The Jonas Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Lenoir, NC EIN: 56-1459346

The Jonas Foundation is a private foundation based in Lenoir, North Carolina, established in 1986. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a grantmaking foundation with a focus on supporting charitable causes primarily in North Carolina, with some activity in Nebraska and Minnesota.

Key facts about The Jonas Foundation

EIN: 56-1459346
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $430,000
Grants made (2024): 17
Average grant: $25,294
Median grant: $20,000
New grantees (estimate): 6% first-time grantees (1 of 17, 2024)
Total assets: $5,580,444
Primary geography: North Carolina (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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.

Who The Jonas Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Jonas Foundation's 17 itemized 2024 grants were North Carolina (94%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lenoir, NC (13 grants). None of its 17 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contributions" (8 grants), "Program Contributions" (4 grants) and "Campaign Contributions" (3 grants).

Is The Jonas Foundation open to new grantees?

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 1 of 17 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $26K. How we count

Medians: $12K first-time, $20K repeat.

82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving fell 34% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 70% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with The Jonas Foundation

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.6M

-1.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$430K

-32.1% YoY

Grant Count

-5.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$25K

-28.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jonas Foundation reported a distributable amount of $611K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Medical care and prescriptions
Scholarship funds
Recreational matching funds

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only.

Grant Range

$8,000–$325,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in North Carolina, with some grants made to organizations in Nebraska and Minnesota.

Grant Distribution by State

North Carolina $403K (94%)

Nebraska $15K (3%)

Minnesota $12K (3%)

Share of all 17 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Minnesota North Carolina Nebraska

Cities

LenoirAshevilleHickoryRaleighHudson

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of June 2024:

Total assets: $5,580,444
Total revenues: $376,774
Total expenses: $432,965
Investment income and dividends: $376,774
Giving rate: 7.7% of assets
Number of employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$5,580,444	$5,642,665	$5,986,729
Revenue	$376,774	$296,489	$344,031
Expenses	$432,965	$635,383	$649,020
Qualifying Distributions	$430,000	$633,133	$647,000
Net Investment Income	$375,006	$380,102	$354,786
Distributable Amount	$611,471	$636,324	$657,875

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

75 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foudation ($95,000), Caldwell Hospice & Pallative Care ($50,000), Caldwell County Yokefellow ($45,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CALDWELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUDATION Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$95,000
CALDWELL HOSPICE & PALLATIVE CARE Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$50,000
CALDWELL COUNTY YOKEFELLOW Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$45,000
CALDWELL COUNTY UNITED WAY Lenoir, NC	CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS	$30,000
ST JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH Lenoir, NC	CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS	$27,500
LENOIR RHYNE UNIVERSITY Hickory, NC	PROGRAM CONTRIBUTIONS	$25,000
HELPING HANDS CLINIC Lenoir, NC	MEDICAL CARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAMS	$20,000
ROBIN'S NEST CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$20,000
SHELTER HOME OF CALDWELL COUNTY Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$20,000
CALDWELL COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Lenoir, NC	CONTRIBUTIONS	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Ag Jonas	President/Treasurer	1	—
Joyce Bumgarner	Secretary	1	—

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

The foundation made 17-21 grants in its most recent fiscal year ending June 2024, with grantees including community foundations, educational institutions, and human services organizations in the Lenoir area and surrounding regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Jonas Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Medical care and prescriptions • Scholarship funds • Recreational matching funds

How do I apply for a grant from The Jonas Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: $430,000 (2024) • Number of grants: 17-21 grants annually • Grant range: $8,000–$325,000 • Median grant size: $20,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Amorem: $50,000 (Contributions) • Caldwell County Yokefellow: $45,000 (Contributions) • Lenoir-Rhyne University: $25,000 (Program Contributions) **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only.

Where does The Jonas Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in North Carolina, with some grants made to organizations in Nebraska and Minnesota.

What size grants does The Jonas Foundation award?

In 2024, The Jonas Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $430K — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Jonas Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Jonas Foundation reported a distributable amount of $611K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.