Community Foundation of Burke County
Community Foundation of Burke County (CFBC) is a public charity based in Morganton, North Carolina. It receives gifts, endowments, and bequests and uses distributions from those funds to make grants to qualified charitable agencies and institutions, primarily serving Burke County residents.
Community Foundation of Burke County at a glance
In short: Community Foundation of Burke County gave $1.4M across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $62K), mostly in North Carolina. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,434,024
- -13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $62,349
- -28.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $31,597
- Total assets
- $63,961,192
- +17.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (7 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Community Foundation of Burke County
- How to Apply
-
For Community Grants, CFBC directs eligible organizations to its Grant Portal. The website says proposals outside Burke County are not reviewed and that grants or loans are not made to individuals.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1156, Morganton, NC 28680
Phone: (828) 437-7105
Website: https://cfburkecounty.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
13 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Burke County
Burke Charitable Properties Grant
Community Foundation of Burke County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Burke Women's Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Burke County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Burke Youth Organized Philanthropists Grant
Community Foundation of Burke County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Community Foundation of Burke County funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese ($275K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 86 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CFBC says its grants primarily serve residents of Burke County, North Carolina. Its Community Grants are for programs benefiting Burke County residents, and the website says it does not review proposals outside Burke County. In filing year 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 3% to Indiana, and 2% to South Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Community Foundation of Burke County open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 23 grantees (30%) 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 $29K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $27K first-time, $38K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $500K (2021) to $1.7M (2024). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese Valdese, NC | Religion | $274,967 |
| Burke United Christian Ministries Morganton, NC | Human Services | $272,676 |
| Drexel Museum Inc Hickory, NC | Art, Culture and Humanities | $135,000 |
| Waldensian Heritage Foundation Valdese, NC | Art, Culture and Humanities | $110,883 |
| Amorem Lenoir, NC | HEALTH | $70,683 |
| First Presbyterian Church - Morganton Morganton, NC | Religion | $64,944 |
| Historic Burke Foundation Inc Morganton, NC | Art, Culture and Humanities | $53,493 |
| Grow with Drexel Drexel, NC | Art, Culture and Humanities | $41,000 |
| History Museum of Burke County Morganton, NC | Art, Culture and Humanities | $39,673 |
| Good Samaritan Clinic Morganton, NC | HEALTH | $36,918 |
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Burke County?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Separately, CFBC’s website reports $2,338,582 in total grants and scholarships for fiscal year 2024 and more than $2,214,511 for fiscal year 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $63,961,192 | $6,942,677 | $2,723,150 | $1,434,024 | 23 | $2,075,892 |
| 2024 | $54,368,312 | $11,231,906 | $2,905,594 | $1,661,334 | 19 | $1,949,336 |
| 2023 | $42,800,062 | $6,221,936 | $2,796,529 | $1,515,080 | 16 | $4,612,338 |
| 2022 | $38,303,499 | $14,279,176 | $1,583,757 | $520,119 | 14 | $691,243 |
| 2021 | $31,730,782 | $2,775,716 | $1,489,416 | $500,172 | 14 | $1,200,196 |
| 2020 | $27,585,879 | $3,500,937 | $1,812,866 | $903,863 | 16 | $895,255 |
| 2019 | $23,993,684 | $2,520,096 | $1,763,759 | $910,044 | 21 | $1,134,325 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CFBC’s mission is to encourage, develop, and participate in philanthropy by providing flexible giving opportunities, professional support, and responsible stewardship for donors and qualified recipients. Its filing describes its exempt purpose as maintaining endowments and other funds for distribution to qualified recipients.
CFBC’s Community Grants support tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations with programs benefiting Burke County residents. The foundation says those programs and projects should promote cooperation and collaboration without duplicating services. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions include restoring resilience for people living in poverty or experiencing homelessness (Burke United Christian Ministries), providing end-of-life care (Caldwell Hospice and Palliative), preserving local culture and history (Historic Burke Foundation), and providing free medical care to Burke County residents who cannot afford it (Good Samaritan Clinic).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CFBC reported 23 grants totaling $1,434,024. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $274,967, with a median of $31,597. Among the largest awards were $274,967 to Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese for religion; $272,676 to Burke United Christian Ministries for human services; $135,000 to Drexel Museum Inc. for arts, culture, and humanities; and $110,883 to Waldensian Heritage Foundation for arts, culture, and humanities.
CFBC’s website describes Community Grants for eligible nonprofits with programs benefiting Burke County residents and directs applicants to a grant portal. It also lists separate funds, including the Burke County Disaster Relief Fund, which allows eligible organizations serving Burke County to apply for up to $10,000 for disaster-relief activities. The Burke Women’s Fund supports programs and projects benefiting women and families in Burke County. Its listed May 5, 2026 deadline has passed. The BYOP 2025 application cycle and the Mull Foundation Charitable Fund 2025 grant cycle are also past cycles.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jordan Greene, Richard L. DeAugustinis, Kelle B. Huffman, John M. Heilman, Chris T. Brittain, Amy Kincaid, Erin Kizer, David A. Parker, Sara Moses, and David R. Wiese as directors.
The foundation’s website identifies Barbara Wetsig-Lynam as President and CEO and Pashence Johnson-Sparks as Finance Director.
Community Foundation of Burke County is led by Barbara J. Wetsig-Lynam, President & CEO on the 2025 filing; 2 of 16 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara J. Wetsig-Lynam
President & CEO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$23K (2025)
Jj David Fletcher
Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2022
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris T. Brittain
Director
Vice President → Chairman, 2022
Chairman → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David A. Parker
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David R. Wiese
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John M. Heilman
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelle B. Huffman
Director
President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard L. Deaugustinis
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Black Moses
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erin Kizer
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Kincaid
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jordan Greene
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jj Musgrove
Former President
President → Former President, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$16K (2023) → $111K (2025)
J. Mark Rostan
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Naomi W. Hunt
Vice Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Serina T. Hinson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Elizabeth W. Andrews (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: John F. Black Jr. (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: M. Alan Lecroy (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Theresa Watters (2019–2024) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Pashence Johnson-Sparks (2024) — Finance Director
- Former: Nancy W. Taylor (2019–2023) — President
- Former: V. Otis Wilson Jr. (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Martha McMurray-Russ (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: J. Rountree Collett Jr. (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $111K, to JJ Musgrove (Former President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Burke County
How much does Community Foundation of Burke County give each year?
Community Foundation of Burke County gave $1.4M across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 19 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Burke County's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Burke County's median grant in 2025 was $31,597, and its average grant was $62,349, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of Burke County that year got $29K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of Burke County give grants?
Community Foundation of Burke County gives mostly in North Carolina: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Morganton, NC (13 grants), Valdese, NC (3 grants) and Drexel, NC (2 grants).
Does Community Foundation of Burke County give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Community Foundation of Burke County's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Religion" (6 grants), "Art, Culture and Humanities" (6 grants) and "Human Services" (5 grants).
Who are Community Foundation of Burke County's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Burke County's largest 2025 grantees include Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese ($274,967), Burke United Christian Ministries ($272,676) and Drexel Museum Inc ($135,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Burke County?
Community Foundation of Burke County reported $64.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.9M.
What does Community Foundation of Burke County fund?
CFBC’s mission is to encourage, develop, and participate in philanthropy by providing flexible giving opportunities, professional support, and responsible stewardship for donors and qualified recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Burke County?
For Community Grants, CFBC directs eligible organizations to its Grant Portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Foundation of Burke County's EIN?
Community Foundation of Burke County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2170220. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 1, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation of Burke County's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Community Foundation of Burke County funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/community-foundation-of-burke-county-morg_6d0aa6c13c2a4b4496be5a37100c0cf9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_562170220_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Community Foundation of Burke County funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/community-foundation-of-burke-county-morg_6d0aa6c13c2a4b4496be5a37100c0cf9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Community Foundation of Burke County'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.
Community Foundation of Burke County down — hundreds of funders to go?