SMART START OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, INC. WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1994 TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, PRIMARILY AGES BIRTH THROUGH FIVE. THE FOCUS OF ALL PROGRAMS IS TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN ARE HEALTHY AND READY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE. CORE SERVICES INCLUDE CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES, CHILD CARE QUALITY AND FAMILY SUPPORT.
Key facts about Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
- EIN
- 56-1859989
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,792,701
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $116,363
- Median grant
- $59,176
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 24, 2025)
- Total assets
- $250,124
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Smart Start of Davidson County Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's 24 itemized 2025 grants were North Carolina (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lexington, NC (15 grants), Thomasville, NC (5 grants) and Winstonsalem, NC (2 grants). None of its 24 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Improve Quality" (24 grants).
Is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 24 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $129K. How we count
Medians: $36K first-time, $62K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$250K
-31.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.8M
+5.6% YoY
Grant Count
24
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$116K
+5.6% YoY
About Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
Based on IRS filings
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in Lexington, NC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $250K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 24 grants totaling $2.8M. Net investment income was $8K.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with Smart Start of Davidson County Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 24 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $250,124 | $362,547 | $201,142 |
| Revenue | $4,682,763 | $4,870,845 | $4,768,946 |
| Expenses | $4,709,865 | $4,765,590 | $4,832,045 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $8,336 | $9,813 | $379 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 18, 2020)
- 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 April 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 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 April 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Davidson County Schools ($493,768), Lexington City Schools ($346,208), Brighter Horizons Child Development ($264,776).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DAVIDSON COUNTY SCHOOLS Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $493,768 |
| LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $346,208 |
| BRIGHTER HORIZONS CHILD DEVELOPMENT Thomasville, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $264,776 |
| THOMASVILLE CITY SCHOOLS Thomasville, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $229,152 |
| VONS KIDS Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $221,638 |
| A CHILDS WORLD Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $190,623 |
| THE LEARNING PLACE Thomasville, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $181,071 |
| MARY MYERS CHILDCARE Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $180,869 |
| CRADLES 2 CRAYONS DEVELOPMENT CENT Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $124,239 |
| TYRO LEARNING CENTER Lexington, NC | IMPROVE QUALITY | $80,610 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Draughn | Executive Di | 40 | $64,335 |
| Beth Adkins | Board Member | — | — |
| Bleasha Carroll | Assistant Se | — | — |
| Leslie Clark | Board Member | — | — |
| Carolyn Curry | Secretary | — | — |
| Lynda Hepler | Vice Chair | — | — |
| Tami Holtzmann | Board Member | — | — |
| Lillian Koontz | Board Member | — | — |
| Janice Lanning | Chairman | — | — |
| Nancy Newcomb | Board Member | — | — |
| Jason Roland | Treasurer | — | — |
| Kennie Sledge | Board Member | — | — |
| Don Stewart | Assistant Tr | — | — |
| Laura Sweitzer | Board Member | — | — |
| Hannah Vinson | Board Member | — | — |
| Ron Wyatt | Board Member | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in Lexington, NC. It holds $250K in total assets as of 2025.
How large is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc?
As of 2025, Smart Start of Davidson County Inc holds $250K in total assets with $4.7M in annual revenue. It awarded 24 grants totaling $2.8M in 2025.
Where does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc operate?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc has awarded grants in North Carolina.
What size grants does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc award?
In 2025, Smart Start of Davidson County Inc awarded 24 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $116K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's EIN?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1859989. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.