Legatus Foundation
Legatus Foundation is a private foundation based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2024, it awarded 52 grants totaling $716,023 to charitable organizations, including organizations involved in education, community services, health care, and conservation.
Legatus Foundation at a glance
In short: Legatus Foundation gave $716K across 52 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), top state North Carolina. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $716,023
- +2.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 52
- +13.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $13,770
- -9.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $12,176,521
- +2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (11 of 52, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (48% 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 Legatus Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2920 Club Park Road, Winstonsalem, NC 27104
Phone: (336) 409-6488
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Legatus Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Everglades Foundation ($177K). Together the top 10 received $626K.
Grant Size Distribution
242 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 220 grants of 242 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in North Carolina (48%) and Florida (38%). Other reported shares were Virginia (8%), Wyoming (2%), and Maryland (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Legatus Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 52 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% 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 (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 $688K (2020) to $801K (2022). In 2024 it made 52 grants totaling $716K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Everglades Foundation Palmetto Bay, FL | General Support and Endowment | $177,256 |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | General support, law & medical school support, bell scholarship fund | $174,837 |
| Canterbury School Greensboro, NC | Seating for Sports Field | $75,016 |
| Winston-Salem FOUNDATION(THE) Winston-Salem, NC | General Support and Gifts for Other Charities | $75,016 |
| Nature CONSERVANCY(THE) Arlington, VA | General Support | $48,398 |
| Hobe Sound Community Chest Hobe Sound, FL | General Support and Strategic Reserve | $35,400 |
| Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Foundation Stuart, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Grand Teton National Park Foundation Moose, WY | Wildlife Initiative Program | $10,000 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery Palm City, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Summit School Winston-Salem, NC | Seed Capital Campaign | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Legatus Foundation?
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 | $12,176,521 | $589,915 | $780,917 | $716,023 | 52 | $724,647 | $541,381 | $819,282 |
| 2023 | $11,939,572 | $401,929 | $763,530 | $696,761 | 46 | $710,811 | $354,106 | $717,365 |
| 2022 | $11,844,329 | $259,806 | $873,993 | $801,390 | 47 | $809,854 | $383,486 | $739,266 |
| 2021 | $12,051,620 | $920,258 | $754,431 | $692,729 | 49 | $698,562 | $873,609 | $805,065 |
| 2020 | $11,412,858 | $683,387 | $740,024 | $688,253 | 48 | — | $633,426 | $690,913 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Legatus Foundation reported a distributable amount of $819K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations in several fields. For example, Wake Forest University describes its mission as pursuing excellence in liberal arts and graduate and professional education. Hobe Sound Community Chest says it funds programs and initiatives promoting the social and educational well-being of Hobe Sound residents in need. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation describes its mission as partnering with the park to steward, protect, and enhance it.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 52 grants totaling $716,023. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $177,256, with a median grant of $2,750. The largest awards included $177,256 to the Everglades Foundation for general support and endowment; $174,837 to Wake Forest University for general support and law and medical school support, including the Bell Scholarship Fund; $75,016 to Canterbury School for seating for a sports field; and $75,016 to the Winston-Salem Foundation for general support and gifts for other charities.
Other notable grants included $48,398 to the Nature Conservancy for general support and $35,400 to Hobe Sound Community Chest for general support and a strategic reserve.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ranlet S. Bell as director and president, and Frank M. Bell Jr. as secretary and treasurer.
Legatus Foundation is led by Ranlet S. Bell, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ranlet S. Bell
Director & President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frank M. Bell Jr.
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
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 Legatus Foundation
How much does Legatus Foundation give each year?
Legatus Foundation gave $716K across 52 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $697K across 46 grants.
What is Legatus Foundation's typical grant size?
Legatus Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,750, and its average grant was $13,770, across 52 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Legatus Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Legatus Foundation give grants?
Legatus Foundation's top state is North Carolina, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (38%) and Virginia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hobe Sound, FL (13 grants), Winston-Salem, NC (8 grants), Stuart, FL (3 grants) and Arlington, VA (2 grants).
Does Legatus Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 81% of Legatus Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 52) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Legatus Foundation's largest grantees?
Legatus Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Everglades Foundation ($177,256), Wake Forest University ($174,837) and Canterbury School ($75,016), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Legatus Foundation?
Legatus Foundation reported $12.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $725K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $819K (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 Legatus Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations in several fields. For example, Wake Forest University describes its mission as pursuing excellence in liberal arts and graduate and professional education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Legatus Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Legatus Foundation's EIN?
Legatus Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1737683. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Legatus Foundation 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Legatus Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/legatus-foundation-morg_4580b1a2d964416c8d4b289432557090
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311737683_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Legatus Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/legatus-foundation-morg_4580b1a2d964416c8d4b289432557090},
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 Legatus 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.
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