Ella and Les Swindell Foundation
The Ella and Les Swindell Foundation is a private foundation based in Mebane, North Carolina. In its 2025 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $30,000; the listed purposes for those grants were educational services.
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation at a glance
In short: Ella and Les Swindell Foundation gave $30K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in North Carolina. 56% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $30,000
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +166.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,875
- -64.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,625
- Total assets
- $272,562
- +13.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (9 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ella and Les Swindell 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: 5076 Harvestview Drive, Mebane, NC 27302
Phone: (919) 609-3181
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ella and Les Swindell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was C Harrison Ray Scholarship Fund ($5K). Together the top 10 received $26K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 56 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 15% to Colorado, 12% to Virginia, 9% to Arizona, and 2% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ella and Les Swindell Foundation open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 16 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 19% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 90% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2023) to $32K (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $30K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| C Harrison Ray Scholarship Fund Englewood, CO | Educational Services | $4,500 |
| Woodberry Forest School Woodberry Forest, VA | Educational Services | $3,750 |
| Hannahs Haven Browns Summit, NC | Educational Services | $3,750 |
| Wylder National Foundation Scottsdale, AZ | Educational Services | $2,750 |
| The Shepherds Center Winston-Salem, NC | Educational Services | $2,750 |
| Carteret Community College Foundati Morehead City, NC | Educational Services | $2,000 |
| The Community Table Dillsboro, NC | Educational Services | $2,000 |
| East Forsyth High School Kernersville, NC | Educational Services | $1,750 |
| SPCA of Wake County Raleigh, NC | Educational Services | $1,500 |
| Alzheimers Association Raleigh, NC | Educational Services | $1,150 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $272,562 | $71,337 | $38,036 | $30,000 | 16 | $31,978 | $65,279 | $37,179 |
| 2024 | $239,261 | $29,861 | $41,178 | $32,025 | 6 | $34,238 | $22,971 | $36,894 |
| 2023 | $250,578 | $16,264 | $21,754 | $14,610 | 10 | $16,368 | $10,878 | $30,370 |
| 2022 | $256,068 | $8,628 | $24,618 | $15,760 | 12 | $17,950 | $2,804 | $31,595 |
| 2021 | $272,058 | $9,751 | $28,798 | $20,750 | 12 | $22,693 | $3,646 | $32,259 |
| 2020 | $290,743 | $22,168 | $29,611 | $22,950 | 15 | — | $17,118 | $25,450 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ella and Les Swindell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $37K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. Hannah’s Haven Inc. describes its mission as providing a safe, stable, and peaceful environment for women to establish a lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol. The Community Table Inc. says it provides nutritious meals to hungry and food-insecure people in Jackson County, North Carolina, through a soup kitchen, food pantry, and community garden. Second Harvest Food Bank describes its work as providing food assistance through partner organizations while educating and engaging communities in eliminating hunger and its causes. Humane World for Animals Inc. says it tackles the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 16 grants totaling $30,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $4,500, with a median of $1,625. Among the largest listed grants were $4,500 to C Harrison Ray Scholarship Fund for educational services; $3,750 each to Woodberry Forest School and Hannahs Haven; and $2,750 each to Wylder National Foundation and The Shepherds Center. Other listed grants included $2,000 each to Carteret Community College Foundation and The Community Table, $1,750 to East Forsyth High School, and $1,500 to SPCA of Wake County. Hannah’s Haven Inc. reported receiving $3,750 in 2025; The Community Table Inc. reported receiving $2,000, Second Harvest Food Bank $500, and Humane World for Animals Inc. $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Courtney Thompson, Robert Swindell Jr, and Robin Dills as trustees.
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robin Dills
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Thompson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Brandt Swindell Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Anne R. Swindell (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Brandt Swindell (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Priscilla Swindell (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Ella and Les Swindell Foundation
How much does Ella and Les Swindell Foundation give each year?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation gave $30K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $32K across 6 grants.
What is Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's typical grant size?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,625, and its average grant was $1,875, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ella and Les Swindell Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Ella and Les Swindell Foundation give grants?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (15%) and Virginia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Winston-Salem, NC (3 grants) and Raleigh, NC (2 grants).
Does Ella and Les Swindell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Services" (16 grants).
Who are Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's largest grantees?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include C Harrison Ray Scholarship Fund ($4,500), Woodberry Forest School ($3,750) and Hannahs Haven ($3,750), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ella and Les Swindell Foundation?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation reported $273K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $32K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $37K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ella and Les Swindell Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. Hannah’s Haven Inc. describes its mission as providing a safe, stable, and peaceful environment for women to establish a lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ella and Les Swindell 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 Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's EIN?
Ella and Les Swindell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6042828. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Ella and Les Swindell 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Ella and Les Swindell 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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