High Point Community Foundation
High Point Community Foundation is a Form 990 public charity based in High Point, North Carolina. Founded in 1990, it supports the community through grants to nonprofit organizations and other community-focused programs.
High Point Community Foundation at a glance
In short: High Point Community Foundation gave $540K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in North Carolina. 52% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $540,000
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,478
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $23,813
- Total assets
- $131,145,352
- +13.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 52% first-time grantees (12 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to High Point Community Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 5166, High Point, NC 27262
Phone: (336) 882-3298
Website: https://hpcommunityfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from High Point Community Foundation
Annual Grants Program
High Point Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Community Impact Grants
High Point Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Draelos Science Scholars Program
High Point Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who High Point Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Housing Solutions of Guilford Inc ($35K). Together the top 10 received $300K.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 104 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation is based in High Point, North Carolina. Its Annual Grants Program and Community Impact Grants are described as serving the High Point area. The Principals’ Fund for Student Needs serves High Point public schools. In filing year 2025, all reported grant dollars went to North Carolina recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is High Point Community Foundation open to new grantees?
52%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 23 grantees (52%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $22K repeat.
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $365K (2020) to $540K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $540K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Housing Solutions of Guilford Inc Greensboro, NC | Critical Home Repairs | $35,078 |
| Helping Hands High Point High Point, NC | Resources for Families in Need | $31,500 |
| Reading Connections Greensboro, NC | helping adults to read in High Point | $31,000 |
| Family Room Foster Care Resource Center Greensboro, NC | capacity building campaign | $30,266 |
| BackPack Beginnings Greensboro, NC | Community distribution of basic resources for High Point children & families | $29,540 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point High Point, NC | after school homework assistance | $29,062 |
| Diaper Bank of North Carolina Hillsborough, NC | expanding hygiene access in greater High Point | $28,875 |
| Oakwood Community Development Corporation High Point, NC | community day center | $28,875 |
| Learn to Swim Greensboro, NC | second grade swim program | $27,812 |
| Emmanuel Senior Enrichment Center High Point, NC | relocation of adult day services program to better serve the community | $27,675 |
Ready to take the next step with High Point Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2024 filing separately describes grants through its Annual Grants Program, the Heart of High Point Initiative Fund, the Women’s Fund of High Point, and donor-advised funds.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $131,145,352 | $28,891,747 | $8,877,094 | $540,000 | 23 | $16,712,382 |
| 2024 | $115,428,557 | $1,204,514 | $7,279,355 | $500,000 | 22 | $-4,937,660 |
| 2023 | $106,439,974 | $11,126,941 | $6,610,213 | $475,878 | 20 | $1,914,976 |
| 2022 | $96,266,363 | $12,506,191 | $17,623,339 | $479,400 | 22 | $7,544,836 |
| 2021 | $116,708,881 | $15,683,587 | $29,189,185 | $414,100 | 17 | $5,171,800 |
| 2020 | $114,170,503 | $14,778,667 | $14,093,224 | $365,440 | 19 | $2,181,524 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to promote philanthropy, administer an expanding grants program, and serve as a trustworthy partner in responding to community needs. Its stated vision is to sustain a permanent financial resource supporting a diverse, healthy, and productive community for present and future generations.
The Foundation’s website identifies youth, education from pre-K through adult learning, critical needs, and catalyst projects as Community Impact Grant priorities. It describes critical needs as including food security, housing stability, healthcare access, safety, and other urgent community challenges. The Annual Grants Program also addresses community needs such as education, food security, and community cohesion.
Its initiatives include the Heart of High Point Fund, which supports organizations meeting basic needs, and Students First, which supports High Point public schools with educational or character-education projects. The Women’s Fund supports efforts to help women thrive.
The 2024 filing states that grant applicants must be qualified public charities, schools, churches, or government entities; the Foundation does not grant to individuals. It also says annual grant recipients must submit a six-month report on use of funds and program results.
Recent grantees illustrate the range of supported work. Community Housing Solutions of Guilford describes its mission as making Guilford County homes warmer, drier, and safer through repairs and ownership opportunities for low-income homeowners. Helping Hands High Point describes its work as providing food and assistance to disadvantaged people in High Point. Reading Connections says it improves literacy and promotes educational equity for people of all ages. BackPack Beginnings describes connecting children and families with resources to support their health and well-being.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 23 grants totaling $540,000. Grants ranged from $6,188 to $35,078, with a median of $23,813. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $35,078 to Community Housing Solutions of Guilford for critical home repairs; $31,500 to Helping Hands High Point for resources for families in need; $31,000 to Reading Connections to help adults read in High Point; and $30,266 to Family Room Foster Care Resource Center for a capacity-building campaign. Other notable awards included $29,540 to BackPack Beginnings for community distribution of basic resources to High Point children and families, and $29,062 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point for after-school homework assistance.
The Foundation’s website describes a Community Impact Grant process that begins with a Letter of Interest. Organizations invited by email after the LOI process may submit a full application through the application portal.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barry Safrit as Chair, John Bencini as Past Chair, William Laney as Vice-Chair, and Mark Nelson as Secretary/Treasurer. Trustees listed on that filing are Amber Williamson, Angela Krienbrink, David Covington, Dawn Spencer, Joe Blosser, and John Thomas.
High Point Community Foundation is led by Paul Lessard, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 21 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul Lessard
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$174K (2020) → $201K (2025)
Barry Safrit
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dawn Spencer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Blosser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Young
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Covington
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robin Lindsay
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zach Barnes
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amber Williamson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela Krienbrink
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raven Jefferson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tasha Logan Ford
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Moss-Collins
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Thomas
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rufus Yates
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Huffman
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Ilderton
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karol Murks
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$100K (2022) → $113K (2025)
John Bencini
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Nelson
Secretary & Treasurer
Treasurer → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Laney
Vice Chair
Trustee → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Harvey Lowd (2020–2023) — Past Chair
- Former: Brad Whitley (2021–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Iv Culp (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Justin Thompson (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Chuck Portaro (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: John Kennett (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Leah Price (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Timothy Peoples (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Rachel Collins (2022) — Trustee
- Former: Angela Kreinbrink (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Ann Busby (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Megan Oglesby (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Rachel Moss (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Alyce Hill (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ashley Williams (2020) — Trustee
- Former: David Miller (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Eva Ogden (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ivy Culp (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Shane Stutts (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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $201K, to Paul Lessard (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about High Point Community Foundation
How much does High Point Community Foundation give each year?
High Point Community Foundation gave $540K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $500K across 22 grants.
What is High Point Community Foundation's typical grant size?
High Point Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $23,813, and its average grant was $23,478, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from High Point Community Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does High Point Community Foundation give grants?
High Point Community Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were High Point, NC (12 grants), Greensboro, NC (7 grants) and Winston-Salem, NC (2 grants).
Does High Point Community Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on High Point Community Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are High Point Community Foundation's largest grantees?
High Point Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Housing Solutions of Guilford Inc ($35,078), Helping Hands High Point ($31,500) and Reading Connections ($31,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is High Point Community Foundation?
High Point Community Foundation reported $131.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $28.9M.
What does High Point Community Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to promote philanthropy, administer an expanding grants program, and serve as a trustworthy partner in responding to community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from High Point Community Foundation?
High Point Community Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check hpcommunityfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is High Point Community Foundation's EIN?
High Point Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1695787. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 3, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in High Point Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). High Point Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/high-point-community-foundation-morg_f383a3af84f2491aa9ac457d1b19df1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561695787_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{High Point Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/high-point-community-foundation-morg_f383a3af84f2491aa9ac457d1b19df1e},
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 High Point Community 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.
High Point Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?