The James Family Foundation Inc
The James Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was created in 2006 to support the philanthropic interests of the James family.
Key facts about The James Family Foundation Inc
In short: The James Family Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 61 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in North Carolina. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-5525003
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,304,525
- Grants made (2025)
- 61
- Average grant
- $21,386
- Median grant
- $5,250
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (15 of 61, 2025)
- Total assets
- $9,763,256
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.8M
-2.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+17.9% YoY
Grant Count
61
-6.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
+25.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The James Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The James Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 61 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $26K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+20%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve lives by supporting work in education, health and human services, human rights, and the environment.
Its 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, Wofford College received support for its annual fund, Terrier Club, and campus hurricane recovery; Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation received support for patient and family care and expanded facilities; and Heart Math Tutoring received support for math tutoring. The grantees describe their own missions: Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation focuses on specialized care and support for people with cognitive impairment and movement disorders and their caregivers, while Heart Math Tutoring works to build elementary students’ math foundations through volunteer tutors.
Other 2025 grants supported food assistance, homelessness services, emergency assistance, Parkinson’s disease research, and community education programs in West Africa.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 61 grants totaling $1,304,525. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $265,000, with a median grant of $5,250. Among the largest grants were $265,000 to Wofford College, $250,000 to Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation, $231,000 to First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, and $100,000 to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2025, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 21% to South Carolina, 9% to New York, 3% to Washington, DC, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $926K (2020) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 61 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wofford College ($265K). Together the top 10 received $988K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
287 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 256 grants of 287 (89%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wofford College Spartanburg, SC | Support annual fund, terrier club and campus hurricane recovery | $265,000 |
| Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation Charlotte, NC | Support comprehensive care to patients and their families; support expanded facilities | $250,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Charlotte, NC | Support General Operations of the Church | $231,000 |
| Michael J Fox Foundation New York, NY | Support Parkinson's Disease Research | $100,000 |
| Wing Haven Charlotte, NC | Annual support and fund refurbishing for gardens and bird sanctuary | $45,000 |
| Nourish up Charlotte, NC | Provide support of operations of emergency food pantries and home food deliveries | $25,827 |
| Luke Garrison Foundation Raleigh, NC | Support Grants That Encourage Outdoor Experiences and Exploration | $25,000 |
| Crisis Assistance Ministry Charlotte, NC | Provide emergency assistance to the poor to prevent homelessness | $20,000 |
| Roof Above Charlotte, NC | Support Programs for Homeless Men and Women | $15,448 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $15,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,304,525 | 61 |
| 2024 | $1,106,583 | 65 |
| 2023 | $1,056,440 | 57 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,763,256 | $9,971,303 | $10,268,802 |
| Revenue | $1,114,139 | $820,553 | $732,978 |
| Expenses | $1,322,186 | $1,118,052 | $1,070,535 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,304,525 | $1,106,583 | $1,056,440 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,114,139 | $820,553 | $732,978 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,400,823 | $1,295,015 | $1,087,027 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katherine H. James as president and R. Michael James as vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The James Family Foundation Inc is led by Katherine H. James, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine H. James
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
R. Michael James
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/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.
Contact
Mailing address: 130 Cherokee Road Unit 601, Charlotte, NC 28207
Phone: (704) 756-2157
Website: https://thejamesfamilyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The James Family Foundation Inc
How much does The James Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The James Family Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 61 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 65 grants.
What is The James Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The James Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,250, and its average grant was $21,386, across 61 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The James Family Foundation Inc that year got $7K on average.
Where does The James Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The James Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Carolina (21%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (30 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Raleigh, NC (3 grants).
Does The James Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of The James Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 61) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The James Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The James Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Wofford College ($265,000), Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation ($250,000) and First Presbyterian Church ($231,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The James Family Foundation Inc?
The James Family Foundation Inc reported $9.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The James Family Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve lives by supporting work in education, health and human services, human rights, and the environment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The James Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The James Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The James Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5525003. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The James Family Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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