The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc
The Children’s Council of is a public charity based in Boone, North Carolina. Formed in 1977, it works to strengthen children’s learning and development through family support, early childhood programs, and community initiatives. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $893,432, all to recipients in North Carolina.
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc at a glance
In short: The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc gave $901K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $82K), mostly in North Carolina. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $901,495
- +20.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +37.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $81,954
- -12.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $32,769
- Total assets
- $1,031,845
- +80.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 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 The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 225 Birch St 3, Boone, NC 28607
Phone: (828) 262-5424
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Watauga County Schools ($318K). Together the top 10 received $895K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 41 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina. The listed recipients are in Boone, Sugar Grove, Vilas, and Zionville.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $135K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $86K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). 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 $3K (2020) to $901K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $901K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Watauga County Schools Boone, NC | NC Pre-K & Hurricane Relief | $317,961 |
| Lucy Brock Child Development Center Boone, NC | NC Pre K Subsidy | $257,106 |
| Kid Cove at Lynhill Boone, NC | Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief | $121,635 |
| Mountain Pathways Boone, NC | Hurricane Relief, Quality Enhancement | $52,166 |
| Merry-Land Academy Boone, NC | Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief | $51,038 |
| Sugar Grove Developmental Day School Sugar Grove, NC | Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief | $32,769 |
| Sunny Side Child Development Center Boone, NC | Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief | $29,697 |
| Boone United Methodist Boone, NC | Hurricane Relief | $17,477 |
| Small Blessings Vilas, NC | Hurricane Relief | $7,769 |
| Little Jewels Zionville, NC | Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief | $7,145 |
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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 | $1,031,845 | $2,619,688 | $2,159,024 | $901,495 | 11 | $6,848 |
| 2024 | $571,679 | $2,180,620 | $2,029,234 | $745,892 | 8 | $6,084 |
| 2023 | $434,807 | $2,188,112 | $2,267,153 | $851,130 | 7 | $2,615 |
| 2022 | $519,211 | $2,070,694 | $1,911,372 | $642,672 | 8 | $17 |
| 2021 | $348,897 | $1,625,721 | $1,678,465 | $675,902 | 7 | $1,348 |
| 2020 | $369,497 | $1,737,547 | $1,639,045 | $2,738 | Total only | $255 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states its mission is “to build a strong foundation for children's learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the wider community.”
Its 2024 filing describes NC Pre-K classrooms serving eligible four-year-olds, family support and parenting programs, a diaper bank, and child-care affordability assistance. It also describes hurricane relief for child-care businesses and individuals and families affected by Hurricane Helene. These are reported programs and services; they should not be confused with grants to outside organizations.
The 2025 grants included support for Pre-K, quality enhancement, and hurricane relief. Among the grantees, Sugar Grove Developmental Day School describes its mission as providing children of western Watauga County with an environment and program to promote their physical, mental, emotional, and social development.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization made 11 grants totaling $893,432. Grant amounts ranged from $6,603 to $317,961, with a median of $32,102.
The largest grants were $317,961 to Watauga County Schools for NC Pre-K and hurricane relief; $254,526 to Lucy Brock Child Development Center for NC Pre-K subsidy; and $119,270 to Kid Cove at Lynhill for quality enhancement and hurricane relief. Other notable awards included $52,166 to Mountain Pathways and $49,963 to Merry-Land Academy, both for quality enhancement and hurricane relief, and $32,102 to Sugar Grove Developmental Day School for quality enhancement and hurricane relief.
The 2024 filing says grants are monitored quarterly, with written reports, technical assistance, and monthly financial status reports. Site visits may be made, and the filing describes steps to limit or stop payments if funds are not used appropriately.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Deborah Phillips, chair; Halee Hartley, vice chair; Jonathan Lubkemann, treasurer; Vanessa Brumfield, secretary; and board members Tamara Divenere, Kaila Craven, Lindsay Cook, Shane Fox, Jennifer Maulding, and Alysia Price.
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc is led by Elisha Childers, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elisha Childers
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$42K (2020) → $79K (2025)
Deborah Phillips
Chair
Board Member → Chair, Programs & Services, 2021
Chair, Programs & Services → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamara Divenere
Board Member
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Terry Worrell
Board Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Lubkemann
Treasurer
Finance Chair → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shane Fox
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vanessa Brumfield
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Maulding
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alysia Price
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Halee Hartley
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kaila Craven
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam Shue
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Stroud
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laney Wise
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Cook
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Moriah Stegall (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kindsay Reeder (2021–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Jessica Hunter (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Rhonda Russell (2020–2023) — Chair
- Former: Pam Shirley (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Wesley Berry (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Todd Castle (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Garrett Shore (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Matthew Rupp (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Carrington Pertalion (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Anthony Brumfield (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Julie Page (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Katheryn Webb Farley (2020–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Sue Wells (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Hughes (2020–2021) — Finance Chair
- Former: Tamara Stamey (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Larry Turnbow (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Maria Julian (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Paul Holden (2020) — Program & Services Chair
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 $79K, to Elisha Childers (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc
How much does The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc give each year?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc gave $901K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $746K across 8 grants.
What is The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's typical grant size?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $32,769, and its average grant was $81,954, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc give grants?
The Children's Council of Watauga 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 Boone, NC (7 grants) and Zionville, NC (2 grants).
Does The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Quality Enhancement & Hurricane Relief" (5 grants).
Who are The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's largest grantees?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Watauga County Schools ($317,961), Lucy Brock Child Development Center ($257,106) and Kid Cove at Lynhill ($121,635), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.6M.
What does The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc fund?
The organization states its mission is “to build a strong foundation for children's learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the wider community.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's EIN?
The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-1416331. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 2020 (received by the IRS April 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 1, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-children-s-council-of-watauga-county-inc-morg_acd2c9739ce04387af2643f15d65a0f2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_581416331_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Children's Council of Watauga County Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-children-s-council-of-watauga-county-inc-morg_acd2c9739ce04387af2643f15d65a0f2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Children's Council of Watauga County 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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