Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc
PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN OF THE is a public charity based in Forest City, North Carolina, formed in 1997. Its stated mission is to help the community share responsibility for children and to support healthy, safe, nurturing environments for children in Rutherford, Polk, and McDowell counties. Its programs include early-childhood education and affordability, family support, hurricane relief for child-care providers, and health and safety activities.
Key facts about Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc
In short: Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc gave $551K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 56-2014947
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $550,728
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $42,364
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $398,953
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$399K
+196.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$551K
+24.3% YoY
Grant Count
13
+160.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
-52.2% YoY
How Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “to assist the community in sharing with families the responsibility of our children” and to help ensure that children in Rutherford, Polk, and McDowell counties grow in healthy, safe, supportive, and nurturing environments.
Its 2024 filing describes a part-day program for McDowell County children ages two through five who are not enrolled in regulated child care or public preschool, or who missed the kindergarten birthdate cutoff. The program reported four sites and 105 enrolled children. Other described activities included Circle of Parents, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Play to Learn groups, community outreach, vision screenings, and health and safety education for families.
The filing also describes hurricane relief funding for child-care centers and homes directly affected by Hurricane Helene; 34 providers received funding for lost revenue and facility damage. The 2025 grants also show support for local schools, child-development organizations, a family-resource organization, preschools, and child-care providers.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization reported 13 grants totaling $550,728. Grant amounts ranged from $5,350 to $272,111, with a median of $10,000.
The largest reported grants were $272,111 to McDowell County Schools for family support, the Circle of Parents and part-day programs, and hurricane relief; $83,075 to Southwestern Child Development Commission for child-care quality support in Rutherford and Polk counties; $55,000 to Child Care Connections of Burke County for early education in McDowell County; and $35,508 to Family Resources of Rutherford County for Circle of Parents family support. Other reported grants included $32,000 to Choice Care Playschool LLC and $17,000 to Little Cubs Learning LLC, both for hurricane relief.
The organization monitors funded projects through on-site visits. Its filing says monitors review contract activities and, for projects that include grants, sample grant records to check for a grant agreement and use of funds consistent with that agreement.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The mission names Rutherford, Polk, and McDowell counties. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $250K (2022) to $551K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $551K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was McDowell County Schools ($272K). Together the top 10 received $531K.
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 36 (72%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| McDowell County Schools Marion, NC | Family support-circle of parents & part day program; hurricane relief | $272,111 |
| Southwestern Child Development Commission Webster, NC | Child Care Quality-Quality Support-Rutherford & Polk | $83,075 |
| Child Care Connections of Burke County Morganton, NC | Child Care Quality-Early Education-McDowell County | $55,000 |
| Family Resources of Rutherford County Inc Forest City, NC | Family Support-Circle of Parents | $35,508 |
| Choice Care Playschool LLC Rutherfordton, NC | Hurricane Relief | $32,000 |
| Little Cubs Learning LLC Forest City, NC | Hurricane Relief | $17,000 |
| The Childrens Learning Center of Old Fort Inc Old Fort, NC | Hurricane Relief | $10,000 |
| New Manna Baptist Church Preschool Marion, NC | Hurricane Relief | $9,934 |
| Little Red School Inc Forest City, NC | Hurricane Relief | $8,500 |
| Kids Kingdom Childcare LLC Ellenboro, NC | Hurricane Relief | $8,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $398,953 | $1,518,109 | $1,267,083 | $550,728 (13) |
| 2024 | $134,473 | $1,189,366 | $1,146,439 | $442,962 (5) |
| 2023 | $150,718 | $1,082,682 | $1,086,396 | $365,495 (4) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $398,953 | $134,473 | $150,718 |
| Revenue | $1,518,109 | $1,189,366 | $1,082,682 |
| Expenses | $1,267,083 | $1,146,439 | $1,086,396 |
| Net Investment Income | $1 | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sherry Bright, Cathleen Cullen, Jerrye Ficklin, Crystal Margolin, Paula Nickey Lewis, Kisha McDowell, and Suzanne Metcalf as board members; John Carroll as treasurer; Phyllis Davis as secretary; and Mark Franklin as vice chair.
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc is led by Barry Gold, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 22 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barry Gold
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$84K (2020) → $85K (2025)
Jen Pace-Dickenson
Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alice McCluney
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathleen Cullen
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Morgan
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Carroll
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Franklin
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Chair, 2021
Chair → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paula Nickey Lewis
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Davis
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sherry Bright
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Metcalf
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Rampey
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Hampton
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marlin Brinkley
Board Memeber
Board Member → Board Memeber, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth McCallister
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Crystal Margolin
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Wood
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerrye Ficklin
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kisha McDowell
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paige Zeigler
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dee Hunt
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheri Ledford
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Alison Baldwin (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kathy Taft (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Keith Jamison (2020–2023) — Board Memeber
- Former: Keith Stephenson (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Kris Edwards (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Lisa Sprouse (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Tracy Davis (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Casey Hill (2022) — Board Memeber
- Former: Gail Parton (2020–2021) — Board Member
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 $85K, to Barry Gold (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 338 Withrow Road Suite B, Forest City, NC 28043
Phone: (828) 245-8673
Frequently asked questions about Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc
How much does Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc give each year?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc gave $551K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $443K across 5 grants.
What is Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's typical grant size?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $42,364, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc give grants?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc 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 Forest City, NC (4 grants), Marion, NC (2 grants), Rutherfordton, NC (2 grants) and Old Fort, NC (2 grants).
Does Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Hurricane Relief" (9 grants).
Who are Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's largest grantees?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's largest 2025 grantees include McDowell County Schools ($272,111), Southwestern Child Development Commission ($83,075) and Child Care Connections of Burke County ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc reported $399K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.5M.
What does Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “to assist the community in sharing with families the responsibility of our children” and to help ensure that children in Rutherford, Polk, and McDowell counties grow in healthy, safe, supportive, and nurturing environments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's EIN?
Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2014947. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Partnership for Children of the Foothills Inc by hand.
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