Donahue Charitable Foundation
The Donahue Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing describes charitable activities involving education, racial reconciliation, anti-trafficking efforts, Christian philanthropy and visual impairment research and support.
Donahue Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Donahue Charitable Foundation gave $651K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in Georgia. 44% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $651,484
- +37.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -20.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,289
- +73.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $1,587,002
- +51.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (8 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (80% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Donahue Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3000 Somerset Drive, Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: (704) 877-7621
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donahue Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was National Christian Foundation ($520K). Together the top 10 received $643K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
206 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 199 grants of 206 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Georgia received 80% of grant dollars, followed by California (8%), Maryland (5%), North Carolina (3%) and Colorado (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Donahue Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 18 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $61K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 39% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $232K (2020) to $651K (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $651K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Christian Foundation Alpharetta, GA | Donation to donor advised fund for distribution in accordance with foundation purpose | $520,000 |
| The Gathering San Mateo, CA | Philanthopic Education | $40,250 |
| Foundation Fighting Blindness Columbia, MD | Visual Impairment Research | $35,000 |
| University of Denver Denver, CO | Scholarship | $12,000 |
| New Generation of African American Philanthropists Richmond, CA | Support Black-Led Non-Profits | $10,800 |
| Thrive Global Charlotte, NC | Education Program Support | $6,000 |
| Praxis Brooklyn, NY | Multiple | $5,600 |
| Mesa Global Charlotte, NC | International Development & Missions | $5,400 |
| Windrider Eagle, ID | Programming Support | $5,000 |
| Hope International Lancaster, PA | Economic Empowerment in Burundi | $2,750 |
Ready to take the next step with Donahue Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,587,002 | $1,373,496 | $755,976 | $651,484 | 19 | $713,282 | $216,147 | $549,705 |
| 2023 | $1,045,700 | $556,686 | $520,754 | $473,398 | 24 | $517,449 | $74,241 | $551,554 |
| 2022 | $1,068,418 | $764,041 | $623,535 | $581,457 | 39 | $611,596 | $179,247 | $582,755 |
| 2021 | $1,149,069 | $375,274 | $487,113 | $469,050 | 74 | $486,232 | $362,800 | $494,808 |
| 2020 | $1,206,565 | $616,825 | $242,942 | $231,691 | 50 | — | $144,267 | $233,075 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donahue Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $550K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes support through a donor-advised fund for nonprofit activities, including education, racial reconciliation and anti-trafficking efforts. It also describes efforts to educate and activate Christian philanthropists and their families toward purposeful education and intentional giving, and support for visual impairment research and support.
Among its 2024 grantees, The Gathering describes its mission as fostering a learning community of philanthropists focused on Christian stewardship. The Foundation Fighting Blindness says its mission is to accelerate the translation of retinal research into clinical trials and therapies. Praxis describes itself as a venture-building ecosystem supporting faith-motivated entrepreneurs and innovators; Flourish Collective says it builds allies for racial justice through learning, giving and community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $651,484. Grant amounts ranged from $24 to $520,000; the median grant was $2,750.
The largest grant was $520,000 to National Christian Foundation for a donor-advised fund to distribute in accordance with the foundation’s purposes. Other notable grants included $40,250 to The Gathering for philanthropic education; $35,000 to Foundation Fighting Blindness for visual impairment research; $12,000 to the University of Denver for a scholarship; and $10,800 to New Generation of African American Philanthropists to support Black-led nonprofits. Additional listed grants included $6,000 to Thrive Global for education program support, $5,600 to Praxis for multiple purposes, and $5,400 to Mesa Global for international development and missions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michele Dudley as an officer and Edward C. Donahue as vice president.
Donahue Charitable Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michele Dudley
Officer
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward C. Donahue
Vice President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Donahue Charitable Foundation
How much does Donahue Charitable Foundation give each year?
Donahue Charitable Foundation gave $651K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $473K across 24 grants.
What is Donahue Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Donahue Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,750, and its average grant was $34,289, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donahue Charitable Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Donahue Charitable Foundation give grants?
Donahue Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Georgia: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (8%) and Maryland (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (7 grants).
Does Donahue Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Donahue Charitable Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Donahue Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Donahue Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include National Christian Foundation ($520,000), The Gathering ($40,250) and Foundation Fighting Blindness ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 91% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Donahue Charitable Foundation?
Donahue Charitable Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $713K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $550K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Donahue Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes support through a donor-advised fund for nonprofit activities, including education, racial reconciliation and anti-trafficking efforts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donahue Charitable Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Donahue Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Donahue Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3368096. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Donahue Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Donahue Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donahue-charitable-foundation-morg_d22da89d1cfa4d6fa9ad7407da5ed1f3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043368096_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donahue Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donahue-charitable-foundation-morg_d22da89d1cfa4d6fa9ad7407da5ed1f3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Donahue Charitable Foundation'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.
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