The Curtis Foundation
The Curtis Foundation is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations including North Carolina schools, churches, health-related organizations, and human-service nonprofits; most grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
The Curtis Foundation at a glance
In short: The Curtis Foundation gave $388K across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in North Carolina. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $387,800
- +92.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- +19.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,925
- +61.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $13,857,252
- +11.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (12 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (92% 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 The Curtis Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing names Donald W. Curtis as the contact for written requests and provides the materials and recipient restrictions described above.
- Review Cycle
- Submit requests at least six months before the requested disbursement date.
- Deadline
- Submit requests at least six months before the requested disbursement date.
- Contact
Application contact: Donald W Curtis
Mailing address: 622 Lakestone Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: (919) 781-6119
Website: https://thecurtisfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Curtis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UNC Educational Foundation Inc ($75K). Together the top 10 received $218K.
Grant Size Distribution
249 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 246 grants of 249 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The remaining reported shares went to Washington, DC (4%), New York (1%), Colorado (1%), and Georgia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Curtis Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 56 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 90% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 54% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $202K (2024) to $3.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $388K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNC Educational Foundation Inc Chapel Hill, NC | General Support | $75,000 |
| First United Methodist Church Bessemer Bessemer City, NC | General Support | $30,000 |
| Edenton Street United Methodist Church Raleigh, NC | General Support | $20,000 |
| Methodist Home for Children Goldsboro, NC | General Support | $18,000 |
| Duke Health Development & Alumni Affairs Durham, NC | General Support | $15,000 |
| Institute for Responsible Citizenship Washington, DC | General Support | $15,000 |
| UNC Health Foundation Chapel Hill, NC | General Support | $15,000 |
| American Red Cross Raleigh, NC | General Support | $10,000 |
| Durham Rescue Mission Durham, NC | General Support | $10,000 |
| One More Refuge Wake Forest, NC | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Curtis 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 | $13,857,252 | $2,917,377 | $518,638 | $387,800 | 56 | $422,205 | $1,753,844 | $780,866 |
| 2024 | $12,429,043 | $763,962 | $305,391 | $201,850 | 47 | $214,846 | $677,061 | $750,187 |
| 2023 | $11,970,472 | $1,295,284 | $1,409,130 | $1,314,900 | 48 | $1,318,291 | $292,676 | $664,201 |
| 2022 | $12,088,690 | $1,888,560 | $322,530 | $204,505 | 47 | $207,221 | $802,379 | $630,034 |
| 2021 | $10,531,325 | $2,130,322 | $3,239,074 | $3,121,850 | 51 | $3,128,916 | $2,024,396 | $749,181 |
| 2020 | $11,643,399 | $1,663,156 | $2,371,892 | $2,270,900 | 44 | — | $471,794 | $558,165 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Curtis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $781K 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 is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants show support for educational, religious, health, and community-service organizations. For example, Edenton Street United Methodist Church describes its mission as providing full-time child development services for preschool children. UNC Health Foundation says it inspires philanthropic support for UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine, while Scotland Memorial Foundation describes its work as supporting healthcare services, community health projects, and health education. Other recipients include universities and organizations addressing hunger and poverty.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 56 grants totaling $387,800. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $75,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest reported awards included $75,000 to UNC Educational Foundation, $30,000 to First United Methodist Church Bessemer, $20,000 to Edenton Street United Methodist Church, and $18,000 to Methodist Home for Children. These grants were listed for general support.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should be submitted in writing with the beneficiary’s history and needs, proof of the payee’s exempt status, and the benefit expected from the grant. Awards should go to North Carolina state-supported schools or tax-exempt charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald W. Curtis as president and trustee and Donna C. McClatchey as trustee.
The Curtis Foundation is led by Donald W. Curtis, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald W. Curtis
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Donna C. McClatchey
Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Curtis Foundation
How much does The Curtis Foundation give each year?
The Curtis Foundation gave $388K across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $202K across 47 grants.
What is The Curtis Foundation's typical grant size?
The Curtis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,925, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Curtis Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Curtis Foundation give grants?
The Curtis Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Raleigh, NC (24 grants), Chapel Hill, NC (9 grants), Durham, NC (3 grants) and Bessemer City, NC (2 grants).
Does The Curtis Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Curtis Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (56 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Curtis Foundation's largest grantees?
The Curtis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include UNC Educational Foundation Inc ($75,000), First United Methodist Church Bessemer ($30,000) and Edenton Street United Methodist Church ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Curtis Foundation?
The Curtis Foundation reported $13.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $422K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $781K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Curtis Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants show support for educational, religious, health, and community-service organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Curtis Foundation?
The filing names Donald W. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Curtis Foundation's EIN?
The Curtis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1257146. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Curtis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-curtis-foundation-morg_84c521e3c75347fc90ec7406f3be6f09
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561257146_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Curtis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-curtis-foundation-morg_84c521e3c75347fc90ec7406f3be6f09},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Curtis 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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