Tri-County Telephone Foundation
Tri-County Telephone Foundation is a private foundation based in Belhaven, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $56,684, all to recipients in North Carolina.
Tri-County Telephone Foundation at a glance
In short: Tri-County Telephone Foundation gave $57K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in North Carolina. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $56,684
- -18.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,153
- +11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $893,293
- -3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% 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 Tri-County Telephone Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists C Wayne Black as the contact, gives no application form or materials (N/A), and states that awards must benefit the local service area.
- Contact
Application contact: C Wayne Black
Mailing address: PO Box 91, Belhaven, NC 27810
Phone: (252) 964-4211
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tri-County Telephone Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pungo Christian Academy ($14K). Together the top 10 received $57K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 71 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina. The foundation’s filing states that awards must benefit its local service area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tri-County Telephone Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 68% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 129% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $34K (2022) to $69K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $57K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pungo Christian Academy Belhaven, NC | Donationdonation | $14,189 |
| Wilkinson Community Event Center Belhaven, NC | Donation | $12,000 |
| Northside High School Pinetown, NC | Donation | $10,250 |
| (19) Scholarships Belhaven, NC | Education Scholarships | $10,000 |
| St Thomas Episcopal Church Bath, NC | Donation | $3,700 |
| Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children Washington, NC | Donation | $2,500 |
| Safe Harbor Helpline Washington, NC | Donation | $2,500 |
| Belhavenpantego Rotary Club Foundation Co First Bank Belhaven, NC | Donation | $620 |
| Washingtonbeaufort County Chamber of Commerce Foundation Washington, NC | Donation | $500 |
| Beaufort County Emergency Services Kids Safety Expo Washington, NC | Donation | $350 |
Ready to take the next step with Tri-County Telephone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $893,293 | $37,960 | $74,893 | $56,684 | 11 | $56,684 | $19,751 | $44,076 |
| 2024 | $925,101 | $42,151 | $94,213 | $69,375 | 15 | $69,375 | $17,313 | $45,878 |
| 2023 | $925,229 | $33,559 | $58,900 | $38,611 | 17 | $38,611 | $13,270 | $47,638 |
| 2022 | $968,197 | $35,237 | $47,915 | $33,776 | 9 | $33,776 | $20,098 | $52,015 |
| 2021 | $1,111,474 | $33,223 | $68,911 | $54,844 | 19 | — | $19,156 | $55,103 |
| 2020 | $1,096,474 | $32,107 | $64,504 | $51,867 | 23 | — | $19,470 | $54,248 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tri-County Telephone Foundation reported a distributable amount of $44K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for education, community use of a historic building, a church, child-focused services, and a helpline. Pungo Christian Academy describes itself as a private school offering elementary and high school educational opportunities to all persons without regard to race, creed, or color. Wilkinson Community Event Center describes its mission as restoring and preserving a historic building for community use.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $56,684. Grant amounts ranged from $75 to $14,189, with a median grant of $2,500. Its largest grants were $14,189 to Pungo Christian Academy, $12,000 to Wilkinson Community Event Center, $10,250 to Northside High School, and $10,000 for 19 scholarships. Other reported grants included $3,700 to St Thomas Episcopal Church; $2,500 each to Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children and Safe Harbor Helpline; $620 to BelhavenPantego Rotary Club Foundation co First Bank; $500 to WashingtonBeaufort County Chamber of Commerce Foundation; $350 to Beaufort County Emergency Services Kids Safety Expo; and $75 to Asbury Methodist Church.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists C Wayne Black as president; Gary R Burbage as first vice president; Ronnie Huettmann as second vice president; Rodney E Woolard as secretary/treasurer; Stacey Bowen as assistant secretary/treasurer; and Charles Williams as director.
Tri-County Telephone Foundation is led by C. Wayne Black, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
C. Wayne Black
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Williams
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary R. Burbage
First Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rodney E. Woolard
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ronnie Huettmann
Second Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacey Bowen
Assistant Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Tri-County Telephone Foundation
How much does Tri-County Telephone Foundation give each year?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation gave $57K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $69K across 15 grants.
What is Tri-County Telephone Foundation's typical grant size?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,153, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tri-County Telephone Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Tri-County Telephone Foundation give grants?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, NC (5 grants) and Belhaven, NC (4 grants).
Does Tri-County Telephone Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Tri-County Telephone Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (9 grants).
Who are Tri-County Telephone Foundation's largest grantees?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Pungo Christian Academy ($14,189), Wilkinson Community Event Center ($12,000) and Northside High School ($10,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tri-County Telephone Foundation?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation reported $893K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $57K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $44K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tri-County Telephone Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for education, community use of a historic building, a church, child-focused services, and a helpline. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tri-County Telephone Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tri-County Telephone Foundation's EIN?
Tri-County Telephone Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1742130. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tri-County Telephone Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tri-county-telephone-foundation-morg_c5b6e63094e144b5880b176d10449014
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561742130_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tri-County Telephone Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tri-county-telephone-foundation-morg_c5b6e63094e144b5880b176d10449014},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Tri-County Telephone 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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