Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation
The Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation is a private foundation based in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable and educational organizations, with all reported grant dollars going to recipients in North Carolina.
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation at a glance
In short: Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation gave $270K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in North Carolina. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $270,000
- -9.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -24.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,211
- +19.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,852,028
- +2.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% 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 Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1940, Southern Pines, NC 28388
Phone: (910) 692-6703
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Samaritan's Purse ($100K). Together the top 10 received $235K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 109 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to organizations in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 19 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 95% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% 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 $203K (2020) to $315K (2022). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $270K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Union Pines High School Cameron, NC | Educational | $35,000 |
| Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities Southern Pines, NC | Charitable | $15,000 |
| North Moore High School Robbins, NC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Moore Humane Society Southern Pines, NC | Charitable | $15,000 |
| PBS North Carolina Research Triangle Park, NC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Arts Council of Moore County Southern Pines, NC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Friends of the WNC Nature Center Asheville, NC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| North Carolina Zoological Society Asheboro, NC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | Educational | $10,000 |
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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 | $3,852,028 | $435,100 | $335,641 | $270,000 | 19 | $313,047 | $420,752 | $301,882 |
| 2023 | $3,763,388 | $492,526 | $355,549 | $298,000 | 25 | $341,162 | $478,139 | $307,389 |
| 2022 | $3,625,643 | $355,569 | $370,201 | $315,000 | 21 | $356,401 | $341,769 | $320,291 |
| 2021 | $3,643,400 | $154,864 | $353,131 | $305,000 | 21 | $339,223 | $143,456 | $320,115 |
| 2020 | $3,845,310 | $390,125 | $252,086 | $203,000 | 23 | — | $378,228 | $292,057 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation reported a distributable amount of $302K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for schools and universities, arts organizations, animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and charitable aid. These are examples of the organizations it supported, not stated foundation priorities. For example, Moore Humane Society describes its work as rescuing, rehabilitating, and adopting homeless animals, while Friends of the WNC Nature Center describes its work as supporting wildlife of the Southern Appalachians through fundraising, education, and volunteer service.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $270,000. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported grants included $100,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, $35,000 to Union Pines High School, and $15,000 each to Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, North Moore High School, Moore Humane Society, and PBS North Carolina. Other listed grants included $10,000 each to the Arts Council of Moore County, Friends of the WNC Nature Center, North Carolina Zoological Society, Duke University, Campbell University, and Wake Forest University.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sandy Patterson as President, Debbie Riley as Vice President, and Nicole P Smiley as Secretary.
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation is led by Sandy Patterson, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sandy Patterson
President
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$1K (2021) → $0 (2024)
Debbie Riley
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$500 (2020) → $2K (2024)
Nicole P Smiley
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$500 (2020) → $2K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mary McLauchlin Pope (2020) — Vice President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $2K, to Debbie Riley (Vice President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation
How much does Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation give each year?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation gave $270K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $298K across 25 grants.
What is Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's typical grant size?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,211, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation give grants?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Southern Pines, NC (6 grants) and Durham, NC (2 grants).
Does Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (11 grants) and "Educational" (7 grants).
Who are Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's largest grantees?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Samaritan's Purse ($100,000), Union Pines High School ($35,000) and Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $313K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $302K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for schools and universities, arts organizations, animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and charitable aid. These are examples of the organizations it supported, not stated foundation priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's EIN?
Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-1408721. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Donald & Elizabeth Cooke 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 October 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). Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-and-elizabeth-cooke-foundation-morg_92254976a9b54bf6b09c66526eab5b4e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_581408721_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald \& Elizabeth Cooke Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-and-elizabeth-cooke-foundation-morg_92254976a9b54bf6b09c66526eab5b4e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Donald & Elizabeth Cooke 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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