The Eshelman Foundation
The Eshelman Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in North Carolina, including organizations serving children and youth, as well as education, arts, and community programs. The Foundation states in that filing that it has no plans for dissolution.
The Eshelman Foundation at a glance
In short: The Eshelman Foundation gave $107K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $106,500
- -76.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -65.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,650
- -31.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,750
- Total assets
- $45,730
- -9.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Eshelman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Eshelman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Carousel Center Inc ($30K). Together the top 10 received $107K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 85 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina. Listed recipients were based in Wilmington, Southport, or Raleigh.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Eshelman Foundation gives
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $107K (2025) to $451K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $107K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Carousel Center Inc Wilmington, NC | Victim support and advocacy services | $30,000 |
| Phoenix Employment Services of Wilmington Inc Wilmington, NC | Restoring opportunity to youth and future leaders program | $15,000 |
| Communities in Schools of Cape Fear Inc Wilmington, NC | Baby Steps young parent support program | $12,500 |
| Brooklyn Arts Music Academy Wilmington, NC | Music is Life Program | $10,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC | Marine Quest Internship Program | $10,000 |
| Coastal Horizons Center Inc Wilmington, NC | For nutritious meals for the youth in the shelter | $7,500 |
| Communities in Schools of Brunswick County Southport, NC | Action for Success program | $7,500 |
| Education Without Walls Wilmington, NC | Education without Walls scholarship fund | $6,000 |
| National Society to Prevent Blindness North Caroli Raleigh, NC | Preschool Vision Screening Program | $5,000 |
| The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra Inc Wilmington, NC | Making Noise in the Symphony Program | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Eshelman Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
In its 2025 filing, the Foundation said that distributions from sources other than current income totaled $106,500 and resulted in a substantial contraction of assets. It reported that these distributions represented at least 25% of net assets measured at fair market value at the beginning of the taxable year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,730 | $215,159 | $220,182 | $106,500 | 10 | $220,180 | $157 | $2,435 |
| 2024 | $50,753 | $415,150 | $561,897 | $450,900 | 29 | $561,897 | $150 | $26,716 |
| 2023 | $172,500 | $390,109 | $273,926 | $162,000 | 12 | $273,926 | $109 | $1,819 |
| 2022 | $56,317 | $359,993 | $360,670 | $250,470 | 18 | $360,570 | $70 | $1,648 |
| 2021 | $57,901 | $373,976 | $379,162 | $270,180 | 16 | $379,153 | $11,836 | $1,596 |
| 2020 | $62,180 | $440,056 | $460,572 | $349,119 | 25 | — | $56 | $1,827 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Eshelman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K 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
The Foundation’s stated mission is to strengthen North Carolina by improving the quality of life for children in local communities through solution-based programs focused on pediatric health care and education-related issues.
Its 2025 grants included support for victim services, youth programs, education, music, nutrition, and preschool vision screening. The Carousel Center describes its mission as supporting healing and resilience in children victimized by physical or sexual abuse. Communities in Schools of Cape Fear says it surrounds at-risk students with community support to help them stay in school and achieve in life. Brooklyn Arts Music Academy describes its work as providing accessible music education, while Coastal Horizons Center says it provides services to promote healthier lives, stronger families, and safer communities. The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra describes its work as providing symphonic music and educational and community outreach programs for local youth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 10 grants totaling $106,500. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $30,000, with a median of $8,750. Larger awards included $30,000 to The Carousel Center for victim support and advocacy services, $15,000 to Phoenix Employment Services of Wilmington for a youth opportunity program, and $12,500 to Communities in Schools of Cape Fear for its Baby Steps young parent support program.
Other 2025 recipients included Brooklyn Arts Music Academy ($10,000), the University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($10,000), Coastal Horizons Center ($7,500), Communities in Schools of Brunswick County ($7,500), Education Without Walls ($6,000), the National Society to Prevent Blindness North Carolina ($5,000), and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra ($3,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kimberly Eshelman Batten as director and president, Fred Eshelman as chairman, Steve Diab as secretary, Walker Taylor IV as treasurer, and Laura Bonifacio as a board member.
The Eshelman Foundation is led by Kimberly Eshelman Batten, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kimberly Eshelman Batten
Director & President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$63K (2020) → $63K (2025)
Fred Eshelman
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Bonifacio
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Diab
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walker Taylor IV
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $63K, to Kimberly Eshelman Batten (Dir, Pres).
Frequently asked questions about The Eshelman Foundation
How much does The Eshelman Foundation give each year?
The Eshelman Foundation gave $107K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $451K across 29 grants.
What is The Eshelman Foundation's typical grant size?
The Eshelman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,750, and its average grant was $10,650, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Eshelman Foundation give grants?
The Eshelman Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, NC (8 grants).
Does The Eshelman Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Eshelman Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Eshelman Foundation's largest grantees?
The Eshelman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Carousel Center Inc ($30,000), Phoenix Employment Services of Wilmington Inc ($15,000) and Communities in Schools of Cape Fear Inc ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Eshelman Foundation?
The Eshelman Foundation reported $46K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $220K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Eshelman Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to strengthen North Carolina by improving the quality of life for children in local communities through solution-based programs focused on pediatric health care and education-related issues. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Eshelman Foundation?
The Foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Eshelman Foundation's EIN?
The Eshelman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1751826. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Eshelman Foundation 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 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 July 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Eshelman Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Eshelman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Eshelman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-eshelman-foundation-morg_c38b44a9f24040a5bd9a04106335509f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261751826_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Eshelman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-eshelman-foundation-morg_c38b44a9f24040a5bd9a04106335509f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Eshelman 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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