University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc., doing business as ECU Health Foundation, is a public charity based in Greenville, North Carolina. It supports ECU Health and the health sciences colleges and schools at East Carolina University, with a stated purpose of improving health, education, and well-being in eastern North Carolina and beyond.
Key facts about University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc
In short: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc gave $3.7M across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $85K), mostly in North Carolina. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 20-0777374
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,665,302
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- Average grant
- $85,240
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (12 of 43, 2025)
- Total assets
- $68,409,895
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing says eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or government entities, provide an IRS determination letter as proof of status, and submit requests related to the Foundation’s mission or the… Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 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 · View filing
Total Assets
$68.4M
+16.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.7M
+8.4% YoY
Grant Count
43
+22.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$85K
-11.8% YoY
Is University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 43 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $220K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “to give hope to eastern North Carolina and beyond by inspiring philanthropy to improve health, education, and well-being.” Its filing describes support for equipment, research, education, patient and family support, community benefit, and direct health care services. The Foundation’s website also identifies patient medical needs, research, student support, and programs and services as areas for giving, and describes scholarships as helping prepare health care professionals to serve rural or underserved areas.
The filing says grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization or a government entity and must provide proof of status with an IRS determination letter. Requests must relate to the Foundation’s mission or the community health needs assessment. Examples of supported organizations include Access East, whose stated mission is to improve health through access to and coordination of quality care in eastern North Carolina, and the Pitt County Council on Aging, whose stated mission is to improve older Americans’ quality of life through advocacy, services, life-enrichment activities, and friendship. Other 2025 grantees include food assistance organizations; for example, the Food Bank of the Albemarle states that it works to fight hunger and poverty in northeastern North Carolina.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 43 grants totaling $3,665,302. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $2,068,439, with a median of $15,000. The largest reported grants included $2,068,439 to ECU Health Medical Center, $263,478 to ECU Health, $206,250 to ECU Medical and Health Sciences Foundation, and $188,965 to East Carolina University. Each was listed for “community benefits & health.” Other large recipients included ECU Health Physicians ($125,000), Access East ($115,000), and Pitt County Health Department ($85,000).
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated work serves eastern North Carolina and beyond. Its filing describes ECU Health’s service area as approximately 1.4 million people in 29 contiguous counties in eastern North Carolina. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 43 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.3M (2021) to $8.5M (2020). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $3.7M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ECU Health Med Ctr ($2.1M). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
192 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 149 grants of 192 (78%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ECU Health Med Ctr Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $2,068,439 |
| ECU Health Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $263,478 |
| ECU Med & Health Fdn Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $206,250 |
| E Carolina Univ Charlotte, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $188,965 |
| ECU Health Physicians Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $125,000 |
| Access East Inc Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $115,000 |
| Pitt County Health Department Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $85,000 |
| Pitt County Council on Aging Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $78,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Coastal Plains Winterville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $51,750 |
| Pitt County Government Greenville, NC | Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,409,895 | $8,068,282 | $4,231,648 | $3,665,302 |
| 2024 | $58,890,975 | $6,048,434 | $3,907,128 | $3,380,940 |
| 2023 | $51,708,150 | $7,775,625 | $2,875,856 | $2,459,794 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $68,409,895 | $58,890,975 | $51,708,150 |
| Revenue | $8,068,282 | $6,048,434 | $7,775,625 |
| Expenses | $4,231,648 | $3,907,128 | $2,875,856 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,400,226 | $1,811,622 | $1,628,700 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Scott Senatore as president; Mitch Jones as chair; J. Dorson White Jr. as treasurer; Elizabeth Flanagan as secretary; and Tess Judge as vice chair. Trustees listed include Billy Merritt, Christopher Jenkins, Exum Harrell, J. Freeman Paylor, and Jack Piland.
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc is led by Scott Senatore, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 25 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Scott Senatore
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$221K (2025)
Mitch Jones
Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Freeman Paylor
Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Kulikowski
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Waightstill Scales IV
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William M. Parker
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bridgett M. Minges
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marshall Cherry
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cassie Causey
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Jenkins
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Taylor
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Layton
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcy S. Sasnett
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Becky Newton
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Piland
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Waldrum MD
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tommy Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marie Neilson
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Vincent
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Billy Merritt
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Exum Harrell
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mia Williams
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tess Judge
Vice Chair
Trustee → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Dorson White Jr.
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Flanagan
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (29)
- Former: Drew M. Covert (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: George Griffin III (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Spence Cosby (2019–2024) — Past Chair
- Former: MELISSA B DUNCAN MD (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Wendy C. Farrior (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Clark S. Twiddy (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Sandy Martin (2023–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Jeff Stalls (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Thomasine S Kennedy (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: William D. Mitchum Jr. (2019–2023) — Past Chair
- Former: Mark Gentner (2023) — Trustee
- Former: C Mark Gentner (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Rebecca Newton (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Sandra Martin (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Betsy Flanagan (2022) — Trustee
- Former: Charles P Gaskins Jr. (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Danette Pugh (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: John Cooke Jr. (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Marcy S Morgan (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Leroy Spivey (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Richard T Bruce IV (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Ann Taylor (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Bob Barbour (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Brian Kuszyk MD (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: D Paul Shackelford MD (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: J Loyd Horton III (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: James Yancy Morris DDS (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Myra Bowen (2019–2020) — Former Chair
- Former: Thomas W Bradshaw (2019–2020) — Trustee
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 $221K, to Mr Scott Senatore (President).
Contact
Mailing address: 690 Medical Drive, Greenville, NC 27835
Phone: (252) 847-5626
Website: https://ecuhealthfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc
How much does University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc give each year?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc gave $3.7M across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.4M across 35 grants.
What is University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $85,240, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc that year got $220K on average.
Where does University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc give grants?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Greenville, NC (29 grants), Winterville, NC (4 grants), Charlotte, NC (2 grants) and Washington, NC (2 grants).
Does University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Cmty BENEFITS&HEALTH" (43 grants).
Who are University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include ECU Health Med Ctr ($2,068,439), ECU Health ($263,478) and ECU Med & Health Fdn ($206,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc reported $68.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.1M.
What does University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “to give hope to eastern North Carolina and beyond by inspiring philanthropy to improve health, education, and well-being.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc?
The filing says eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or government entities, provide an IRS determination letter as proof of status, and submit requests related to the Foundation’s mission or the… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's EIN?
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0777374. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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