Evergreen Foundation
Evergreen Foundation is a private foundation based in Waynesville, North Carolina. Formed in 1977, it supports organizations providing services related to behavioral health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in western North Carolina.
Evergreen Foundation at a glance
In short: Evergreen Foundation gave $800K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in North Carolina. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $800,000
- -9.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- -25.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,586
- +22.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $24,740,260
- +5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% 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 Evergreen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status or an equivalent provision. Applicants should complete and sign the grant application and submit it with an organizational budget and the first two pages and Schedule A of the organization’s Form 990. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Funding must directly support people with mental health, substance use, or developmental disability needs, with funds used in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, or Swain counties.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted quarterly. The website lists a deadline of 5 p.m. on August 5, 2026, for second-quarter grants.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted quarterly.
- Next open deadline
- November 2, 2026 (Evergreen Foundation Grant)
- Contact
Application contact: Denise Coleman
Mailing address: 28 A Oak Street, Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 456-8005
Email: dcoleman@evergreennc.org
Website: https://evergreenfoundationnc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Evergreen Foundation
Who Evergreen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Meridian Behavioral Health ($184K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $618K.
Grant Size Distribution
170 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 170 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated service area is Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties in western North Carolina. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Evergreen Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $500K (2021) to $1.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $800K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl Psychedelic Institute Waynesville, NC | Funding for staff salaries, funds for a ramp, fundraising support, drug safe, and staff and board training. | $56,875 |
| Swain Community Outreach Bryson City, NC | Funding to provide therapy and services for mental health and substance use clients in Swain county. | $50,294 |
| Meridian Behavioral Health Sylva, NC | Funding for the clinical director position to provide supervision of interns from western carolina university to increase the number of assessments completed each year. | $50,000 |
| Meridian Behavioral Health Sylva, NC | Funding to partially cover staff positions in order to build the psychosocial rehabilitation program and increase billing for program participants. | $50,000 |
| Meridian Behavioral Health Sylva, NC | Funding for the patient assistance program that provides free psychiatric medications for individuals in western North Carolina. | $50,000 |
| Seek Healing Waynesville, NC | Funding to increase program availability on nights and weekends at the facility including program materials and facilitation costs. | $49,400 |
| Jackson County Public Schools Sylva, NC | Funding to cover 3 years of supervision costs to develop a licensed counseling program within the school system. Program will cover 3 current staff. | $45,000 |
| Here in Jackson County Sylva, NC | Funding for an ssi/ssdi outreach, access, and benefits case manager to assist at risk individuals in completing paperwork for benefits. | $42,000 |
| Western Carolina Pacesetters Brasstown, NC | Funding for general operations and programming to support programs for youth. | $42,000 |
| Youth Villages Charlotte, NC | Funding for a funding match for the dss grant in wnc to provide housing, employment, case management, education support, etc. For youth aging out of the foster care system. | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Evergreen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,740,260 | $1,862,031 | $1,666,229 | $800,000 | 29 | $972,707 | $1,261,910 | $1,020,030 |
| 2024 | $23,364,828 | $1,470,150 | $1,725,839 | $878,769 | 39 | $1,066,418 | $884,511 | $956,656 |
| 2023 | $22,207,099 | $1,055,728 | $1,717,014 | $1,000,000 | 43 | $1,069,573 | $482,579 | $907,895 |
| 2022 | $21,696,959 | $1,389,639 | $1,550,606 | $854,000 | 31 | $924,117 | $854,908 | $1,048,829 |
| 2021 | $25,667,160 | $1,754,983 | $1,206,181 | $500,000 | 28 | — | $1,177,829 | $989,285 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Evergreen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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
The Foundation’s mission is to improve access to and public awareness of quality prevention, treatment, and support services for individuals and families with intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs, or substance use needs. Its stated priorities include infrastructure for the provider network, start-up and service-provision grants, scholarships to strengthen the provider network, public awareness and education, and advocacy.
It supports nonprofit organizations serving these populations. Examples of grantees’ work include HERE in Jackson County’s efforts to address homelessness through emergency shelter and housing-focused case management; Western Carolina Pacesetters’ work with at-risk and adjudicated youth; and Haywood Vocational Opportunities’ employment, training, and community-engagement services for people with disabilities.
Grantmaking
The Foundation allocates grants through a competitive process reviewed by its board and generally issues 25 to 30 grants in a fiscal year. In 2025, it reported 29 grants totaling $800,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $56,875, with a median of $30,000; the Foundation’s website says awards usually range from $5,000 to $30,000, with some larger grants considered.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $56,875 to Pearl Psychedelic Institute for staff salaries, facility and fundraising support, and training; $50,294 to Swain Community Outreach for mental health and substance use therapy and services; and three $50,000 awards to Meridian Behavioral Health for clinical supervision, development of a psychosocial rehabilitation program, and free psychiatric medications. Other awards included $49,400 to Seek Healing for expanded evening and weekend programming, $45,000 to Jackson County Public Schools to develop a licensed counseling program, and $42,000 to HERE in Jackson County for a benefits case manager.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marty Hydaker as president, Ralph Murphy as vice president, John Feil as secretary, and Vicki Gordon as treasurer. Board members listed are Glenn Jones, David Badger, Janice Wright, Charles Penland, and Tammy Keezer.
Evergreen Foundation is led by Marty Hydaker, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marty Hydaker
President
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Penland
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Badger
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Glenn Jones
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janice Wright
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Feil
Secretary
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ralph Murphy
Vice President
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tammy Keezer
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Gordon
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John Bauknight (2021–2022) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Evergreen Foundation
How much does Evergreen Foundation give each year?
Evergreen Foundation gave $800K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $879K across 39 grants.
What is Evergreen Foundation's typical grant size?
Evergreen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $27,586, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Evergreen Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Evergreen Foundation give grants?
Evergreen Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sylva, NC (11 grants), Waynesville, NC (8 grants), Bryson City, NC (2 grants) and Charlotte, NC (2 grants).
Does Evergreen Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Evergreen Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Evergreen Foundation's largest grantees?
Evergreen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Meridian Behavioral Health ($184,000 across 4 grants), Here in Jackson County ($77,000 across 2 grants) and Pearl Psychedelic Institute ($63,445 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Evergreen Foundation?
Evergreen Foundation reported $24.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $973K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (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 Evergreen Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to improve access to and public awareness of quality prevention, treatment, and support services for individuals and families with intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs, or substance use needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Evergreen Foundation?
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status or an equivalent provision. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Evergreen Foundation's EIN?
Evergreen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1351883. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Evergreen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Evergreen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/evergreen-foundation-morg_c57c8bff32864d43ae9cc7462861b10e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561351883_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Evergreen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/evergreen-foundation-morg_c57c8bff32864d43ae9cc7462861b10e},
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 Evergreen 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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