John M Belk Endowment
The John M Belk Endowment is a private foundation based in Charlotte, an individual recipient Its 2024 filing describes direct charitable activity focused on NC Reconnect, an effort to connect adults in an individual recipient without a completed post-secondary credential to educational pathways at local community colleges that can lead to improved career opportunities.
John M Belk Endowment at a glance
In short: John M Belk Endowment gave $14.7M across 86 grants in 2024 (avg $171K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $14,691,485
- -0.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 86
- +218.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $170,831
- -68.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $378,973,142
- +4.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (87% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to John M Belk Endowment
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Endowment does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4201 Congress Street 470, Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: (980) 381-4122
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John M Belk Endowment funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was College Advising Corps ($2.9M). Together the top 10 received $12.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
191 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 191 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient, 10% to recipients in Indiana, and 3% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
Cities
How John M Belk Endowment gives
- 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% 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 (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 $14.7M (2024) to $17.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 86 grants totaling $14.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| College Advising Corps Chapel Hill, NC | General Operating Support | $2,880,000 |
| Foundation For The Carolinas Charlotte, NC | General Operating Support | $2,738,000 |
| James B Hunt Jr Institute For Educational Leadership And Policy Cary, NC | General Operating Support | $1,500,000 |
| Strada Education Foundation Inc Indianapolis, IN | General operating support | $1,462,491 |
| Myfuturenc Inc Raleigh, NC | General operating support | $1,250,000 |
| EducationNC Raleigh, NC | General Operating Support | $1,070,000 |
| Presbyterian Hospital Charlotte, NC | General operating support | $522,400 |
| Latinxed Education Center Siler City, NC | General operating support | $500,000 |
| Year Up Boston, MA | General operating support | $500,000 |
| Land Of Sky Regional Council Asheville, NC | General operating support | $300,000 |
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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 | $378,973,142 | $39,544,209 | $23,144,997 | $14,691,485 | 86 | $18,721,864 | $36,064,936 | $19,889,456 |
| 2023 | $362,403,473 | $2,550,432 | $23,424,176 | $14,707,092 | 27 | $18,674,762 | $1,679,865 | $19,456,208 |
| 2022 | $383,291,233 | $11,349,973 | $25,024,843 | $16,959,827 | 28 | $21,009,437 | $7,801,652 | $18,654,128 |
| 2021 | $396,941,761 | $76,034,654 | $23,620,651 | $17,004,587 | 31 | $19,846,207 | $73,638,527 | $20,912,041 |
| 2020 | $344,527,989 | $19,824,991 | $20,697,118 | $15,669,248 | 19 | — | $17,549,258 | $20,143,704 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John M Belk Endowment reported a distributable amount of $19.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Endowment’s filing describes its direct charitable activity through NC Reconnect. The initiative engages an individual recipient adults who have not completed a post-secondary credential and connects them with educational pathways at their local community colleges. The Endowment also covered communications and marketing costs for the initiative.
Several 2024 grantees describe their own work as related to education and opportunity. Strada Education Foundation says it supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and opportunity, with a focus on post-secondary education or training. MyFutureNC says its mission is to close gaps in educational access and promote an education-through-workforce continuum in an individual recipient EducationNC describes its work as expanding educational opportunities and providing information and analysis on education in an individual recipient These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the Endowment’s mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Endowment reported 86 grants totaling $14,691,485. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $2,880,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest awards included $2,880,000 to College Advising Corps for general operating support; $2,738,000 to Foundation For The Carolinas for general operating support; and $1,500,000 to the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy for general operating support.
Other notable 2024 awards included $1,462,491 to Strada Education Foundation, $1,250,000 to MyFutureNC, and $1,070,000 to EducationNC, each for general operating support. The Endowment also awarded $127,500 to Haywood Community College for support for NC Reconnect.
The Endowment’s filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary Claudia Belk Pilon as Board Chair, and J Keith Benedict and Virginia M Esposito as Board Members.
John M Belk Endowment is led by Mary Claudia Belk Pilon, Board Chair on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Claudia Belk Pilon
Board Chair
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$36K (2020) → $40K (2024)
J Keith Benedict
Board Member
On filings since 2020
24 hrs/week
$341K (2022) → $308K (2024)
Virginia M Esposito
Board Member
Board Member & Secretary → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Brian T Marley (2020) — Brd Member to Jun
- Former: George S Dewey IV (2020) — V. Chair to Jun
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $308K, to J Keith Benedict (Board Member). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about John M Belk Endowment
How much does John M Belk Endowment give each year?
John M Belk Endowment gave $14.7M across 86 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $14.7M across 27 grants.
What is John M Belk Endowment's typical grant size?
John M Belk Endowment's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $170,831, across 86 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does John M Belk Endowment give grants?
John M Belk Endowment gives mostly in North Carolina: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (9 grants), Raleigh, NC (4 grants), Kenansville, NC (3 grants) and Winston-Salem, NC (3 grants).
Does John M Belk Endowment give general operating support?
Yes: 14% of John M Belk Endowment's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 86) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "JMBE Next NC Acceleration Grant" (50 grants), "FAFSA Strong Initiative" (8 grants) and "Support NC Reconnect" (3 grants).
Who are John M Belk Endowment's largest grantees?
John M Belk Endowment's largest 2024 grantees include College Advising Corps ($2,880,000), Foundation For The Carolinas ($2,738,000) and James B Hunt Jr Institute For Educational Leadership And Policy ($1,500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John M Belk Endowment?
John M Belk Endowment reported $379.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19.9M (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 John M Belk Endowment fund?
The Endowment’s filing describes its direct charitable activity through NC Reconnect. The initiative engages an individual recipient adults who have not completed a post-secondary credential and connects them with educational pathways at their local community colleges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John M Belk Endowment?
The Endowment does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John M Belk Endowment's EIN?
John M Belk Endowment's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1954114. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does John M Belk Endowment 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John M Belk Endowment funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-m-belk-endowment-morg_f53cb4cef013455082ddb2577489e9f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561954114_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John M Belk Endowment funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-m-belk-endowment-morg_f53cb4cef013455082ddb2577489e9f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 John M Belk Endowment'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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