The Empire Gives Back
The Empire Gives Back is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports 19 grants totaling $181,733, including support for educational, community, and animal-rescue organizations.
The Empire Gives Back at a glance
In short: The Empire Gives Back gave $182K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in North Carolina. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $181,733
- +77.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +11.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,565
- +58.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $41,281
- -38.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (92% 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 Empire Gives Back
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No application materials or process for outside applicants are stated.
- Contact
Mailing address: 133 Fayetteville St Fl 6Th, Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: (919) 810-7486
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Empire Gives Back funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was NC State Foundation ($75K). Together the top 10 received $174K.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 72 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 8% went to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Empire Gives Back open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 152% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $49K (2020) to $182K (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $182K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NC State Foundation Raleigh, NC | Donation | $75,000 |
| Raleigh Police Department Raleigh, NC | Raleigh Police Department Foundation | $25,000 |
| Safechild Raleigh, NC | Annual Appeal Contribution | $20,260 |
| Occoneechee Council BSA Raleigh, NC | Annual Appeal Contribution | $15,300 |
| American University Washington, DC | Donation | $15,250 |
| The Broughton High School Caps Club Raleigh, NC | Corporate Sponsorships | $8,575 |
| Catholic Diocese of Raleigh Raleigh, NC | Annual Appeal Contribution | $4,800 |
| NC State Student Aid Association Raleigh, NC | Student Aid Donation | $4,483 |
| Freedom Ride Rescue Raleigh, NC | Fundraiser | $3,302 |
| The Dereck Whittenburg Foundation Raleigh, NC | Donation | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Empire Gives Back?
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 | $41,281 | $240,915 | $266,501 | $181,733 | 19 | $265,808 | — | $3,387 |
| 2023 | $66,867 | $191,522 | $207,812 | $102,493 | 17 | $207,062 | — | $4,231 |
| 2022 | $83,157 | $207,877 | $136,788 | $61,151 | 10 | $136,101 | — | $2,565 |
| 2021 | $12,068 | $83,064 | $77,658 | $72,065 | 15 | $77,658 | $5 | $387 |
| 2020 | $6,662 | $51,620 | $49,065 | $48,855 | 11 | — | $17 | $510 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Empire Gives Back reported a distributable amount of $3K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included donations and contributions to schools, universities, community organizations, and a dog rescue.
Among its grantees, American University describes its mission as advancing knowledge, fostering intellectual curiosity, building community, and empowering lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Freedom Ride Rescue says it works to save dogs from overcrowded shelters, place them in foster homes, and promote responsible pet ownership through education and advocacy. The Dereck Whittenburg Foundation describes its mission as providing financial assistance to students pursuing degrees and partnering in support of their academic goals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $181,733. Grants ranged from $100 to $75,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $75,000 to NC State Foundation, $25,000 to Raleigh Police Department, $20,260 to SafeChild, $15,300 to Occoneechee Council BSA, and $15,250 to American University. Other listed grants included $8,575 to The Broughton High School CAPS Club, $4,800 to Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, $4,483 to NC State Student Aid Association, $3,302 to Freedom Ride Rescue, $2,500 to The Dereck Whittenburg Foundation, $1,482 to Ligon Magnet Middle School, and $1,327 to Junior League of Raleigh.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gregory P Hatem as president and Andrew M Stewart as secretary/treasurer.
The Empire Gives Back is led by Gregory P. Hatem, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gregory P. Hatem
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew M. Stewart
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Empire Gives Back
How much does The Empire Gives Back give each year?
The Empire Gives Back gave $182K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $102K across 17 grants.
What is The Empire Gives Back's typical grant size?
The Empire Gives Back's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $9,565, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Empire Gives Back that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Empire Gives Back give grants?
The Empire Gives Back gives mostly in North Carolina: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Raleigh, NC (17 grants).
Does The Empire Gives Back give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Empire Gives Back's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (8 grants) and "Annual Appeal Contribution" (3 grants).
Who are The Empire Gives Back's largest grantees?
The Empire Gives Back's largest 2024 grantees include NC State Foundation ($75,000), Raleigh Police Department ($25,000) and Safechild ($20,260), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Empire Gives Back?
The Empire Gives Back reported $41K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $266K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Empire Gives Back fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included donations and contributions to schools, universities, community organizations, and a dog rescue. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Empire Gives Back?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Empire Gives Back's EIN?
The Empire Gives Back's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2115194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Empire Gives Back accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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
Live grants for the work The Empire Gives Back funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Empire Gives Back's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Empire Gives Back funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-empire-gives-back-morg_e431aff9170f4b478a8eb6a9660cc0c1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842115194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Empire Gives Back funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-empire-gives-back-morg_e431aff9170f4b478a8eb6a9660cc0c1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Empire Gives Back'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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