Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
Community Foundation of Henderson County is a public charity based in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Founded in 1982, it receives, manages, and distributes charitable funds and helps donors carry out their philanthropic goals. The foundation supports charitable organizations through grants and administers scholarships for students.
Key facts about Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
In short: Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc gave $7.9M across 173 grants in 2025 (avg $46K), mostly in North Carolina. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 56-1330792
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,876,988
- Grants made (2025)
- 173
- Average grant
- $45,532
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (63 of 172, 2025)
- Total assets
- $168,191,298
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Applications are submitted through the foundation’s online grants portal. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Community Grants: March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; 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 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$168.2M
+14.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.9M
+82.1% YoY
Grant Count
173
+35.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
+34.7% YoY
Is Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 63 of 172 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is “Helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter.”
Its filing describes grants across areas including animal care, arts and culture, civic and community affairs, conservation, education, health, human services, faith-based needs, and other charitable purposes. The foundation awards grants through competitive and noncompetitive processes, including designated, donor-advised, and field-of-interest funds.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantee missions. Veterans Healing Farm says it works to enhance the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of veterans and their families. Pisgah Legal Services says it provides legal assistance and advocacy for low-income people in western North Carolina. MountainTrue says it champions resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities across the Southern Blue Ridge. Blue Ridge Humane Society says it works to improve animal welfare through adoption outreach and education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 173 itemized grants totaling $7,876,988. Grant amounts ranged from $5,046 to $515,597, with a median grant of $15,000. The foundation’s homepage separately reports $9.5 million distributed in charitable grants and annuities in 2025.
Review Cycle
Community Grants: March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. Fletcher Community Grants: October 1. Perry N. Rudnick Grants: letters of inquiry due January 1 and July 1. Field of Interest Grants: rolling basis, following a discussion with a program officer.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
CFHC: Community Grants
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFHC: Field of Interest Grants
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFHC: Fletcher Community Grants
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
Amount
Up to US $15,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Its Community Grants and Field of Interest Grants serve Henderson County, and Fletcher Community Grants serve the Town of Fletcher. Perry N. Rudnick Grants serve western North Carolina, with priority to Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties. In 2025, 89% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 8% to recipients in South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 173 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.9M (2022) to $7.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 173 grants totaling $7.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pardee Hospital Foundation Inc ($516K). Together the top 10 received $3.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
633 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 524 grants of 633 (83%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pardee Hospital Foundation Inc Hendersonville, NC | — | $515,597 |
| Clemson University Foundation Clemson, SC | — | $500,000 |
| Veterans Healing Farm Mills River, NC | — | $407,853 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Henderson CO Hendersonville, NC | — | $367,066 |
| Henderson County Education Foundati Hendersonville, NC | — | $352,463 |
| Salvation Army of Henderson County Hendersonville, NC | — | $305,815 |
| Rutherford Railroad Development Cor Rutherfordton, NC | — | $286,016 |
| Children & Family Resource Center O Hendersonville, NC | — | $194,331 |
| Pisgah Legal Services Asheville, NC | — | $188,068 |
| Mountaintrue Asheville, NC | — | $182,618 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $168,191,298 | $20,540,631 | $10,910,189 | $7,876,988 |
| 2024 | $147,445,991 | $19,963,739 | $6,699,663 | $4,325,792 |
| 2023 | $131,426,355 | $10,372,155 | $6,783,142 | $4,515,917 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $168,191,298 | $147,445,991 | $131,426,355 |
| Revenue | $20,540,631 | $19,963,739 | $10,372,155 |
| Expenses | $10,910,189 | $6,699,663 | $6,783,142 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,379,824 | $13,194,552 | $4,370,827 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 26, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include Ruth Birge, chair; Bill Hale, vice chair; Tim Kriegel, treasurer; Dora Katsadouros, secretary; and Stan Duncan, past chair. Directors listed are Ken Adams, Jimmy Chandler, Steven Dozier, Anderson Ellis, and Julia Fawcett.
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc is led by McCray V. Benson, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 2 of 21 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
McCray V. Benson
President
President & CEO → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$174K (2021) → $215K (2025)
Ruth Birge
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Gash
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ken Adams
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Henry
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anderson Ellis
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolina McCready
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Young
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lutrelle O'Cain
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryce Malsbary
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Fawcett
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Dozier
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jan King
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jimmy Chandler
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Penny Summey
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Renee Kumar
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel W. Buchanan
CFO
Chief Financial Officer → CFO, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$99K (2021) → $114K (2025)
Bill Hale
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Director, 2024
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stan Duncan
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dora Katsadouros
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Kriegel
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Bill McKibbin (2021–2024) — Past Chair
- Former: Caroline Gunther (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Brett Shaffer (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Wendy Frye Mason (2024) — Director
- Former: Jimmy Cowan (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Wendy Frye (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Cindy Causby (2021–2022) — Past Chair
- Former: Edward Rowe (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Shirley McGee (2022) — Director
- Former: Elisa Jarrin (2021) — Director
- Former: Judy Stroud (2021) — Director
- Former: Kevin Parries (2021) — Director
- Former: Marilyn Gordon (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $215K, to McCray V Benson (President/Ce). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 401 N Main St Ste 300, Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 697-6224
Website: https://cfhcforever.org
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc
How much does Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc give each year?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc gave $7.9M across 173 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $4.3M across 128 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $45,532, across 173 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc that year got $25K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc give grants?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was South Carolina (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hendersonville, NC (82 grants), Asheville, NC (20 grants), Fletcher, NC (6 grants) and Flat Rock, NC (5 grants).
Who are Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Pardee Hospital Foundation Inc ($515,597), Clemson University Foundation ($500,000) and Veterans Healing Farm ($407,853), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc reported $168.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $20.5M.
What does Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is “Helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc?
Applications are submitted through the foundation’s online grants portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's EIN?
Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1330792. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Community Foundation of Henderson County Inc by hand.
Explore Open Grants
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