The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I

GREENSBORO, NC EIN: 56-2156876

The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I is a private family foundation based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Established in 2000, the foundation manages substantial assets to support philanthropic initiatives primarily across the Carolinas and surrounding regions. The foundation operates with a small staff and is governed by a board of directors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$46.4M

-13.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.3M

-20.3% YoY

Grant Count

57

-10.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$41K

-10.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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's primary giving focuses on education and human services. Within education, the foundation emphasizes:

  • Scholarships and college access programs
  • K-12 educational enrichment and innovation
  • Arts education and youth enrichment
  • Financial literacy and work readiness programs
  • STEM education

The foundation also supports programs that address equity in education and serve underserved student populations.

Grantmaking

The foundation maintains a scholarship application window for individual applicants. Specific application procedures for organizational grants are not detailed in available sources.

Grant Range

s & Patterns:**

How to Apply

**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

  • North Carolina (primary focus, particularly Guilford, Randolph, and Surry counties)
  • South Carolina
  • Virginia

The foundation also supports initiatives in other states including Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.

Grant Distribution by State

16states
+8 more states

Cities

AshboroAsheboroAshevilleAtlantaBaltimoreBanner ElkBelmontBirminghamBlacksburgBoiling SpringsBooneBuies CreekChapel HillCharlotteChattanoogaClemsonClevelandClintonConwayCullowhee

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

  • Total Assets: $53.5 million
  • Total Revenues: $2.6 million
  • Total Expenses: $1.7 million
  • Total Liabilities: $13.7 million
  • Number of Employees: 2

Investment Strategy: The foundation invests in state bonds to generate consistent income for funding scholarships and grants.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$9M$19M$28M$37M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$46,433,925$53,543,121$51,338,483
Revenue$6,809,951$2,592,654$4,850,821
Expenses$3,756,504$-1,722,988$33,662,907
Qualifying Distributions$2,674,938$3,253,514$3,832,251
Net Investment Income$6,486,536$780,408$3,491,450
Distributable Amount$2,355,230$2,483,396$2,417,470

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$877K$2M$3M$4M77 grants202067 grants202175 grants202264 grants202357 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

SHIFTED$500KDAVIDSON COLLEGE$200KUNC - CAROLINA COLLEGE A…$200KCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS$188KNORTH CAROLINA STATE UNI…$97KAPPALACHIAN STATE UNIVER…$96KCENTER FOR CREATIVE LEAD…$80KACTION GREENSBORO$75KUNC-CHARLOTTE$70KREADY FOR SCHOOL READY F…$67K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

171<$50K37$50–100K38$100–250K2$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Shifted ($500,000), Davidson College ($200,000), Unc - Carolina College Advising Corps ($200,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ACTION GREENSBORO GREENSBORO, NCOPERATIONAL SUPPORT, CAMPUS GSO, BUILD S.M.A.R.T COMMS CAPAIGN$75,000
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, NCSCHOLARSHIP$96,291
CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY BUIES CREEK, NCSCHOLARSHIP$12,000
CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP GREENSBORO, NCSURRY COUNTY SCHOOLS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE$80,000
CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO, NCSTRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION$25,000
CITY OF ASHEBORO ASHEBORO, NCZOO CITY SPORTS COMPLEX$40,000
COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CONWAY, SCSCHOLARSHIP$12,500
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS GREENSBORO, NCGRANT$187,500
DAVIDSON COLLEGE DAVIDSON, NCGRANT DAVIDSON TRUST$200,000
DAVIDSON COLLEGE DAVIDSON, NCSCHOLARSHIP$3,750

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Adair P. Armfield — Chair of the Foundation Board
  • Mindy Oakley — Executive Director
  • Diana Hedgspeth — Scholarship Coordinator & Bookkeeper
  • Board Members: Phifer Crute, James C.B. Hancock, R. David Sprinkle, Laura Armfield Cannon

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

MELINDA W OAKLEYOFFICER$147KADAIR P ARMFIELDDIRECTOR$6KPHIFER CRUTEDIRECTOR$6KJAMES C B HANCOCKDIRECTOR$6KR DAVID SPRINKLEDIRECTOR$6KLAURA ARMFIELD CANNONDIRECTOR$6K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
ADAIR P ARMFIELDDIRECTOR2$6,000
PHIFER CRUTEDIRECTOR2$6,000
JAMES C B HANCOCKDIRECTOR2$6,000
R DAVID SPRINKLEDIRECTOR2$6,000
MELINDA W OAKLEYOFFICER40$147,302
LAURA ARMFIELD CANNONDIRECTOR2$6,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2023

**2023:** The foundation pledged $2.5 million over five years to shift_ed to provide Armfield Acceleration Grants of $1,250 per year to full Pell-eligible college students from Guilford County Schools.

HCH Foundation awarded $1 million grant from Armfield Foundation | News |
2021

**2021:** Awarded $150,000 to Junior Achievement of the Triad to fund kindergarten through fifth grade programs in Randolph and Guilford Counties.

2021

**2021:** Awarded $25,000 to GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art to support an online arts curriculum serving approximately 3,500 students in Title 1 elementary schools.

**Recent:** HCH Foundation received $1 million grant from the Armfield Foundation.

HCH Foundation awarded $1 million grant from Armfield Foundation | News |

**Ongoing:** The foundation maintains an active scholarship program, with multiple scholarship recipients announced annually.

Armfield Foundation opens scholarship application window | Lifestyles | mtairynews.com

Contact Information

Address: 324 W Wendover Ave, Suite 130, Greensboro, NC 27408

Phone: 336-273-7519

Website: armfieldfdn.org

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I fund?

The foundation's primary giving focuses on **education** and **human services**. Within education, the foundation emphasizes: • Scholarships and college access programs • K-12 educational enrichment and innovation • Arts education and youth enrichment • Financial literacy and work readiness programs • STEM education The foundation also supports programs that address equity in education and serve underserved student populations.

How do I apply for a grant from The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I?

**Grant Sizes & Patterns:** • Typical awards range from $500 to $500,000 • Recent major grants include: • $2.5 million pledged over five years to shift_ed for college grants to Guilford County Schools graduates • $500,000 to Shift Education for the Carolina College Advising Corps • $200,000 each to Guilford College and Davidson College • $150,000 to Junior Achievement of the Triad • $1 million to HCH Foundation • $25,000 to GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art **Annual Giving:** • Total givi…

Where does The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • **North Carolina** (primary focus, particularly Guilford, Randolph, and Surry counties) • **South Carolina** • **Virginia** The foundation also supports initiatives in other states including Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.

What size grants does The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I award?

In 2024, The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I awarded 57 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $41K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I reported a distributable amount of $2.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I's EIN?

The Edward M Armfield Sr Foundation I's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2156876. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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