Foundations & Grantmakers in North Carolina
3,728 grantmakers in North Carolina reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,450 that made at least 5 grants gave $3.5B. The largest by giving are Foundation for the Carolinas, The Duke Endowment and The Golden Leaf Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse North Carolina grants
Foundation giving in North Carolina at a glance
Active grantmakers
3,728
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$3.5B
from the 1,450 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$80K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in North Carolina by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation for the Carolinas | Charlotte | $609.1M | 1,605 |
| 2 | The Duke Endowment | Charlotte | $251.2M | 480 |
| 3 | The Golden Leaf Inc | Rocky Mount | $161.3M | 131 |
| 4 | Dogwood Health Trust | Asheville | $148.2M | 835 |
| 5 | North Carolina Partnership for Children Inc | Raleigh | $126.5M | 77 |
| 6 | The Winston-Salem Foundation | Winstonsalem | $90.4M | 823 |
| 7 | NC State Investment Fund Inc | Raleigh | $73.6M | 10 |
| 8 | Family Health International Inc | Durham | $72.3M | 146 |
| 9 | New Hanover Community Endowment Inc | Wilmington | $60.7M | 61 |
| 10 | The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc | Asheville | $59.4M | 793 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 4 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 222 · 25%
- Human Services 129 · 15%
- Health 76 · 9%
- Religion Related 62 · 7%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 59 · 7%
- Environment & Animals 51 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in North Carolina
- Foundation for the Carolinas $609.1M · 1,605 grants
- New Hanover Community Endowment Inc $60.7M · 61 grants
- The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc $59.4M · 793 grants
- North Carolina Community Foundation Inc $30.6M · 732 grants
- Triangle Community Foundation Inc $26.7M · 599 grants
- Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Inc $14.5M · 275 grants
- Gaston Community Foundation $10.3M · 168 grants
- Cumberland Community Foundation Inc $8.5M · 125 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 16 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in North Carolina
Foundations based in North Carolina whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captrust Community Foundation Inc | 90% (28) | 31 in 2024 | $15K |
| 2 | Rural Advancement Foundation Internation | 83% (35) | 42 in 2025 | $11K |
| 3 | The Golden Leaf Inc | 70% (92) | 131 in 2025 | $1.5M |
| 4 | Bob Barker Foundation Inc | 67% (55) | 82 in 2024 | $14K |
| 5 | Robert & Paula Boykin Family Foundation | 65% (15) | 23 in 2024 | $69K |
| 6 | Lenny Peters Foundation Inc | 65% (24) | 37 in 2024 | $8K |
| 7 | Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company | 63% (24) | 38 in 2024 | $10K |
| 8 | NC Idea | 62% (109) | 177 in 2025 | $12K |
| 9 | The Hedrick Family Foundation | 61% (62) | 101 in 2025 | $3K |
| 10 | Hillsdale Fund | 59% (41) | 69 in 2024 | $22K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 1,450 grantmakers in North Carolina with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
The Duke Endowment
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
480
Total Given
$251.2M
The Golden Leaf Inc
Rocky Mount, NC
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
131
Total Given
$161.3M
Dogwood Health Trust
Asheville, NC
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
835
Total Given
$148.2M
North Carolina Partnership for Children Inc
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$11.7M
Grants
77
Total Given
$126.5M
The Winston-Salem Foundation
Winston-Salem, NC
Assets
$630.1M
Grants
823
Total Given
$90.4M
NC State Investment Fund Inc
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
10
Total Given
$73.6M
Family Health International Inc
Durham, NC
Assets
$348.2M
Grants
146
Total Given
$72.3M
New Hanover Community Endowment Inc
Wilmington, NC
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
61
Total Given
$60.7M
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc
Asheville, NC
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
793
Total Given
$59.4M
The Leon Levine Foundation
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
522
Total Given
$57.9M
The V Foundation
Cary, NC
Assets
$145.9M
Grants
53
Total Given
$56.7M
Atrium Health Foundation
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$556.7M
Grants
40
Total Given
$42.5M
Sall Family Foundation
Cary, NC
Assets
$106.8M
Grants
79
Total Given
$35.8M
North Carolina Community Foundation Inc
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$569.1M
Grants
732
Total Given
$30.6M
C D Spangler Foundation Inc
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$739.7M
Grants
131
Total Given
$27.6M
Triangle Community Foundation Inc
Durham, NC
Assets
$335.8M
Grants
599
Total Given
$26.7M
The Just Trust for Education
Durham, NC
Assets
$66.9M
Grants
151
Total Given
$25.7M
Duke Energy Foundation
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$1.9M
Grants
41
Total Given
$25.6M
Bill & Peggy Britt Foundation Inc
Chapel Hill, NC
Assets
$56.6M
Grants
7
Total Given
$25.0M
Mecklenburg Partnership for Children
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
14
Total Given
$24.6M
Community Investments Foundation
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$68.8M
Grants
5
Total Given
$23.8M
Smith Richardson Foundation Inc
Greensboro, NC
Assets
$557.9M
Grants
282
Total Given
$22.9M
The Bolick Foundation
Conover, NC
Assets
$55.1M
Grants
266
Total Given
$22.5M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in North Carolina
What are the largest foundations in North Carolina?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Foundation for the Carolinas ($609.1M across 1,605 grants), The Duke Endowment ($251.2M) and The Golden Leaf Inc ($161.3M). Together the top 10 account for 48% of the $3.5B given by the 1,450 grantmakers in North Carolina that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in North Carolina?
The typical grant is about $20K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $80K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in North Carolina?
Yes. We found 16 community foundations in North Carolina with grant activity. The largest by giving are Foundation for the Carolinas, New Hanover Community Endowment Inc and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find North Carolina foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in North Carolina from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.