Charlotte Sports Foundation
Charlotte Sports Foundation is a public charity based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a 501(c)(3) that develops large-scale sports events and related business opportunities to support the Charlotte region’s economy and quality of life.
Key facts about Charlotte Sports Foundation
In short: Charlotte Sports Foundation gave $8.3M across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $920K), top state Virginia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 46-2059715
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,276,196
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- Average grant
- $919,577
- Median grant
- $291,685
- Total assets
- $20,148,844
- Primary geography
- Virginia (31% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Next open deadline
- December 31, 2026 (The Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick Award presented by Dr Pepper)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$20.1M
-10.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.3M
-6.3% YoY
Grant Count
9
-10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$920K
+4.1% YoY
How Charlotte Sports Foundation gives
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization says it was created to provide leadership for sports-based initiatives that enhance the economy and quality of life in the Charlotte region. It organizes opportunities around professional, collegiate, and amateur sporting events. Its filing describes programs involving neutral-site games, the Jumpman Invitational, the Ally Tipoff, a Football Bowl Subdivision college football game, and the ACC Football Championship Game.
Its 2023 reported grants included support for universities and a collegiate athletic conference. North Carolina State University describes its mission as supporting university colleges, libraries, and other university-connected functions; North Carolina Central University Foundation says its mission is to promote higher education in North Carolina and specifically North Carolina Central University. The Atlantic Coast Conference says it seeks to maximize student-athletes’ educational and athletic opportunities and enrich their quality of life.
The foundation also describes the Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick Award, given annually to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools senior football player who excels on the field and contributes to the community. The award includes a $10,000 scholarship, a trophy, and recognition at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl; it is an award for a student participant, not a grant program for outside organizations.
Grantmaking
The 2023 filing reports $9,849,746 in grants across 10 grants, an average of about $985,000 per grant. The 2024 and 2025 filings report zero grants.
Notable 2023 recipients included North Carolina State University ($2,600,000), the Atlantic Coast Conference ($2,212,288), and North Carolina Central University ($739,978).
The Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick Award is listed with a $10,000 award amount and a December 31, 2026 deadline.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Charlotte Sports Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Charlotte Sports Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and describes its work as supporting the Charlotte region. Its stated award program for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools senior football players is geographically limited to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2021) to $19.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $8.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Virginia Tech University ($2.6M). Together the top 9 received $8.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 13 grants of 39 (33%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech University Blacksburg, VA | Team Participation | $2,600,000 |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | Team Participation | $2,450,000 |
| Atlantic Coast Conference Greenaboro, NC | Team Participation | $1,851,140 |
| University of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, OK | Team Participation | $300,000 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Team Participation | $291,685 |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Team Participation | $283,371 |
| University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | Team Participation | $200,000 |
| University of South Carolina Columbia, SC | Team Participation | $150,000 |
| NC State Treasurer Raleigh, NC | Team Participation | $150,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,148,844 | $29,547,228 | $30,128,671 | 0 |
| 2024 | $22,608,097 | $23,265,919 | $21,682,601 | 0 |
| 2023 | $17,953,915 | $18,481,910 | $16,064,841 | 10; $9,849,746 total |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,148,844 | $22,608,097 | $17,953,915 |
| Revenue | $29,547,228 | $23,265,919 | $18,481,910 |
| Expenses | $30,128,671 | $21,682,601 | $16,064,841 |
| Net Investment Income | $500,093 | $450,019 | $143,932 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 18, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrea Smith and Johnny Harris as Co-Chairs of the Board, Danny Morrison as Executive Director, Steve Luquire as Vice President, and Steve Young as Treasurer/Secretary. It also lists Andrea Brimmer, Carol Lovin, Chris Clunie, Darius Adamczyk, and Dena Diorio as board members.
Charlotte Sports Foundation is led by Danny Morrison, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 7 of 48 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Danny Morrison
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$167K (2020) → $556K (2025)
Angela Davis
Director of Ticket Operations
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$104K (2025)
Kaleah Ellerbe
Director of Administration & Events
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$117K (2025)
Miller Yoho
Director of Communications & Media
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$132K (2025)
Owen Godfrey
Director of Ticket Sales & Service
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$145K (2025)
William Lawson
Director of Sponsorship Sales
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$109K (2025)
Will Webb
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$350K (2020) → $0 (2025)
William Pitts
Chief Operating Officer
Associate Executive Director → Associate Execuitve Director, 2022
Associate Execuitve Director → Chief Operating Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$164K (2020) → $373K (2025)
Andrea Smith
Co-Chair of the Board
Vice President → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Co-Chair of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Clunie
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dena Diorio
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Derick Close
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Whitfield
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heath Campbell
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jimmy Rayburn
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Johnny Harris
Co-Chair of the Board
Chairman → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Co-Chair of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jon Pollack
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ken Gill
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcus Jones
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcus Smith
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Schuler
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Smith
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Hill
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ron Smith
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheldon Francis
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Luquire
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Young
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer & Secretary → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Treasurer & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Lovin
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ed Weisiger Jr.
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Francisco Alvarado
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Brown
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kieth Cockrell
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luke Kuechly
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Malcomb Coley
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Tepper
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Rodgers
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Davis
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darius Adamczyk
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jim Phillips
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristi Coleman
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Brimmer
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenna Kelly
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Foster
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kent Masters
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Preston Gillespie
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saad Ehtisham
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Bagwell
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tammy DeBoer
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Janet LaBar (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: John Giannuzzi (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Luke Kissam (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Murray (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Jesse Cureton (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kaleah Rodgers (2022–2024) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Dante Parrini (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Edward Weisiger Jr. (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kendall Alley (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Glick (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mike Crum (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Wes Beckner (2020) — Board Member
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 $556K, to Danny Morrison (Executive Director). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 4250 Congress Street, Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: (704) 644-4047
Website: https://charlottesports.org
Frequently asked questions about Charlotte Sports Foundation
How much does Charlotte Sports Foundation give each year?
Charlotte Sports Foundation gave $8.3M across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $8.8M across 10 grants.
What is Charlotte Sports Foundation's typical grant size?
Charlotte Sports Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $291,685, and its average grant was $919,577, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Charlotte Sports Foundation give grants?
Charlotte Sports Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Minnesota (30%) and North Carolina (24%).
Does Charlotte Sports Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on Charlotte Sports Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Team Participation" (9 grants).
Who are Charlotte Sports Foundation's largest grantees?
Charlotte Sports Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Virginia Tech University ($2,600,000), University of Minnesota ($2,450,000) and Atlantic Coast Conference ($1,851,140), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Charlotte Sports Foundation?
Charlotte Sports Foundation reported $20.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $29.5M.
What does Charlotte Sports Foundation fund?
The organization says it was created to provide leadership for sports-based initiatives that enhance the economy and quality of life in the Charlotte region. It organizes opportunities around professional, collegiate, and amateur sporting events. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Charlotte Sports Foundation?
Charlotte Sports Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check charlottesports.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Charlotte Sports Foundation's EIN?
Charlotte Sports Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2059715. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Charlotte Sports Foundation by hand.
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