The Nivison Family Foundation
The Nivison Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations including universities, seminaries, churches, and ministries.
The Nivison Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Nivison Family Foundation gave $665K across 62 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in North Carolina. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $665,425
- -26.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 62
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,733
- -27.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,750
- Total assets
- $18,638,185
- -18.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (3 of 59, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (50% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Nivison Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4104 Atlantic Ave, Raleigh, NC 27604
Phone: (919) 872-8885
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Nivison Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Union Presbyterian Seminary ($119K). Together the top 10 received $292K.
Grant Size Distribution
294 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 288 grants of 294 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. North Carolina accounted for 50% and Virginia for 18%; Michigan and Georgia each accounted for 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 62 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Nivison Family Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 59 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 30% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $543K (2020) to $907K (2023). In 2024 it made 62 grants totaling $665K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Union Presbyterian Seminary Richmond, VA | Contribution Where Needed | $119,425 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | Contribution Where Needed Most | $22,500 |
| NC State University Raleigh, NC | Contribution Where Needed Most | $18,750 |
| Southeastern Baptist Theological Wake Forest, NC | Contribution Where Needed Most | $18,750 |
| Christ Baptist Church Raleigh, NC | Contribution Where Needed | $17,500 |
| Sim USA Charlotte, NC | Contribution Where Needed Most | $17,500 |
| Least of These Ministries Elm, PA | Contribution Where Needed | $15,000 |
| Open Door Eastern Europe Ministries Wildwood Crest, NJ | Contribution Where Needed Most | $15,000 |
| St Paul's Lutheran Church Coldwater, MI | Contribution Where Needed Most | $15,000 |
| YMCA Triangle Raleigh, NC | Contribution Where Needed Most | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Nivison Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $18,638,185 | $517,275 | $953,822 | $665,425 | 62 | $665,425 | $80,004 | $2,195,027 |
| 2023 | $22,763,347 | $359,971 | $1,104,856 | $906,660 | 61 | $906,660 | $134,647 | $1,262,117 |
| 2022 | $22,507,609 | $372,474 | $668,303 | $644,421 | 58 | $644,421 | $352,190 | $1,277,628 |
| 2021 | $20,123,804 | $1,329,897 | $655,915 | $622,208 | 58 | $622,208 | $1,296,190 | — |
| 2020 | $19,449,822 | $1,114,163 | $557,913 | $542,520 | 55 | — | $315,863 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nivison Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.2M for 2024 — 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 foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied charitable organizations, including educational and religious institutions and ministries. For example, Samaritan’s Purse describes its own work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Campbell University says it prepares students for purposeful lives and meaningful service, and Union Presbyterian Seminary received the foundation’s largest grant in 2024.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 62 grants totaling $665,425. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $119,425, with a median of $8,750. Notable recipients included Union Presbyterian Seminary ($119,425), Samaritan’s Purse ($22,500), NC State University ($18,750), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ($18,750), Christ Baptist Church ($17,500), and SIM USA ($17,500). Other recipients included LeTourneau University, Ouachita Baptist University, Columbia International University, Campbell University, Meredith College, and Reinhardt University, each reported as receiving $12,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Arthur E. Nivison is listed as manager on the 2024 filing.
The Nivison Family Foundation's only listed officer is Arthur E. Nivison, Manager on every filing since 2020 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
Arthur E. Nivison
Manager
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Nivison Family Foundation
How much does The Nivison Family Foundation give each year?
The Nivison Family Foundation gave $665K across 62 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $907K across 61 grants.
What is The Nivison Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Nivison Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $8,750, and its average grant was $10,733, across 62 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nivison Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Nivison Family Foundation give grants?
The Nivison Family Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Raleigh, NC (25 grants), Charlotte, NC (2 grants), Springfield, MO (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Nivison Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of The Nivison Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 62) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Contribution Where Needed Most" (36 grants), "Contribution Where Needed" (12 grants) and "Contribution Where Most Needed" (7 grants).
Who are The Nivison Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Nivison Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Union Presbyterian Seminary ($119,425), Zambian Bible College ($32,500 across 4 grants) and Samaritan's Purse ($22,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Nivison Family Foundation?
The Nivison Family Foundation reported $18.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $665K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.2M (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 Nivison Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied charitable organizations, including educational and religious institutions and ministries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nivison Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Nivison Family Foundation's EIN?
The Nivison Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0657168. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Nivison Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Nivison Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-nivison-family-foundation-morg_a8383cffccc548c29a8b94844cc6ab5b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810657168_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Nivison Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-nivison-family-foundation-morg_a8383cffccc548c29a8b94844cc6ab5b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Nivison Family Foundation'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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