The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation is a private foundation based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 2025, it reported 43 grants totaling $250,600 to charitable organizations, including recipients working in education, the arts, health care, youth services, and conservation.
Key facts about The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation
In short: The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation gave $251K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in North Carolina. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 56-1816652
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $250,600
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- Average grant
- $5,828
- Median grant
- $3,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (15 of 40, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,155,314
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; 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.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2M
-6.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$251K
+15.1% YoY
Grant Count
43
+53.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-25.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation reported a distributable amount of $275K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 40 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational institutions and programs, arts organizations, health care initiatives, and other charitable work. For example, North Carolina State University describes its mission as supporting the university’s colleges, libraries, and related functions. National Tropical Botanical Garden says it works to perpetuate tropical plants, ecosystems, and cultural heritage through research, conservation, and education. Durham Nativity School says it provides an educational experience for socioeconomically disadvantaged and at-risk boys.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 43 grants totaling $250,600. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $30,000; the median grant was $3,000. Among the largest were $30,000 to Duplin County Education Foundation for Liberty Hall Commission repairs; $15,000 to Kenan Center Lockport for its director’s discretionary fund; and $12,000 to Duplin County Board of Education for James Kenan High School scholarships. Other grants included $10,000 to NC Arts in Action for operations and $10,000 to UNC Wilmington for health care initiatives.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The remaining reported shares were New York (7%), Florida (4%), the District of Columbia (4%), and Hawaii (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $152K (2021) to $251K (2025). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $251K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Duplin County Education Foundation ($30K). Together the top 10 received $142K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 172 grants of 172 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Duplin County Education Foundation Kenansville, NC | Liberty Hall Commission - Repairs | $30,000 |
| Kenan Center Lockport Lockport, NY | Director's Discretionary Fund | $15,000 |
| Duplin County Board of Education Kenansville, NC | James Kenan High School Scholarships | $12,000 |
| St Stephens Episcopal Church Durham, NC | Designated for the FH Kenan Concert Fund | $12,000 |
| Duke Universityalumni and Development Records Durham, NC | The thomas s. Kenan educational fund - sp duke gardens | $10,000 |
| Frank H Kenan Chapel Landfall Wilmington, NC | Uncsa Music Student Concerts | $10,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | Kenan Instititue Ethics - Director's Discretionary | $10,000 |
| NC Arts in Action Durham, NC | Operations | $10,000 |
| North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC | WRK, Jr. Fund for ETS | $10,000 |
| St Stephens Episcopal Church Durham, NC | Support Organ Dedication Company | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,155,314 | $144,835 | $301,370 | $250,600 |
| 2024 | $2,312,718 | $106,125 | $266,985 | $217,700 |
| 2023 | $2,476,615 | $199,341 | $269,041 | $225,125 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,155,314 | $2,312,718 | $2,476,615 |
| Revenue | $144,835 | $106,125 | $199,341 |
| Expenses | $301,370 | $266,985 | $269,041 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $277,263 | $226,950 | $230,930 |
| Net Investment Income | $120,714 | $95,905 | $161,622 |
| Distributable Amount | $275,271 | $248,289 | $228,043 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas S Kenan III as director and president; Steven R Armstrong as director, secretary, and treasurer; Phyllis P Snow as assistant secretary; and Christopher A Shuping as director.
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation is led by Thomas S. Kenan III, Director & President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas S. Kenan III
Director & President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Christopher A. Shuping
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Steven R. Armstrong
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Phyllis P. Snow
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 100 Europa Dr 525, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone: (919) 967-0618
Frequently asked questions about The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation
How much does The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation give each year?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation gave $251K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $218K across 28 grants.
What is The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,828, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation give grants?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (11 grants), Raleigh, NC (6 grants), Wilmington, NC (4 grants) and Chapel Hill, NC (4 grants).
Does The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Undesignated" (15 grants) and "Greatest Needs" (3 grants).
Who are The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Duplin County Education Foundation ($30,000), St Stephens Episcopal Church ($22,000 across 2 grants) and Kenan Center Lockport ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $277K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $275K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational institutions and programs, arts organizations, health care initiatives, and other charitable work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thomas S Kenan III 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 Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's EIN?
The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1816652. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Thomas S Kenan III Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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