Charles Russell Wellons Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Durham, NC EIN: 56-1889755

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.

Key facts about Charles Russell Wellons Foundation

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.

EIN
56-1889755
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$194,865
Grants made (2024)
24
Average grant
$8,119
Median grant
$3,100
New grantees (estimate)
21% first-time grantees (5 of 24, 2024)
Total assets
$8,222,465
Primary geography
North Carolina (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
Deadline
None.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.2M

+12.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$195K

-11.5% YoY

Grant Count

24

-4.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-7.8% YoY

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.

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. 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.

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.

Review Cycle

** None.

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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

15states

Share of all 24 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

GreenvilleRaleighCharlotteFayettevilleDurhamGreensboroLynchburgPensacolaRoxboroWihgateBooneDallasAnn ArborCullowheeRiversideTallahasseeVirginia BeachCumberlandFranklin SpringsGallatin

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M27 grants202018 grants202119 grants202225 grants202324 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Comf: $77KComf$77KWelch College: $20KWelch College$20KBob Jones University: $18KBob Jones University$18KGrace Ministries: $16KGrace Ministries$16KWRTP: $10KWRTP$10KAppalachian State University: $8KAppalachian State University$8KPensacola Christian: $7KPensacola Christian$7KLiberty: $6KLiberty$6KUNC Charlotte: $6KUNC Charlotte$6KHolmes Bible College: $5KHolmes Bible College$5K

Grant Size Distribution

113 grants across all recorded years

106<$50K3$50–100K2$100–250K2$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
COMF Fayetteville, NCRELIGIOUS$76,765
WELCH COLLEGE Gallatin, TNSCHOLARSHIP$20,000
BOB JONES UNIVERSITY Greenville, SCEDUCATION$17,500
GRACE MINISTRIES Durham, NCMINISTRY/EDUCATION$15,500
WRTP Raleigh, NCRELIGIOUS$10,000
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY Boone, NCEDUCATION$8,000
PENSACOLA CHRISTIAN Pensacola, FLEDUCATION$7,400
LIBERTY Lynchburg, VAEDUCATION$5,900
UNC CHARLOTTE Charlotte, NCEDUCATION$5,900
HOLMES BIBLE COLLEGE Greenville, SCEDUCATION$4,800

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grant total Grant count
2024 $8,222,465 $1,353,288 $473,276 $194,865 24
2023 $7,338,645 $1,566,303 $463,307 $220,100 25
2022 $6,238,407 $831,428 $390,577 $217,449 19
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$8,222,465$7,338,645$6,238,407
Revenue$1,353,288$1,566,303$831,428
Expenses$473,276$463,307$390,577
Qualifying Distributions$194,865$220,100$217,449
Net Investment Income$109,010$105,111$591,589
Distributable Amount$401,193$366,398$311,552

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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.

Contact

Application contact: Charlene Hamlett
Mailing address: PO Box 52328, Durham, NC 27717
Phone: (919) 643-2441

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. 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).

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. 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 disti…

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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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