Craven Smart Start Inc
Building brighter futures for young children.
Craven Smart Start Inc at a glance
In short: Craven Smart Start Inc gave $418K across 5 grants in 2025 (avg $84K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $418,052
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 5
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $83,610
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $32,000
- Total assets
- $98,481
- +91.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Craven Smart Start Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Craven County Board of Education ($306K). Together the top 5 received $418K.
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 25 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 5 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Craven Smart Start Inc gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $402K (2021) to $424K (2022). In 2025 it made 5 grants totaling $418K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Craven County Board of Education New Bern, NC | NCPREK | $306,052 |
| Excel 7 New Bern, NC | NCPREK | $48,000 |
| Excel 6 Havelock, NC | NCPREK | $32,000 |
| Childcare Network 74 Havelock, NC | NCPREK | $16,000 |
| Coastal Community Action Inc Newport, NC | NCPREK | $16,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,481 | $1,603,948 | $1,540,962 | $418,052 | 5 |
| 2024 | $51,337 | $1,457,431 | $1,477,292 | $410,022 | 5 |
| 2023 | $67,109 | $1,330,159 | $1,339,729 | $417,852 | 5 |
| 2022 | $69,954 | $1,284,263 | $1,298,224 | $424,107 | 5 |
| 2021 | $85,701 | $1,244,606 | $1,238,429 | $402,079 | 5 |
| 2019 | $148,914 | $1,402,927 | $1,325,398 | $423,167 | 6 |
About Craven Smart Start Inc
Based on IRS filings
Craven Smart Start Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in New Bern, NC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $98K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 5 grants totaling $418K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Craven Smart Start Inc is led by Cassandra Bennett, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cassandra Bennett
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$38K (2023) → $80K (2025)
James Burns
President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn Hardison
Secretary
Craven County Schools → Board Member, 2022
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Commissioner Beatrice R Smith
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Geoffrey Marett
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chief Patrick Gallagher
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laticia Garfield
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linder Ervin
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Kemp
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Eid
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rhonda Sneeden
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Davis
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toussaint Summers
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: Jennifer Blackmon (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Summers Toussaint (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Don Brinkley The Little Bank (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Jean Kenefick (2019–2023) — President
- Former: Pat Ipock (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Charles Collins (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Susan Husson (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Suzanne Gifford (2022–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Zac Everhart (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Patrica Morrow (2019–2022) — Exective Director
- Former: Angela Crawley (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Betty Kwasnick (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Pam Jenkins (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Betty Kwasnick Craven County Health (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Chief Toussaint Summers Jr New Bern Police Department (2019–2021) — At-Large Executive Committee
- Former: Christy Montanye (2019–2021) — Finance Director
- Former: Lisa Kemp Craven County Schools (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Pam Jenkins Craven County Library (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Suzanne Gifford Coastal Community Action (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Theron McCabe Craven County Government (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Zac Everhart Excel Learning Centers (2019–2021) — At-Large Executive Committee
- Former: Cheryl Reed (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Kent Flowers Director Dept of Social Services (2019) — Board Member Retired June
- Former: Melinda Mowry (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Sandra Plata Potter Mt Olive College (2019) — President
- Former: Shane Grant (2019) — Board Member
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 $80K, to Cassandra Bennett (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Craven Smart Start Inc
How much does Craven Smart Start Inc give each year?
Craven Smart Start Inc gave $418K across 5 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $410K across 5 grants.
What is Craven Smart Start Inc's typical grant size?
Craven Smart Start Inc's median grant in 2025 was $32,000, and its average grant was $83,610, across 5 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Craven Smart Start Inc give grants?
Craven Smart Start Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New Bern, NC (2 grants) and Havelock, NC (2 grants).
Does Craven Smart Start Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 5 grants with a stated purpose on Craven Smart Start Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "NCPREK" (5 grants).
Who are Craven Smart Start Inc's largest grantees?
Craven Smart Start Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Craven County Board of Education ($306,052), Excel 7 ($48,000) and Excel 6 ($32,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Craven Smart Start Inc?
Craven Smart Start Inc reported $98K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.6M.
What is Craven Smart Start Inc?
Craven Smart Start Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in New Bern, NC. It holds $98K in total assets as of 2025.
What is Craven Smart Start Inc's EIN?
Craven Smart Start Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2105879. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 1, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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