The Anonymous Fund
The Anonymous Fund is a private foundation based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations working in areas including health, religion, higher education, music, opera, community services, and the arts.
The Anonymous Fund at a glance
In short: The Anonymous Fund gave $521K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), mostly in North Carolina. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $521,000
- -13.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $21,708
- -35.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $8,636,676
- +2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (7 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (85% 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 The Anonymous Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 20124, Greensboro, NC 27420
Phone: (336) 272-0873
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Anonymous Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cone Health Philanthropy ($100K). Together the top 10 received $465K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 140 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 12% to New Mexico, 2% to the District of Columbia, and 1% to Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Anonymous Fund open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 24 grantees (29%) 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 $31K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 58% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 144% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $521K (2024) to $1.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $521K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cone Health Philanthropy Greensboro, NC | To eliminate health inequities by investing in community-driven solutions and promoting wellness across the region. | $100,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | To provide spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world in the name of jesus christ. | $100,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC | To redefine the public research university as an inclusive and responsive institution that makes a difference in students' lives. | $100,000 |
| Eastern Music Festival Greensboro, NC | To promote musical enrichment, excellence, collaboration, innovation, and diversity through education and concerts. | $50,000 |
| The Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe, NM | To advance the operatic art form through high-quality ensemble performances, training programs, and public outreach. | $50,000 |
| United Way of Greater Greensboro Greensboro, NC | To improve lives and create thriving communities by mobilizing and uniting the caring power of greensboro to break the cycle of poverty. | $25,000 |
| Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test Inc Greensboro, NC | To save lives by funding research for earlier detection of breast cancer through innovative biological testing. | $10,000 |
| Greenhill Center for NC Art Greensboro, NC | To promote the visual art and artists of North Carolina through exhibitions and educational programs. | $10,000 |
| National Trust for Historic Preservation Washington, DC | To save and revitalize America's historic places through leadership, education, and advocacy. | $10,000 |
| North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation Raleigh, NC | To foster and promote the growth, progress, and general welfare of the North Carolina museum of art through support for exhibitions, education, and art acquisitions. | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Anonymous Fund?
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 | $8,636,676 | $502,774 | $716,581 | $521,000 | 24 | $606,307 | $415,460 | $421,834 |
| 2023 | $8,428,189 | $497,049 | $836,837 | $605,000 | 18 | $720,348 | $402,521 | $406,381 |
| 2022 | $8,296,024 | $508,667 | $1,083,723 | $813,500 | 20 | $972,411 | $437,227 | $430,019 |
| 2021 | $10,949,781 | $1,549,891 | $1,511,384 | $1,242,990 | 33 | $1,389,002 | $1,464,657 | $530,066 |
| 2020 | $10,688,278 | $1,161,795 | $1,233,705 | $997,000 | 45 | — | $1,081,353 | $467,253 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Anonymous Fund reported a distributable amount of $422K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Samaritan’s Purse describes itself as a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid worldwide, while the Santa Fe Opera says it presents operatic performances, trains artists and arts professionals, and builds community appreciation for opera. Eastern Music Festival describes its work as promoting musical enrichment through teaching, concerts, and other programs.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address community wellbeing, breast cancer awareness and early detection, and arts and cultural resources. United Way of Greater Greensboro says it works to improve lives and create thriving communities; Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test says it promotes awareness and supports research on earlier detection; and the North Carolina Museum of Art says it stewards and shares the public art collection and connects communities to cultural and natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $521,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest listed grants were $100,000 each to Cone Health Philanthropy, Samaritan’s Purse, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Other notable grants included $50,000 each to Eastern Music Festival and the Santa Fe Opera, and $25,000 to United Way of Greater Greensboro.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph M Bryan Jr. as president, Ronald P Johnson as secretary, and William P Massey as vice president.
The Anonymous Fund is led by Joseph M. Bryan Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph M. Bryan Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald P. Johnson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William P. Massey
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kimela J. Griffin (2020–2021) — Assistant Secretary
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 The Anonymous Fund
How much does The Anonymous Fund give each year?
The Anonymous Fund gave $521K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $605K across 18 grants.
What is The Anonymous Fund's typical grant size?
The Anonymous Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $21,708, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Anonymous Fund that year got $31K on average.
Where does The Anonymous Fund give grants?
The Anonymous Fund gives mostly in North Carolina: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Mexico (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Greensboro, NC (10 grants), Santa Fe, NM (4 grants), Winston-Salem, NC (3 grants) and Raleigh, NC (2 grants).
Does The Anonymous Fund give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of The Anonymous Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Anonymous Fund's largest grantees?
The Anonymous Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Cone Health Philanthropy ($100,000), Samaritan's Purse ($100,000) and University of North Carolina at Greensboro ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Anonymous Fund?
The Anonymous Fund reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $606K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $422K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Anonymous Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Anonymous Fund?
The foundation states that it 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 The Anonymous Fund's EIN?
The Anonymous Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2152734. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Anonymous Fund 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Anonymous Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Anonymous Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-anonymous-fund-morg_3d058a6850134c279e2e7dca209e6705
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_562152734_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Anonymous Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-anonymous-fund-morg_3d058a6850134c279e2e7dca209e6705},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 The Anonymous Fund'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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