The Curtis Foundation

RALEIGH, NC EIN: 56-1257146 Website

The Curtis Foundation is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina, established in 1981. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization with a focus on supporting Christian and educational causes across multiple states.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$12.4M

+3.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$202K

-84.6% YoY

Grant Count

-2.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

-84.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Curtis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $750K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports the following subject areas:

Christianity and Protestantism, particularly Methodism
Education, including higher education and graduate/professional education
Philanthropy and nonprofit support
Human services, including shelter and residential care
Information and communications

Grantmaking

The foundation accepts applications.

Grant Range

$5,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds projects across multiple states, including:

North Carolina
California
Colorado
Georgia
Maryland
New York
Pennsylvania

Grant Distribution by State

North Carolina $7.0M (99%)

Georgia $38K (1%)

New York $25K (0%)

Colorado $16K (0%)

Maryland $2K (0%)

California $800 (0%)

Pennsylvania $100 (0%)

States

California Colorado Georgia Maryland North Carolina New York Pennsylvania

Cities

AthensBelmontBessemer CityBoiling SpringsBooneBurnsvilleCaryChapel HillCharlotteChinoColorado SpringsDurhamGarnerGlen ArmGoldenGoldsboroGreensboroLancasterLaurinburgManhattan Beach

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $12,429,043
Total Revenues: $763,962
Total Expenses: $305,391
Investment Income and Dividends: $425,444
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $338,518

Historical Context (2023):

Total Assets: $11,970,472
Total Expenses: $1,409,130
Total Revenue: $1,295,284
Annual Giving: $1,313,800

The foundation's revenue structure relies primarily on investment income and gains from asset sales rather than contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$12,429,043	$11,970,472	$12,088,690
Revenue	$763,962	$1,295,284	$1,888,560
Expenses	$305,391	$1,409,130	$322,530
Qualifying Distributions	$214,846	$1,318,291	$207,221
Net Investment Income	$677,061	$292,676	$802,379
Distributable Amount	$750,187	$664,201	$630,034

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

236 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Raleigh Rescue Mission ($25,000), American Red Cross ($10,000), Carolina Women's Leadership Council ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALLIANCE MEDICIAL MINISTRY RALEIGH, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$2,500
AMERICAN RED CROSS RALEIGH, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
BESSEMER CITY HISTORY AND ARTS SOCIETY BESSEMER CITY, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$3,500
BEST NC CARY, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$2,500
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF COASTAL CAROLINA MOREHEAD CITY, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$1,000
BROADCASTERS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
CAROLINA WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAPEL HILL, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
CHURCH COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SCOTLAND COUNTY LAURINBURG, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$1,000
DUKE HEALTH DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI AFFAIRS DURHAM, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
DURHAM RESCUE MISSION DURHAM, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Donald W. Curtis — President and Trustee (serves without compensation)
Donna C. McClatchey — Trustee (serves without compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DONALD W CURTIS	PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE	—	—
DONNA C MCCLATCHEY	TRUSTEE	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Curtis Foundation fund?

The foundation supports the following subject areas: • Christianity and Protestantism, particularly Methodism • Education, including higher education and graduate/professional education • Philanthropy and nonprofit support • Human services, including shelter and residential care • Information and communications

How do I apply for a grant from The Curtis Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 44-45 grants in recent years • Median grant size: $5,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $1,100,000 • Recent grantees include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Raleigh Rescue Mission ($25,000), Durham Rescue Mission ($10,000), and Guilford College ($5,000) **Application Process:** The foundation accepts applications.

Where does The Curtis Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds projects across multiple states, including: • North Carolina • California • Colorado • Georgia • Maryland • New York • Pennsylvania

What size grants does The Curtis Foundation award?

In 2024, The Curtis Foundation awarded 47 grants totaling $202K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Curtis Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Curtis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $750K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.