The Health Foundation Inc
The Health Foundation Inc is a public charity based in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. It works to improve the health and well-being of people in Wilkes County, supporting community health initiatives, access to care, health-professional education, and local organizations.
The Health Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Health Foundation Inc gave $380K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in North Carolina. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $380,140
- -61.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,759
- -51.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,797
- Total assets
- $5,739,796
- -3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Health Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
For Healthy Futures, submit a Letter of Interest before completing the full application. Mini Grant applications are submitted during the stated application periods. The Foundation’s eligibility guidance generally limits these programs to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and government entities, requires a health-care need, and excludes programs requiring religious participation as a condition of service.
- Review Cycle
- The next stated Healthy Futures decision date is October 9, 2026. The Mini Grant application period of August 3–September 10, 2026, has passed.
- Deadline
- The next stated Healthy Futures decision date is October 9, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 667, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: (336) 838-1949
Website: https://healthywilkes.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Health Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilkes County Schools ($113K). Together the top 10 received $320K.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 97 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website identifies Wilkes County, North Carolina, as its focus. Its 2024 filing data show that all grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Health Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 16 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $225K (2020) to $977K (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $380K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County Schools North Wilkesboro, NC | The shelton helping hands fund provides items and services to families struggling to meet emergency needs / challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their effors to build a new accessible playground for the children of their school and broader community. Match 1:1 / challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to build a new, accessible playground for the children of their school and broader community. Match 1:1 and support for community 5k fundraiser | $113,033 |
| Hospitality House Boone, NC | Grant providing operational support to the wilkes housing and outreach center, paying for staff time to provide housing assessments, service coordination, and therapy hours for clients in crisis. | $43,255 |
| Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes Wilkesboro, NC | Grant to support purchase of food for the client pantry at samaritan kitchen for 1,500 monthly visitors as well as food for the backpack program, providing weekend meals to 780 students who are food insecure. | $33,000 |
| Wilkes Dental Consortium Inc North Wilkesboro, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to provide dental services to the underserved and unserved children and adults in Wilkes county. Match 1:1 | $28,238 |
| Wilkes Youth Life Development Moravian Falls, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to provide services to Wilkes county youth aged 8 24 so they become mentally and physically fit adults. Match 1:1. Grant provided to support operations of the change wagon, a food truck providing work experience to students as well as free meals to those in need. | $26,000 |
| Wilkes County Health Department Wilkesboro, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to provide increased access to mental and physical health care services for middle and high school students through the mobile expanded school health bus, diabetes prevention programs, and fresh food vouchers for families who may not know where their next meal is coming from. | $20,000 |
| Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission Inc North Wilkesboro, NC | Funding for the purchase of food and providing food boxes to those in need. | $18,020 |
| Wilkes Community Partnership for Children North Wilkesboro, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to provide services to parents of children ages birth to five.match 1:1 and creation of a support and education group for new mothers and purchase of baby formula for those in need. | $15,994 |
| Wilkes Literacy North Wilkesboro, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to improve health literacy to those in need. Match 1:1 | $11,600 |
| Echo Ministry Elkin, NC | Challenge grant to encourage the organization to seek additional funding from individuals for general operating support for their efforts to provide safe shelter for families and single women experiencing homelessness. Match 1:1 | $11,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Health Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing type: Form 990 (a public charity).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,739,796 | $1,910,328 | $2,116,400 | $380,140 | 16 | $23,446 |
| 2024 | $5,919,661 | $2,015,424 | $2,516,589 | $977,490 | 20 | $21,089 |
| 2023 | $6,088,810 | $1,831,037 | $1,609,937 | $374,933 | 14 | $33,277 |
| 2022 | $5,325,558 | $1,890,572 | $1,884,251 | $418,981 | 26 | $-19,602 |
| 2021 | $5,458,179 | $1,694,577 | $1,971,162 | $387,527 | 21 | $9,364 |
| 2020 | $5,688,225 | $1,575,146 | $1,680,276 | $225,441 | 20 | $8,805 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to improve the health and well-being of people in its communities. Its work includes scholarships for students pursuing health-care professions; community prevention efforts involving healthy eating, active living, resiliency, and opioid use disorder; and efforts to expand access to care, including through a medical park and funding strategies for care in other locations.
Its grant programs support building projects, equipment purchases, general program support, service expansion, training, and small community projects in healthy eating, active living, and mental health or resiliency. The Foundation generally limits eligibility to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and government entities, and says programs must meet an identified health-care need. It does not fund programs that require participation in a particular religion to receive services.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Wilkes Recovery Revolution describes its work as creating a community where addiction recovery is possible through the perspectives of people with lived experience. Safe Spot Child Advocacy Center of Wilkes says it supports children affected by sexual or severe physical abuse and their nonoffending caregivers. Wilkes Community Partnership for Children aims to ensure children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Wilkes Dental Consortium serves children and adults who need dental care, while Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes provides food assistance, including meals for school-aged children.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation gave $977,490 through 20 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $338,560, with a median grant of $16,986. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 16 grants totaling $380,140.
The largest 2024 grants included $338,560 to the Town of Wilkesboro for playground construction; $120,411 to Wilkes Recovery Revolution for peer support services, operating support, and the Wilkes Fresh Mobile Market; and $88,000 to the Wilkes County Health Department for behavioral-health access for students, operating support, diabetes prevention, and fresh-food vouchers. Other major awards included $76,897 to Wilkes County Schools for underserved students, playground surfacing, and health mini grants; $70,000 to Safe Spot Child Advocacy Center of Wilkes for operating and program support; and $45,750 to Wilkes Community Partnership for Children for operating support, parenting classes, and a health mini grant.
For Healthy Futures grants, applicants first submit a Letter of Interest to gain access to the full application. Requests are accepted on a rolling basis, with decision dates for timely consideration. Mini Grants support eligible community projects, with awards of $250–$2,500 per project. The Foundation also offers competitive scholarships for students pursuing health-care professions; these are awards to individual recipients, not grants for outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David Shelton as president, J Richard Marlow as vice president, Jean Melton as treasurer, and Beth Lovette as secretary. Directors listed are Glenda Adams, Lee Bentley, William Clark, Mark Cook, Cam Finley, and Bill Harris.
The Health Foundation Inc is led by Heather Murphy, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Heather Murphy
Executive Director
Assistant Secretary → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$112K (2020) → $132K (2025)
David Shelton
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Smith
Finance Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$81K (2023) → $82K (2025)
Bill Harris
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cam Finley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Huie
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dariel Rathmell
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Swaim
Director
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Glenda Adams
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Oliver
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee Bentley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Spears
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Clark
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Cook
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Brown
Ex-Officio Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Willard
Ex-Officio Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brook Biddy
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Lovette
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Richard Marlow
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Melton
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Craig Bennett (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Brad Shinaman (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Penny Musson (2020–2021) — Director
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 $132K, to Heather Murphy (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Health Foundation Inc
How much does The Health Foundation Inc give each year?
The Health Foundation Inc gave $380K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $977K across 20 grants.
What is The Health Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Health Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $13,797, and its average grant was $23,759, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Health Foundation Inc that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Health Foundation Inc give grants?
The Health Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were North Wilkesboro, NC (7 grants), Wilkesboro, NC (5 grants) and Boone, NC (2 grants).
Does The Health Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 81% of The Health Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Health Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Health Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Wilkes County Schools ($113,033), Hospitality House ($43,255) and Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Health Foundation Inc?
The Health Foundation Inc reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.9M.
What does The Health Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to improve the health and well-being of people in its communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Health Foundation Inc?
For Healthy Futures, submit a Letter of Interest before completing the full application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Health Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Health Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1745194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 31, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 27, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Health Foundation Inc funds
Health Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Health Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Health Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-health-foundation-inc-morg_75ce75d8f82940b5ae7a21274ebeda30
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561745194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Health Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-health-foundation-inc-morg_75ce75d8f82940b5ae7a21274ebeda30},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-12. 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 Health Foundation Inc'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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