary.
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation is led by William T. Allen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William T. Allen
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Charlene Hamlett
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Charles Russell Wellons Foundation
How much does Charles Russell Wellons Foundation give each year?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation gave $195K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $220K across 25 grants.
What is Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's typical grant size?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,100, and its average grant was $8,119, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Charles Russell Wellons Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Charles Russell Wellons Foundation give grants?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Carolina (12%) and Tennessee (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Greenville, SC (3 grants), Raleigh, NC (3 grants) and Charlotte, NC (2 grants).
Does Charles Russell Wellons Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (12 grants) and "Scholarship" (7 grants).
Who are Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's largest grantees?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Comf ($76,765), Welch College ($20,000) and Bob Jones University ($17,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Charles Russell Wellons Foundation?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $195K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $401K (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 Russell Wellons Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational institutions and religious or ministry-related organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Charles Russell Wellons Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's EIN?
Charles Russell Wellons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1889755. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Charles Russell Wellons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/charles-russell-wellons-foundation-morg_006ea91cca244ec39c3647dfab1193f5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561889755_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Charles Russell Wellons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/charles-russell-wellons-foundation-morg_006ea91cca244ec39c3647dfab1193f5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Russell Wellons 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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