The Story Foundation Inc
The Story Foundation Inc is a Form 990-PF (a private foundation) based in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing describes charitable activity that includes cash donations benefiting people in need and support for dental, shelter, food, medical-facility, religious, and community-outreach purposes.
The Story Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Story Foundation Inc gave $30K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in North Carolina. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $30,000
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,579
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $302,070
- -11.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (65% 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 Story Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists a foundation grant application form and names Jan Allison as the contact for the application process. It states that awards have no restrictions and that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists a deadline prior to September 30. This deadline appears in the 2025 filing and is a past cycle.
- Deadline
- The filing lists a deadline prior to September 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Jan Allison
Mailing address: 103 Scotland Street, Black Mtn, NC 28711
Phone: (828) 669-8784
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Story Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Seventh Day Adventist Church ($5K). Together the top 10 received $22K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 94 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina (65%), Tennessee (13%), California (7%), New York (5%), and Maryland (3%). The listed 2025 grants also include recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Story Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 19 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $29K (2024) to $33K (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $30K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seventh Day Adventist Church Tryon, NC | Spread the Gospel | $5,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | Childrens Research Hospital | $3,000 |
| Hospice of the Carolina Foothills Columbus, NC | Terminal Illness Care | $2,500 |
| The Meeting Place Columbus, NC | Senior Citizen Food Distribution | $2,000 |
| Steps to Hope Columbus, NC | Crisis Center | $2,000 |
| Polk County Historical Association Columbus, NC | Historical Association | $2,000 |
| Shriners Childrens Hospitals Hendersonville, NC | Childrens Hospital | $1,500 |
| The Smile Train New York, NY | Childrens Medical | $1,500 |
| Adra Silver Spring, MD | Share the Love of Christ | $1,000 |
| Amazing Facts Inc Roseville, CA | Share the Love of Christ | $1,000 |
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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 | $302,070 | $18,346 | $38,281 | $30,000 | 19 | $30,000 | — | $1,841 |
| 2024 | $339,424 | $16,723 | $29,000 | $29,000 | 18 | $32,994 | — | $14,775 |
| 2023 | $290,971 | $12,181 | $32,000 | $32,000 | 19 | $3,322 | — | $14,775 |
| 2022 | $364,073 | $9,932 | $33,000 | $33,000 | 19 | $3,782 | $23 | $16,144 |
| 2021 | $368,309 | $-14,483 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 19 | $4,779 | — | $15,940 |
| 2020 | $389,966 | $8,880 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 19 | — | $608 | $15,932 |
| 2019 | $399,940 | $19,279 | $34,783 | $30,000 | 19 | — | $10,000 | $14,749 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Story Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2K 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 2025 filing describes the foundation’s direct charitable activity as cash donations benefiting the indigent and supporting dental, shelter, food, medical-facility, religious, and community-outreach purposes.
Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. Steps to Hope describes its mission as addressing domestic and sexual abuse through education, advocacy, and victim assistance. Hendersonville Rescue Mission says it assists people needing shelter, food, and clothing in Henderson County. MANNA FoodBank describes its mission as working to end hunger in Western North Carolina. Foothills Humane Society says it shelters and adopts animals, prevents cruelty, and educates the public about responsible animal ownership. In Touch Ministries describes its mission as leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 19 grants totaling $30,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $5,000 to Seventh Day Adventist Church in Tryon, North Carolina, for “spread the gospel”; $3,000 to St Jude Childrens Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, for a children’s research hospital; and $2,500 to Hospice of the Carolina Foothills in Columbus, North Carolina, for terminal illness care. Other grants included $2,000 each to The Meeting Place, Steps to Hope, and Polk County Historical Association, all in Columbus, North Carolina. The foundation also gave $1,500 to Shriners Childrens Hospitals in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and $1,500 to The Smile Train in New York, New York.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jan H Allison as chairperson, Karen Cogburn as treasurer, Louise Story as secretary, and Barry Kempson as vice president.
The Story Foundation Inc is led by Jan H. Allison, Chairperson on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jan H. Allison
Chairperson
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Cogburn
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Louise Story
Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Barry Kempson
Vice President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Ella Louise Story (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Jack L. Story (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Story Foundation Inc
How much does The Story Foundation Inc give each year?
The Story Foundation Inc gave $30K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $29K across 18 grants.
What is The Story Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Story Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,579, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Story Foundation Inc give grants?
The Story Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (13%) and California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, NC (7 grants) and Hendersonville, NC (2 grants).
Does The Story Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Story Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Share the Love of Christ" (3 grants).
Who are The Story Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Story Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Seventh Day Adventist Church ($5,000), St Jude Childrens Hospital ($3,000) and Hospice of the Carolina Foothills ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Story Foundation Inc?
The Story Foundation Inc reported $302K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Story Foundation Inc fund?
The 2025 filing describes the foundation’s direct charitable activity as cash donations benefiting the indigent and supporting dental, shelter, food, medical-facility, religious, and community-outreach purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Story Foundation Inc?
The 2025 filing lists a foundation grant application form and names Jan Allison as the contact for the application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Story Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Story Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1433559. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Story Foundation Inc funds
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