The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports that it made grants to 27 charitable and nonprofit organizations for general support.
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc gave $64K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in North Carolina. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $63,991
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +17.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,370
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,551
- Total assets
- $307,287
- -6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (16 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (70% 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 Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 10480, Wilmington, NC 28411
Phone: (910) 686-3316
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Penland School of Craft ($4K). Together the top 10 received $27K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The next-largest reported shares were Indiana and Washington, DC, at 5% each, followed by Georgia and Maryland, at 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 27 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 65% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 144% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $20K (2021) to $64K (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $64K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Penland School of Craft Bakersville, NC | General Support | $3,627 |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina Raleigh, NC | General Support | $2,725 |
| FoodFinder Lafayette, IN | General Support | $2,700 |
| Lower Cape Fear Hospice Wilmington, NC | General Support | $2,591 |
| Habitat for Humanity Americus, GA | General Support | $2,591 |
| Meals on Wheels America Baltimore, MD | General Support | $2,588 |
| Warm NC Wilmington, NC | General Support | $2,588 |
| Democracy Forward Foundation Washington, DC | General Support | $2,587 |
| Campaign for Southern Equality Asheville, NC | General Support | $2,583 |
| The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Raleigh, NC | General Support | $2,582 |
Ready to take the next step with The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc?
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 | $307,287 | $76,363 | $79,491 | $63,991 | 27 | $63,991 | $60,863 | $44,524 |
| 2024 | $328,652 | $51,806 | $55,092 | $54,592 | 23 | $54,592 | $51,306 | $43,905 |
| 2023 | $343,584 | $32,995 | $44,701 | $44,201 | 22 | $44,201 | $32,495 | $36,986 |
| 2022 | $348,386 | $30,599 | $39,388 | $38,888 | 17 | $38,888 | $30,099 | $36,861 |
| 2021 | $335,914 | $55,352 | $20,742 | $20,242 | 12 | $20,242 | $54,852 | $34,287 |
| 2019 | $331,332 | $31,680 | $25,772 | $25,000 | 10 | — | $30,908 | $28,050 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $45K 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
The foundation’s own filing describes its direct charitable activity as distributing funds to charitable and nonprofit organizations for general support. Its 2025 recipients included organizations working in craft education, civil legal services, housing, hospice care, democracy, LGBTQ equality, and support for people transitioning out of homelessness or facing severe poverty.
These areas reflect the grantees’ stated work. For example, Penland School of Craft describes itself as an international center for craft education, and Legal Aid of North Carolina says it provides free civil legal services to low-income people. Habitat for Humanity describes building homes with low-income families; Lower Cape Fear Hospice provides hospice care for terminally ill patients. Democracy Forward Foundation says it works to protect democratic rights and institutions, while Campaign for Southern Equality works for LGBTQ equality across the South. The Barnabas Network provides basic home furnishings to qualified people and families, and Eden Village of Wilmington works to build relationships and communities for chronically homeless people.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $63,991 through 27 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $3,627, with a median grant of $2,551. All 27 grants were for general support.
Among the largest reported grants were $3,627 to Penland School of Craft; $2,725 to Legal Aid of North Carolina; $2,700 to FoodFinder; and $2,591 each to Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Habitat for Humanity. Other notable grants included $2,588 to Meals on Wheels America and WARM NC, $2,587 to Democracy Forward Foundation, $2,583 to Campaign for Southern Equality, $2,582 to The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, $2,577 to The Barnabas Network, and $2,575 to Eden Village of Wilmington.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katharine D Hesmer as Executive Director.
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc is led by Katharine D Hesmer, Executive Director since 2025 (on filings since 2019) — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katharine D Hesmer
Executive Director
Prs, Tr & Director → President & Treasurer, 2023
President & Treasurer → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$15K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Katharine D Hesmer PRSTRDIR (2021–2022) — Presidenttreasurerdirector
- Former: Ronald G. Hesmer (2019) — Vice President, Secretary & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $15K, to Katharine D Hesmer (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc
How much does The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc give each year?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc gave $64K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $55K across 23 grants.
What is The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,551, and its average grant was $2,370, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc give grants?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, NC (10 grants), Raleigh, NC (2 grants), Greensboro, NC (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Penland School of Craft ($3,627), Legal Aid of North Carolina ($2,725) and FoodFinder ($2,700), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc reported $307K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $64K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $45K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s own filing describes its direct charitable activity as distributing funds to charitable and nonprofit organizations for general support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2059723. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 5, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-samuel-ernest-douglass-jr-foundation-inc-morg_95b7f69bfdfb454abafcc4094a188cbb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_562059723_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-samuel-ernest-douglass-jr-foundation-inc-morg_95b7f69bfdfb454abafcc4094a188cbb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Samuel Ernest Douglass Jr 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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