Flow Foundation Inc
Flow Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports 53 grants totaling $1,458,881, with 84% of grant dollars going to recipients in North Carolina. The foundation’s website also describes grant programs for developers and teams building tools and products for the Flow ecosystem.
Flow Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Flow Foundation Inc gave $1.5M across 53 grants in 2024 (avg $28K), mostly in North Carolina. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,458,881
- -7.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 53
- -11.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $27,526
- +4.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $395,307
- -41.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (13 of 53, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (84% 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 Flow Foundation Inc
- 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. Its website separately describes application processes for its Flow ecosystem grant programs.
- Contact
Mailing address: 500 West Fifth Street 18Th Floor, Winstonsalem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 760-7030
Website: https://flow.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Flow Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wake Forest University ($353K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
280 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 229 grants of 280 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to North Carolina recipients, 10% to Virginia, 2% to Colorado, and 1% each to Tennessee and Missouri. Among the listed recipients are organizations in Winston-Salem and other North Carolina communities, as well as recipients in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Flow Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 53 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $1.0M (2021) to $1.6M (2023). In 2024 it made 53 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | General Support | $352,666 |
| Winston Starts Winston-Salem, NC | Community Involvement Programs | $250,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Winston-Salem, NC | General Support | $178,490 |
| United Way of Forsyth County Winston-Salem, NC | Community Involvement Programs | $127,375 |
| In Medias Res Educational Foundation Charlottesville, VA | Community Involvement Programs | $70,000 |
| Love Out Loud Winston-Salem, NC | Community Involvement Programs | $60,000 |
| Virginia Athletics Foundation Charlottesville, VA | Community Involvement Programs | $50,000 |
| Crosby Scholars Community Partnership Winston-Salem, NC | Community Involvement Programs | $50,000 |
| YWCA of Winston Salem and Forsyth County Winston-Salem, NC | Community Involvement Programs | $37,500 |
| Friends of the Great Commission Colorado Springs, CO | Community Involvement Programs | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Flow Foundation Inc?
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 | $395,307 | $1,529,585 | $1,460,395 | $1,458,881 | 53 | $1,458,881 | $4,553 | $14,886 |
| 2023 | $675,117 | $1,729,932 | $1,580,077 | $1,576,033 | 60 | $1,576,033 | $5,364 | $14,907 |
| 2022 | $171,922 | $1,035,398 | $1,382,760 | $1,381,725 | 56 | $1,381,725 | $2,246 | $28,343 |
| 2021 | $581,742 | $1,459,776 | $1,021,664 | $1,020,837 | 52 | $1,020,837 | — | $16,150 |
| 2020 | $80,130 | $1,043,464 | $1,081,146 | $1,080,325 | 59 | — | — | $3,148 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Flow Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $15K 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 stated mission is to foster a “boundless, enduring, and community-run ecosystem on Flow” and help the ecosystem develop a product strategy for the next generation of on-chain applications. Its website says it supports Flow and related technologies through grants, community collaboration, and work toward network autonomy.
The website describes two grant programs: GrantDAO, for pre-startup or post-hackathon projects building on Flow, and Ecosystem Grants, for startup projects seeking support for growth. It lists decentralized finance, innovation and adoption, and ecosystem public goods as GrantDAO Round 1 focus areas.
The 2024 grants also show support for a range of organizations. For example, Wake Forest University describes itself as an institution of higher education; Winston Starts says it supports startup and early-stage businesses to promote local job growth and economic vitality; and Manna Food Bank says its mission is to help end hunger in western North Carolina.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 53 grants totaling $1,458,881. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $352,666, with a median grant of $5,000.
Largest reported grants included $352,666 to Wake Forest University for general support; $250,000 to Winston Starts for community involvement programs; $178,490 to First Presbyterian Church for general support; and $127,375 to United Way of Forsyth County for community involvement programs. Other notable grants included $70,000 to In Medias Res Educational Foundation, $60,000 to Love Out Loud, and $50,000 each to Virginia Athletics Foundation and Crosby Scholars Community Partnership.
The website says GrantDAO applications are submitted for community-voted funding, with payouts at the end of each round. It states that Round 1 closed on August 16, 2025. For Ecosystem Grants, it asks applicants to describe their project and provide a milestone-based roadmap and timeline, requested funding by milestone, intended use of funds, and success measures.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Flow Foundation Inc is led by Donald E Flow, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Donald E Flow
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robbin B Flow
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Flow Foundation Inc
How much does Flow Foundation Inc give each year?
Flow Foundation Inc gave $1.5M across 53 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 60 grants.
What is Flow Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Flow Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $27,526, across 53 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Flow Foundation Inc that year got $14K on average.
Where does Flow Foundation Inc give grants?
Flow Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Winston-Salem, NC (37 grants), Charlottesville, VA (4 grants) and Metairie, LA (2 grants).
Does Flow Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 9% of Flow Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 53) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Community Involvement Programs" (46 grants).
Who are Flow Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Flow Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Wake Forest University ($352,666), Winston Starts ($250,000) and First Presbyterian Church ($178,490), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Flow Foundation Inc?
Flow Foundation Inc reported $395K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $15K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Flow Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to foster a “boundless, enduring, and community-run ecosystem on Flow” and help the ecosystem develop a product strategy for the next generation of on-chain applications. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Flow Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Flow Foundation Inc's EIN?
Flow Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1983806. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Flow Foundation Inc 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Flow Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Flow Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/flow-foundation-inc-morg_42e8ae795b83429193c84c6ff2aa26c5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201983806_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Flow Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/flow-foundation-inc-morg_42e8ae795b83429193c84c6ff2aa26c5},
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 Flow Foundation Inc'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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