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Community Foundation of Henderson

HENDERSONVILLE, NC EIN: 56-1330792 Website

Community Foundation of Henderson County (CFHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity established in 1982 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The organization serves as a philanthropic leader and fundraising services provider, helping donors at all levels establish and manage charitable funds. CFHC stewards over 600 philanthropic component funds and has grown from managing two scholarship funds with less than $1 million in assets at its inception to managing substantial community resources.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$147.4M

+12.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.3M

-4.2% YoY

Grant Count

128

-0.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

-3.5% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission: Helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter.

Vision: Community Foundation of Henderson County is a highly visible, philanthropic leader directed by an engaged and committed board, staffed by qualified employees, empowering donors at all levels to invest in professionally managed charitable funds that address community needs.

Primary Funding Areas:

  • Animal care
  • Arts and culture
  • Civic and community affairs
  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Health
  • Human services

The foundation prioritizes proposals that address local poverty, public access to the arts, access to health and human services, and overall growth in the county.

Grantmaking

CFHC awards grants through both competitive and non-competitive processes, with the majority being non-competitive grants from donor-advised and designated funds. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the foundation distributed $9.5 million in charitable grants and annuities.

How to Apply

** The foundation encourages prospective applicants to reach out to staff to discuss projects and ensure a good fit prior to submission. Competitive grants are issued four times per year. Applications are submitted through their grants portal.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Henderson County, North Carolina, with some programs serving Western North Carolina. The foundation also has grantmaking activity in New York and South Dakota.

Grant Distribution by State

22states
+14 more states

Cities

ArdenAshevilleAshlandAtlantaBat CaveBlack MountainBoiseBostonBrevardCandlerCarolina BeachCedar MountainChamberlainCharlotteChathamChimney RockClemsonColumbusDanaDorchester

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of June 2024/2025:

  • Total assets: $147.4–$168.2 million
  • Total revenues (2024): $19.96 million
  • Total expenses (2024): $6.7 million
  • Total liabilities (2024): $1.36 million
  • Annual giving (2024-25): $9.5 million
  • Investment performance (fiscal year 2025): 14.7% for endowments

Staffing: 12 employees as of 2024

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$11M$16M$22M2021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$147,445,991$131,426,355$121,395,555
Revenue$19,963,739$10,372,155$11,832,432
Expenses$6,699,663$6,783,142$6,360,109
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income$13,194,552$4,370,827$5,121,017
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$5M112 grants202191 grants2022129 grants2023128 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

BLUE RIDGE HUMANE SOCIETY$177KBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF HEN…$147KCHILDREN & FAMILY RESOUR…$129KCONSERVING CAROLINA$102KFRIENDS OF HENDERSON COU…$90KADVENTHEALTH HENDERSONVI…$82KEAGLE MARKET STREETS DEV…$68KFIRST UNITED METHODIST C…$67KCENTER FOR CULTURAL PRES…$40KFAIRFIELD MOUNTAINS CHAPEL$35K

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

172<$50K13$50–100K14$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

7 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Henderson

Show all 7 →

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Blue Ridge Humane Society ($176,530), Boys & Girls Club of Henderson Coun ($147,020), Children & Family Resource Center O ($129,435).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ADVENTHEALTH HENDERSONVILLE FOUNDAT HENDERSONVILLE, NC$81,577
AGUDAS ISRAEL CONGREGATION HENDERSONVILLE, NC$10,621
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH MILLS RIVER, NC$5,979
APPALACHIAN WILDLIFE REFUGE CANDLER, NC$13,000
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION ATLANTA, GA$5,177
ARTS COUNCIL OF HENDERSON COUNTY HENDERSONVILLE, NC$6,652
ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM ASHEVILLE, NC$11,804
ASPCA NEW YORK, NY$10,412
BABIES NEED BOTTOMS ASHEVILLE, NC$20,000
BAT CAVE BAPTIST CHURCH BAT CAVE, NC$11,269

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

MCCRAY V BENSONPRESIDENT/CE$196KRACHEL W BUCHANANCFO$112K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
STAN DUNCANCHAIR3
RUTH BIRGEVICE CHAIR3
TIM KRIEGELTREASURER3
CAROLINE GUNTHERSECRETARY2
BILL MCKIBBINPAST CHAIR2
KEN ADAMSDIRECTOR2
STEVEN DOZIERDIRECTOR2
ANDERSON ELLISDIRECTOR2
JULIA FAWCETTDIRECTOR2
ERIC GASHDIRECTOR2
BILL HALEDIRECTOR2
MATT HENRYDIRECTOR2
DORA KATSADOUROSDIRECTOR2
BRYCE MALSBARYDIRECTOR2
WENDY FRYE MASONDIRECTOR2
CAROLINA MCCREADYDIRECTOR2
LUTRELLE O'CAINDIRECTOR2
BRETT SHAFFERDIRECTOR2
KEVIN YOUNGDIRECTOR2
MCCRAY V BENSONPRESIDENT/CE40$196,332
RACHEL W BUCHANANCFO40$112,493

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

CFHC achieved a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 100% score

2008

The foundation received an Outstanding Foundation in Philanthropy award in 2008

Community Foundation Of Henderson County Inc - Hinchilla

National Grid Renewables committed to giving $800,000 over 20 years to the Community Foundation of Henderson

Community Investment Grants Awarded | United Way of Henderson County
2026

Work with Heart program celebrated a decade of granting with its largest giving year yet in 2026

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Community Foundation of Henderson fund?

**Mission:** Helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter. **Vision:** Community Foundation of Henderson County is a highly visible, philanthropic leader directed by an engaged and committed board, staffed by qualified employees, empowering donors at all levels to invest in professionally managed charitable funds that address community needs. **Primary Funding Areas:** • Animal care • Arts and culture • Civic and community affairs • Conservation • Education • Health …

How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Henderson?

CFHC awards grants through both competitive and non-competitive processes, with the majority being non-competitive grants from donor-advised and designated funds. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the foundation distributed $9.5 million in charitable grants and annuities. **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $1,000–$25,000+ • Total grants awarded (2024): 128 grants • Grants awarded to 398 organizations representing a broad spectrum of services • Decision time: Approximately 3 months **Ac…

Where does Community Foundation of Henderson make grants?

Henderson County, North Carolina, with some programs serving Western North Carolina. The foundation also has grantmaking activity in New York and South Dakota.

What size grants does Community Foundation of Henderson award?

In 2024, Community Foundation of Henderson awarded 128 grants totaling $4.3M — an average of about $34K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Community Foundation of Henderson's EIN?

Community Foundation of Henderson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1330792. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation of Henderson's focus areas in our free grants database

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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