The Harms Family Foundation
The Harms Family Foundation is a private foundation located in Wilmington, North Carolina. Its 2021 filing is the most recent on record, with nothing filed since; the foundation appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
Key facts about The Harms Family Foundation
In short: The Harms Family Foundation gave $50K across 12 grants in 2021 (avg $4K), top state Tennessee. Source: 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-1936967
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2021
- Annual giving (2021)
- $49,500
- Grants made (2021)
- 12
- Average grant
- $4,125
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,168,982
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (30% of itemized 2021 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2021 filing listed Michael J Harms as the contact and stated that there were no set specifications for forms or materials. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2021; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2021 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2M
+15.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$50K
-2.0% YoY
Grant Count
12
+9.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
-10.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Harms Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $64K for 2021 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Harms Family Foundation gives
- 50% of 2021 grantees were also funded in 2020. Method
- In 2021 it paid out 138% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2021 grants went to organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, Mutts With a Mission describes its mission as training and providing service dogs for veterans and wounded warriors and raising public awareness. Judicial Watch describes its mission as promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability in government and fidelity to the rule of law through public advocacy, litigation, monitoring, and investigation.
Grantmaking
In 2021, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $49,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest grants were $15,000 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital and $10,000 to the American Red Cross. Other notable grants included $5,000 each to Restored Souls and SENC Veterans Day Parade, both in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The 2021 filing stated that the foundation did not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It listed no set specifications for application materials, no deadlines, and no restrictions on awards. These are statements from the 2021 filing and are not presented as current application instructions.
How to Apply
The 2021 filing listed Michael J Harms as the contact and stated that there were no set specifications for forms or materials. It listed no deadlines or award restrictions.
Ready to take the next step with The Harms Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2021 filing reported that 30% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 30% to North Carolina, 20% to Iowa, 5% to Florida, and 5% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2021 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2021, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2021) to $51K (2020). In 2021 it made 12 grants totaling $50K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2021
The largest 2021 recipient was St Judes Childrens Hospital ($15K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
23 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 23 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Judes Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | Charitable | $15,000 |
| American Red Cross Boone, IA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Restored Souls Wilmington, NC | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Senc Veterans Day Parade Wilmington, NC | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Jesus Film Project Orlando, FL | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Tunnel to Towers Staten Island, NY | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Boys & Girls Home Lake Waccamaw, NC | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Suiting Warriors Leland, NC | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Paws for Purple Hearts Penngrove, CA | Charitable | $1,500 |
| Judicial Watch Washington, DC | Charitable | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,168,982 | $258,639 | $101,961 | $49,500 (12 grants) |
| 2020 | $1,012,304 | $51,954 | $101,003 | $50,500 (11 grants) |
| Metric | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,168,982 | $1,012,304 |
| Revenue | $258,639 | $51,954 |
| Expenses | $101,961 | $101,003 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $88,845 | — |
| Net Investment Income | $15,914 | $19,141 |
| Distributable Amount | $64,205 | $68,080 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2021
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2021 filing listed Michael J Harms as president and Elke Harms as secretary.
The Harms Family Foundation is led by Michael J. Harms, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2021 is compensated.
Officers on the 2021 filing
Michael J. Harms
President
On filings since 2020
$40K (2020) → $40K (2021)
Elke Harms
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2021. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $40K, to Michael J Harms (President).
Contact
Application contact: Michael J Harms
Mailing address: 5512 Business Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405
Phone: (910) 332-4000
Frequently asked questions about The Harms Family Foundation
How much does The Harms Family Foundation give each year?
The Harms Family Foundation gave $50K across 12 grants in 2021, according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2020 it gave $51K across 11 grants.
What is The Harms Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Harms Family Foundation's median grant in 2021 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,125, across 12 grants on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Harms Family Foundation give grants?
The Harms Family Foundation's top state is Tennessee, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (30%) and Iowa (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, NC (2 grants).
Does The Harms Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2021: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Harms Family Foundation's 2021 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants).
Who are The Harms Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Harms Family Foundation's largest 2021 grantees include St Judes Childrens Hospital ($15,000), American Red Cross ($10,000) and Restored Souls ($5,000), according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2021 grant dollars.
How large is The Harms Family Foundation?
The Harms Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $89K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $64K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Harms Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2021 grants went to organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, Mutts With a Mission describes its mission as training and providing service dogs for veterans and wounded warriors and raising public awareness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Harms Family Foundation?
The 2021 filing listed Michael J Harms as the contact and stated that there were no set specifications for forms or materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Harms Family Foundation's EIN?
The Harms Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1936967. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2021.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Harms Family Foundation by hand.
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