Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
Smart Start of Davidson County, Inc. is a public charity based in Lexington, North Carolina, that implements North Carolina’s Smart Start and NC Pre-K school-readiness programs for children from birth through age five. Its work includes supporting early childhood education, child-care quality, family resources, and children’s health and development.
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc at a glance
In short: Smart Start of Davidson County Inc gave $2.8M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $116K), mostly in North Carolina. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,792,701
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $116,363
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $59,176
- Total assets
- $250,124
- -31.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 24, 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 September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 820 Grimes Blvd, Lexington, NC 27292
Phone: (336) 249-6688
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Smart Start of Davidson County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Davidson County Schools ($494K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 120 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina. Listed recipients include organizations and schools in Lexington, Thomasville, Denton, and Winston-Salem.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. 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 grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.5M (2019) to $2.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| 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 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $250,124 | $4,682,763 | $4,709,865 | $2,792,701 | 24 | $8,336 |
| 2024 | $362,547 | $4,870,845 | $4,765,590 | $2,644,337 | 24 | $9,813 |
| 2023 | $201,142 | $4,768,946 | $4,832,045 | $2,732,059 | 25 | $379 |
| 2022 | $238,451 | $4,681,489 | $4,700,348 | $2,578,419 | 23 | $345 |
| 2021 | $212,267 | $4,716,031 | $4,692,382 | $2,642,064 | 24 | $648 |
| 2020 | $194,366 | $4,555,022 | $4,549,271 | $2,558,442 | 26 | $3,264 |
| 2019 | $177,557 | $4,529,568 | $4,525,351 | $2,530,622 | 26 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to engage the community to ensure that all children reach their potential. Its 2024 filing says it was established in 1994 to develop and implement services primarily for children from birth through age five, with programs focused on helping children be healthy and ready to succeed in school and in life. The filing identifies child-care subsidies, child-care quality, and family support as core services.
The 2025 filing lists grants for purposes described as “improve quality.” Recipients include county and city school systems and child-development and learning centers in North Carolina. The website also describes early education, family support, and preventive health as areas its services address.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Smart Start of Davidson County reported 24 grants totaling $2,792,701. Grant amounts ranged from $8,956 to $493,768, with a median of $59,176.
Among the largest reported grants were $493,768 to Davidson County Schools, $346,208 to Lexington City Schools, $264,776 to Brighter Horizons Child Development, $229,152 to Thomasville City Schools, and $221,638 to Vons Kids. Each was reported for “improve quality.”
The organization’s 2024 filing states that grant recipients are screened for qualification and expenditures are monitored. The filing also notes that its supporting schedule lists organizations receiving more than $5,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Draughn as Executive DI; Bleasha Carroll as Assistant SE; Carolyn Curry as Secretary; Lynda Hepler as Vice Chair; Janice Lanning as Chairman; and Beth Adkins, Leslie Clark, Tami Holtzmann, Lillian Koontz, and Nancy Newcomb as board members.
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc is led by Janice Lanning, Chairman since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janice Lanning
Chairman
Secretary → Vice Chairman, 2022
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary Draughn
Executive Di
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$64K (2025)
Don Stewart
Assistant Tr
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2022
Board Chair → Assistant Tr, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jason Roland
Treasurer
Assistant Tr → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Laura Sweitzer
Board Member
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Leslie Clark
Board Member
Board Member → Assistant Se, 2023
Assistant Se → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Lynda Hepler
Vice Chair
Board Member → Assistant Tr, 2022
Assistant Tr → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Bleasha Carroll
Assistant Se
Board Member → Assistant Se, 2025
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Lillian Koontz
Board Member
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Beth Adkins
Board Member
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Kennie Sledge
Board Member
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Tami Holtzmann
Board Member
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Carolyn Curry
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Hannah Vinson
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Nancy Newcomb
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Ron Wyatt
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Carolyn Hayes (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Elizabeth Huff (2021–2024) — Baord Member
- Former: Jarrod Dunbar (2019–2022) — Assistant Se
- Former: Sharolyn Harry-Clark (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Jenna Brewer (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Payton Williams (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sam Barefoot (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Teresa McKeon (2019–2021) — Board Chair
- Former: William R. Pless (2019–2021) — Executive Di
- Former: Amanda Hathcock (2019–2020) — Baord Member
- Former: Chaille Brice (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Chelsey Cosper (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Laura Stockwell (2019–2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $64K, to Mary Draughn (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Smart Start of Davidson County Inc
How much does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc give each year?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc gave $2.8M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.6M across 24 grants.
What is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's typical grant size?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $59,176, and its average grant was $116,363, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Smart Start of Davidson County Inc that year got $28K on average.
Where does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc give grants?
Smart Start of Davidson County 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 Lexington, NC (15 grants), Thomasville, NC (5 grants) and Winston-Salem, NC (2 grants).
Does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Improve Quality" (24 grants).
Who are Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's largest grantees?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Davidson County Schools ($493,768), Lexington City Schools ($346,208) and Brighter Horizons Child Development ($264,776), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Smart Start of Davidson County Inc?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc reported $250K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.7M.
What does Smart Start of Davidson County Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to engage the community to ensure that all children reach their potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Smart Start of Davidson County Inc?
Smart Start of Davidson County Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
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.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- 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)
Live grants for the work Smart Start of Davidson County Inc funds
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