The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund is a private foundation based in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2025, it awarded 40 grants totaling $190,500 to organizations in several states.
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund at a glance
In short: The Mary Norris Preyer Fund gave $191K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in North Carolina. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $190,500
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,763
- -12.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,012,751
- +11.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (13 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written proposal with an IRS tax-exempt status letter. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- April 1.
- Deadline
- April 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Melanie Clayton Grant Manager Piedm
Mailing address: PO Box 20124, Greensboro, NC 27420
Phone: (336) 274-5471
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Mary Norris Preyer Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ada Jenkins Center ($5K). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
199 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 199 grants of 199 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 59% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 17% to Colorado, 8% each to California and New York, and 3% to Kentucky. The fund also made a listed 2025 grant to a recipient in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Mary Norris Preyer Fund open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 40 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $190K (2024) to $225K (2022). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $191K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ada Jenkins Center Davidson, NC | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy Inc Louisville, KY | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Arts Empowerment Project Inc Charlotte, NC | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Arts for Life Asheville, NC | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Aura Home Women Vets Asheville, NC | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Blue Sky Bridge Boulder, CO | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Blue Water Foundation San Francisco, CA | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Bookgive Inc Denver, CO | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Chappy and Friends Naperville, IL | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
| Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Inc Charlotte, NC | To assist organization in carrying out its exempt purpose | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,012,751 | $226,476 | $223,182 | $190,500 | 40 | $204,352 | $413,268 | $222,276 |
| 2024 | $3,604,788 | $67,330 | $231,755 | $190,000 | 35 | $213,382 | $51,026 | $211,321 |
| 2023 | $3,862,020 | $127,893 | $238,257 | $205,000 | 40 | $217,088 | $72,662 | $198,407 |
| 2022 | $4,012,317 | $121,301 | $255,296 | $225,000 | 42 | $231,546 | $369,816 | $234,129 |
| 2021 | $3,822,754 | $233,164 | $238,101 | $205,200 | 42 | — | $172,278 | $233,628 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mary Norris Preyer Fund reported a distributable amount of $222K 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
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, TABLE Ministries says it provides healthy food and nutrition education to food-insecure children in Orange County, North Carolina. The Greenway Foundation says its mission is to enhance and protect Denver’s waterways through community engagement, education, and stewardship. HealthReach Community Clinic says it provides free medical care and medications to low-income, uninsured residents of Iredell County, North Carolina.
Other 2025 recipients included The Learning Collaborative, whose stated mission is to provide tuition-free preschool and pre-K programming while engaging parents in family-success programming; Ignite Adaptive Sports, which provides adaptive skiing and other recreational activities; and The Sylvia Center, which uses culinary programming to promote health and well-being.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 40 grants totaling $190,500. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $5,000, with a median award of $5,000. Examples of 2025 grants include $5,000 to the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson, North Carolina; Arts Empowerment Project in Charlotte, North Carolina; Blue Sky Bridge in Boulder, Colorado; and Blue Water Foundation in San Francisco, California.
The fund’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It calls for a written proposal and an IRS tax-exempt status letter; it lists no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these trustees: Jill Preyer, Sally Preyer Laventure, Ellen Davis, Will Davis, Mary Norris Preyer Oglesby, Emily P. Fountain, Norris Preyer Jr., Janet P. Nelson, Kelly Preyer, and Mary-Michael P. Watts.
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's 2025 filing lists 10 officers; none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen P. Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily P. Fountain
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janet P. Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Preyer
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Norris Preyer Oglesby
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary-Michael P. Watts
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Norris Preyer Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Preyer Laventure
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Will Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Preyer
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Liz Preyer (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Joseph Chandler (2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Mary Norris Preyer Fund
How much does The Mary Norris Preyer Fund give each year?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund gave $191K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $190K across 35 grants.
What is The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's typical grant size?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,763, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mary Norris Preyer Fund that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Mary Norris Preyer Fund give grants?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund gives mostly in North Carolina: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (17%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Raleigh, NC (7 grants), Charlotte, NC (4 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants) and Asheville, NC (3 grants).
Who are The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's largest grantees?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Ada Jenkins Center ($5,000), Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy Inc ($5,000) and Arts Empowerment Project Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Mary Norris Preyer Fund?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $204K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $222K (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 Mary Norris Preyer Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, TABLE Ministries says it provides healthy food and nutrition education to food-insecure children in Orange County, North Carolina. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mary Norris Preyer Fund?
Submit a written proposal with an IRS tax-exempt status letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's EIN?
The Mary Norris Preyer Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6068167. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Mary Norris Preyer Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mary-norris-preyer-fund-morg_905f7cb16f364e29b98fd04191a00252
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566068167_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Mary Norris Preyer Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mary-norris-preyer-fund-morg_905f7cb16f364e29b98fd04191a00252},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Mary Norris Preyer Fund'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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