The Cemala Foundation Inc
The Cemala Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Greensboro, North Carolina. It makes strategic investments intended to enhance Greensboro’s quality of life, with focus areas in early childhood development, transformational spaces and opportunities, and workforce training.
The Cemala Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Cemala Foundation Inc gave $1.6M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in North Carolina. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,599,594
- +27.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $29,084
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $34,487,672
- +2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (18 of 55, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (98% 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 Cemala Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a letter of inquiry of no more than two pages describing the request, following the foundation’s website instructions. The 2024 filing lists Susan S. Schwartz as the contact for applications.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing says applications should be received by March 1 and September 1 for consideration at regular board meetings. Those dates in 2026 have passed.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing says applications should be received by March 1 and September 1 for consideration at regular board…
- Contact
Application contact: Susan S Schwartz
Mailing address: 1175 Revolution Mill Dr Ste 14, Greensboro, NC 27405
Phone: (336) 274-3541
Website: https://cemala.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Cemala Foundation Inc
Who The Cemala Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ready for School Ready for Life ($210K). Together the top 10 received $950K.
Grant Size Distribution
234 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 234 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its vision and focus in terms of Greensboro. The 2024 filing says awards are currently limited to Guilford County or statewide North Carolina projects. In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 2% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Cemala Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 55 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% 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 $1.3M (2023) to $1.9M (2021). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ready for School Ready for Life Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $210,294 |
| Action Greenbsoro Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $138,500 |
| Miriam P Brenner Children's Museum Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $135,000 |
| Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Foundation Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $125,000 |
| UNC Greensboro Excellence Foundation Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| UNC Greensboro College of Visual & Performing Arts Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $70,000 |
| Greensboro Symphony Orchestra Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $62,500 |
| United Way of Greater Greensboro Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Uncg-Center for Youth Family and Community Partnership Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $44,000 |
| Guilford Education Alliance Greensboro, NC | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Cemala Foundation Inc?
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 | $34,487,672 | $5,824,892 | $2,075,196 | $1,599,594 | 55 | $2,153,903 | $5,683,791 | $1,594,353 |
| 2023 | $33,639,105 | $1,693,708 | $2,184,058 | $1,256,450 | 50 | $1,750,004 | $1,604,508 | $1,541,010 |
| 2022 | $31,592,843 | $1,941,840 | $2,435,043 | $1,283,125 | 39 | $1,866,362 | $1,817,886 | $1,606,698 |
| 2021 | $37,661,591 | $3,663,874 | $2,063,659 | $1,927,921 | 52 | $2,382,052 | $3,520,056 | $1,757,004 |
| 2020 | $35,436,879 | $1,526,046 | $2,362,869 | $1,614,261 | 38 | — | $1,472,713 | $1,535,546 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cemala Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.6M 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve Greensboro’s quality of life. Its focus areas are early childhood development and education; transformational spaces and opportunities that build community, including nature, recreation, youth enrichment, and arts and culture; and workforce training and development.
Its website identifies nonprofits, early childhood nurturers, workforce leadership and training organizations, public schools, and arts and culture organizations as important to its vision. The 2024 grants illustrate this range. Ready for School, Ready for Life describes its mission as creating a collaborative system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families. The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra says it enriches the cultural life of Greensboro and surrounding areas through music and music education. Guilford Education Alliance says it galvanizes support for Guilford County Schools, while Forge Greensboro describes a mission centered on collaborative workspace, creativity, and community education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 55 grants totaling $1,599,594. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $210,294, with a median of $15,000.
The largest reported grants included $210,294 to Ready for School, Ready for Life; $138,500 to Action Greensboro; $135,000 to the Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum; $125,000 to the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Foundation; $75,000 to the UNC Greensboro Excellence Foundation; and $70,000 to UNC Greensboro College of Visual & Performing Arts. These grants were reported for general operating support. Other recipients included the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra ($62,500), United Way of Greater Greensboro ($50,000), Guilford Education Alliance ($40,000), Forge Greensboro ($25,000), She Built This City ($25,000), and Reach Out and Read ($25,000).
The foundation’s funding policy asks prospective applicants to review the priority most relevant to their organization and, if there is a match, contact staff or submit a letter of inquiry of no more than two pages. The website says staff respond to specific letters of inquiry, but not to general solicitations. The 2024 filing directs applicants to the foundation’s website for application details and says awards are currently limited to Guilford County or statewide North Carolina projects.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jack Richmond as board chair; Merritt C. Richmond as vice chair; Kim Richmond as secretary; and Ashley Cone as treasurer. Directors listed are Butch Cone, Ceasar Cone III, Egbert Davis IV, John Cross, Lulu Priddy, and Martha C. Wright.
The website identifies Susan S. Schwartz as executive director and Melissa Burroughs as assistant secretary/treasurer.
The Cemala Foundation Inc is led by Susan Schwartz, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 13 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan Schwartz
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$168K (2020) → $196K (2024)
Jack Richmond
Board Chair
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ceasar Cone III
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Egbert Davis IV
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lulu Priddy
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha C. Wright
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Butch Cone
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Burroughs
Assistant Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$84K (2020) → $105K (2024)
Ashley E. Cone
Treasurer
Board Chair → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew D. Richmond
Dicrector
Director → Dicrector, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Merritt C. Richmond
Vice Chair
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Richmond
Secretary
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Cross
Dicrector
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Cathy Levinson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: John A. Richmond (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Katherine K. Richmond (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Walter Cone (2020–2021) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $196K, to Susan Schwartz (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Cemala Foundation Inc
How much does The Cemala Foundation Inc give each year?
The Cemala Foundation Inc gave $1.6M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 50 grants.
What is The Cemala Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Cemala Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $29,084, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cemala Foundation Inc that year got $38K on average.
Where does The Cemala Foundation Inc give grants?
The Cemala Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Greensboro, NC (42 grants), Raleigh, NC (4 grants) and High Point, NC (2 grants).
Does The Cemala Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Cemala Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 55) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Cemala Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Cemala Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Ready for School Ready for Life ($210,294), Action Greenbsoro ($138,500) and Miriam P Brenner Children's Museum ($135,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Cemala Foundation Inc?
The Cemala Foundation Inc reported $34.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cemala Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve Greensboro’s quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cemala Foundation Inc?
Submit a letter of inquiry of no more than two pages describing the request, following the foundation’s website instructions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Cemala Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Cemala Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1528982. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cemala Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cemala-foundation-inc-morg_92eb71e65acd478b9e92e42b8c09a6fa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561528982_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cemala Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cemala-foundation-inc-morg_92eb71e65acd478b9e92e42b8c09a6fa},
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 Cemala Foundation Inc'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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