Wake County Smart Start Inc
WAKE COUNTY SMART START INVESTS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, THEIR FAMILIES, AND A CONNECTED EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS AND PREPARES THEM FOR SCHOOL AND LIFE AHEAD.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF
Total Assets
$4.4M
+11.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$21.7M
+12.7% YoY
Grant Count
39
+14.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$555K
-1.8% YoY
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,446,723 | $3,982,549 | $4,304,569 |
| Revenue | $27,914,896 | $25,102,327 | $22,907,110 |
| Expenses | $27,249,271 | $25,028,627 | $22,422,941 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $183,388 | $195,894 | $78,125 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
199 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Who else does Wake County Smart Start Inc fund?
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Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAYLE HEADEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $155,915 |
| GARY CARR | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $151,239 |
| KATHERINE WILLIAMS | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| NIKIA COATES | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW ELLINWOOD | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW GLOVA | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ANDRE ANTHONY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VERONICA CREECH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEATHER DRENNAN | DIRECTOR THR FEB 2025 | 1 | — |
| SUSAN EVANS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ARIEL FORD | DIRECTOR FR OCT 2024 | 1 | — |
| SHERRY HEUSER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICKEY HOLT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NIKKI LEONARD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RONETTA PEARSALL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANTONIA PEDROZA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEPHANIE SHELL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHERYL STALLINGS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TONYA VENABLE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOE WHITE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STACEY WILSON-NORMAN | DIRECTOR THR FEB 2025 | 1 | — |
| CAROL C ORJI | DIRECTOR OF ECI | 40 | $115,142 |
Geographic Focus
Where this funder has awarded grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Data last updated March 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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