Foundations & Grantmakers in North Carolina
3,271 grantmakers in North Carolina reported $6.6B in grants on their latest 990s. The largest by giving are Foundation for the Carolinas, The Duke Endowment and The Golden Leaf Inc. The list below is sorted 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
3,271
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$6.6B
sum of latest 990s
Typical grant
$18K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$85K
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 | Raleigh | $115.8M | 83 |
| 6 | Family Health International Inc | Durham | $95.3M | 137 |
| 7 | The Winston-Salem Foundation | Winstonsalem | $88.8M | 823 |
| 8 | Nc State Investment Fund Inc | Raleigh | $73.6M | 10 |
| 9 | New Hanover Community Endowment Inc | Wilmington | $60.7M | 61 |
| 10 | The V Foundation | Cary | $56.7M | 53 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 2 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 212 · 25%
- Human Services 126 · 15%
- Health 75 · 9%
- Religion Related 60 · 7%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 58 · 7%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 46 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (49% 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
- The Winston-Salem Foundation $88.8M · 823 grants
- New Hanover Community Endowment Inc $60.7M · 61 grants
- North Carolina Community Foundation $30.6M · 732 grants
- Triangle Community Foundation Inc $23.4M · 558 grants
- The Community Foundation $17.7M · 514 grants
- Community Foundation of Greater $14.5M · 275 grants
- Gaston Community Foundation $10.3M · 168 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 18 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 2024).
Showing all 4,007 foundations and grantmakers in North Carolina
Gothic Corporation
DURHAM, NC
Assets
$8.2B
Grants
1
Total Given
$1.4B
Foundation for the Carolinas
CHARLOTTE, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
Gothic Hsp Corporation
DURHAM, NC
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
1
Total Given
$508.3M
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
RALEIGH, NC
Assets
$13.4M
Grants
83
Total Given
$115.8M
Family Health International Inc
DURHAM, NC
Assets
$348.3M
Grants
137
Total Given
$95.3M
The Winston-Salem Foundation
WINSTONSALEM, NC
Assets
$630.1M
Grants
823
Total Given
$88.8M
Nc State Investment Fund Inc
RALEIGH, NC
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
10
Total Given
$73.6M
New Hanover Community Endowment Inc
WILMINGTON, NC
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
61
Total Given
$60.7M
The V Foundation
CARY, NC
Assets
$145.9M
Grants
53
Total Given
$56.7M
Strategic Victory Fund
RALEIGH, NC
Assets
$4.2M
Grants
50
Total Given
$52.6M
The Kenan-flagler Business School
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Assets
$305.2M
Grants
3
Total Given
$50.0M
Srcco
DURHAM, NC
Assets
$44.1M
Grants
8
Total Given
$47.1M
The Educational Foundation Inc
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Assets
$223.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$46.3M
Risk Acceptance Management Corporation
WINSTONSALEM, NC
Assets
$53.8M
Grants
1
Total Given
$43.6M
Unc Health Foundation Inc
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Assets
$687.7M
Grants
2
Total Given
$43.3M
Atrium Health Foundation
CHARLOTTE, NC
Assets
$556.7M
Grants
40
Total Given
$42.5M
The Leon Levine Foundation
CHARLOTTE, NC
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
433
Total Given
$42.2M
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
DURHAM, NC
Assets
$848.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$37.7M
Sall Family Foundation
CARY, NC
Assets
$106.8M
Grants
79
Total Given
$35.8M
The University of North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Assets
$743.6M
Grants
3
Total Given
$34.3M
North Carolina Community Foundation
RALEIGH, NC
Assets
$569.1M
Grants
732
Total Given
$30.6M
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 47% of the $3.6B given by the 1,439 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 $18K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $85K 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 18 community foundations in North Carolina with grant activity. The largest by giving are Foundation for the Carolinas, The Winston-Salem Foundation and New Hanover Community Endowment 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.