Stephen L Cornwell Foundation
The Stephen L Cornwell Foundation is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports 22 grants totaling $411,500; all reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation at a glance
In short: Stephen L Cornwell Foundation gave $412K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in North Carolina. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $411,500
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,705
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $9,000
- Total assets
- $21,995,086
- +211.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Stephen L Cornwell 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: P O Box 36007, Charlotte, NC 28236-6007
Phone: (704) 280-9216
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Stephen L Cornwell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Foundation for the Carolinas Read Charlotte ($55K). Together the top 10 received $349K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 94 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Stephen L Cornwell Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $22K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $205K (2020) to $412K (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $412K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation for the Carolinas Read Charlotte Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Education Opportunities | $55,000 |
| Roof Above Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $52,000 |
| Dreamkey Partners Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Housing Opportunities | $50,000 |
| North Carolina Community Foundation Raleigh, NC | NC Invest Early Funders Collaborative Fund | $39,500 |
| Best NC Cary, NC | Program Support | $35,000 |
| Public School Forum of NC Raleigh, NC | Program Support | $30,000 |
| Charlotte Bilingual Preschool Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Education Opportunities | $25,000 |
| Heart Math Tutoring Charlotte, NC | Program Support | $25,000 |
| UNC Charlotte Foundation for the Uncc Reading Camp Charlotte, NC | To Assist in Education Opportunities | $22,000 |
| NC Housing Coalition Durham, NC | Program Support | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Stephen L Cornwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,995,086 | $15,380,604 | $450,143 | $411,500 | 22 | $439,587 | $15,376,272 | $396,284 |
| 2024 | $7,064,625 | $437,427 | $419,634 | $385,000 | 21 | $411,537 | $433,615 | $449,934 |
| 2023 | $7,046,832 | $268,801 | $375,824 | $340,000 | 20 | $367,340 | $265,104 | $379,851 |
| 2022 | $7,153,855 | $372,525 | $352,304 | $290,000 | 20 | $316,062 | $358,764 | $375,730 |
| 2021 | $7,133,634 | $2,275,340 | $255,240 | $225,000 | 11 | $249,412 | $2,271,997 | $294,599 |
| 2020 | $5,113,534 | $186,144 | $241,947 | $205,000 | 10 | — | $183,167 | $270,551 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stephen L Cornwell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $396K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, housing, homelessness services, and other community programs. For example, Roof Above describes its mission as uniting the community to end homelessness through homeless and housing services in the Charlotte region. DreamKey Partners says it provides housing to low- and moderate-income families. Heart Math Tutoring says it helps elementary students build math skills and academic enthusiasm by supporting schools’ use of volunteer tutors.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $411,500. Grant amounts ranged from $4,000 to $55,000, with a median of $9,000. Larger grants included:
The grantee North Carolina Community Foundation describes itself as a statewide community foundation administering funds for a broad range of philanthropic goals, including community needs, nonprofits, and scholarships. Public School Forum of NC describes its aim as advancing equitable, meaningful public education for North Carolina children.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Allison C Moss as director, president, and treasurer; W Lee Cornwell as director and vice president; Stephen L Cornwell as director and secretary; Brooke M Cornwell as director and assistant secretary; and Samuel I Moss and Katie S Cornwell as directors.
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation is led by Allison C. Moss, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Allison C. Moss
Director, President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $24K (2025)
Brooke M. Cornwell
Director & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katie S. Cornwell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Samuel I. Moss
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephen L. Cornwell
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
W. Lee Cornwell
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 $24K, to Allison C Moss (DIR/Pres and Treas.).
Frequently asked questions about Stephen L Cornwell Foundation
How much does Stephen L Cornwell Foundation give each year?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation gave $412K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $385K across 21 grants.
What is Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's typical grant size?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $9,000, and its average grant was $18,705, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stephen L Cornwell Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Stephen L Cornwell Foundation give grants?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (7 grants), Salisbury, NC (4 grants), Gastonia, NC (4 grants) and Raleigh, NC (2 grants).
Does Stephen L Cornwell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (16 grants) and "To Assist in Education Opportunities" (3 grants).
Who are Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's largest grantees?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Foundation for the Carolinas Read Charlotte ($55,000), Roof Above ($52,000) and Dreamkey Partners ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Stephen L Cornwell Foundation?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation reported $22.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $440K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $396K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Stephen L Cornwell Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, housing, homelessness services, and other community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Stephen L Cornwell 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 Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's EIN?
Stephen L Cornwell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1747243. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Stephen L Cornwell 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Stephen L Cornwell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-l-cornwell-foundation-morg_1c1f7eb81eff45cfb41dbc7fe7d2fe68
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471747243_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Stephen L Cornwell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-l-cornwell-foundation-morg_1c1f7eb81eff45cfb41dbc7fe7d2fe68},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Stephen L Cornwell 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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