Wilkes Community Partnership for Children
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children is a public charity based in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Formed in 1994, it supports programs related to child care quality and affordability, family support and education, early literacy, and school readiness.
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children at a glance
In short: Wilkes Community Partnership for Children gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $79K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,028,086
- +810.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +333.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $79,084
- +110.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $34,817
- Total assets
- $851,996
- +17.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Wilkes Community Partnership for Children
- Contact
Mailing address: 1915 West Park Drive 107, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: (336) 838-0977
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wilkes Community Partnership for Children funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilkes County Schools ($100K). Together the top 10 received $338K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($690,218), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 13 grants of 19 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina. The listed recipients include organizations and programs in North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, Millers Creek, Burnsville, Boone, Mars Hill, and Jefferson.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Wilkes Community Partnership for Children gives
- Giving grew 835% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $90K (2021) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $690,218 |
| Wilkes County Schools North Wilkesboro, NC | NC PRE-K | $100,000 |
| Kinder Care Millers Creek, NC | Quality Stars; Dual Subsidy; Childcare Scholarships | $41,350 |
| Way Makers Preschool Inc Wilkesboro, NC | Quality stars; dual subsidy; cac food program; childcare scholarships | $38,297 |
| A Child's Life North Wilkesboro, NC | Quality STARS;DUAL SUBSIDY;CHILDCARE Scholarships | $37,711 |
| Blue Ridge Partnership for Children Burnsville, NC | Disaster Relief Funds | $30,000 |
| Millers Creek Childcare Millers Creek, NC | Quality Stars; Dual Subsidy | $20,510 |
| Children's Council of Watauga County Boone, NC | Disaster Relief Funds | $20,000 |
| Madison County Partnership Mars Hill, NC | Disaster Relief | $20,000 |
| Partnership of Ashe County Jefferson, NC | Disaster Relief | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $851,996 | $2,139,913 | $1,987,851 | $1,028,086 | 13 | $9,042 |
| 2024 | $726,580 | $1,291,174 | $975,145 | $112,922 | 3 | $1,593 |
| 2023 | $415,269 | $890,558 | $785,278 | $100,000 | 1 | $1,200 |
| 2022 | $300,737 | $774,200 | $764,215 | $110,000 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | $265,030 | $777,857 | $745,180 | $90,000 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | $205,039 | $829,082 | $803,494 | $125,251 | 2 | — |
| 2019 | $165,296 | $783,229 | $777,516 | $100,000 | 1 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to “ensure children enter school healthy and ready to succeed.” Its programs described in its 2024 filing include child care quality and resource and referral services, kindergarten transition support, parent education, early literacy, community outreach, child care affordability, and NC Pre-K.
Its 2025 grants included support for child care expansion, quality initiatives, dual subsidies, child care scholarships, NC Pre-K, and disaster relief. The grantee missions illustrate the kinds of organizations it supported: Wilkes Developmental Day School Inc describes itself as a provider of day care and training programs for children with developmental disabilities; Blue Ridge Partnership for Children says its mission is family education and child development; and The Children’s Council of Watauga County says it strengthens families, the early childhood system, and the wider community to support children’s learning and development.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the organization reported 13 grants totaling $1,028,086. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $611,061, with a median of $34,817. The largest grant, $611,061, went to an individual recipient for child care expansion, Quality Stars, dual subsidy, and child care scholarships. Other listed awards included $100,000 to Wilkes County Schools for NC Pre-K; $44,340 to an individual recipient Day School for quality stars, dual subsidy, child care scholarship, and CCR&R; and $38,297 to Way Makers Preschool Inc for quality stars, dual subsidy, CAC food program, and child care scholarships.
The organization also gave $30,000 to Blue Ridge Partnership for Children for disaster relief funds, and $20,000 each to the Children’s Council of Watauga County, Madison County Partnership, and Partnership of Ashe for disaster relief. A $10,000 grant went to Smart Start Partnership for Children Inc.
The organization’s 2024 filing describes quarterly grant monitoring, written reports, technical assistance, and possible site visits. It also says grantees submit monthly financial status reports to ACPC; if funds are not being used appropriately, the fiscal manager contacts the grantee and ACPC policies may be followed to limit or stop payment.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Debbie Woodard as chair and Misty Case as secretary. Other listed board members are Brenda Barber, Callie Grubb, Arden Jolly, June Hege, Amber Combs, Kylie Booth, Jessica Bryant, and Greta Ferguson.
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children is led by Michelle Shepherd, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 22 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michelle Shepherd
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$67K (2024) → $69K (2025)
Debbie Woodard
Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greta Ferguson
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patsy Reavis
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Myers
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Barber
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Misty Case
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arden Jolly
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Callie Grubb
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jody Call
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Johanna Anderson
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Huffman
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kylie Booth
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharis McNeill
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Casey Johnson
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
June Hege
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amber Combs
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Crystal Blankenship
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Yale
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffery Johnson
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Bryant
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Williams
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (25)
- Former: Mike Dancy (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Rachel Willard (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Courtney Tevepaugh (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Shannon Smith (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Suzanne Moore (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kieth Huffman (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Chris Call (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Stoney Greene (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Chris Huffman (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Susan Cogdill (2019–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Whitney Greene (2019–2022) — Past Chair
- Former: Donna Cotton (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Matt Matthews (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Laura Byrd Luffman (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Angie Bewley (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Megan Adams (2019–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Melissa Sparks (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Nancy Snipes (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Parin Urness (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Amiee James (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Bevery Hersey (2019–2020) — Past Chair
- Former: Amy James (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Anna Lankford (2019) — Board Member
- Former: John Blevins (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Tad Craig (2019) — Board Member
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 $69K, to Michelle Shepherd (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Wilkes Community Partnership for Children
How much does Wilkes Community Partnership for Children give each year?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $113K across 3 grants.
What is Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's typical grant size?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's median grant in 2025 was $34,817, and its average grant was $79,084, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Wilkes Community Partnership for Children give grants?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children 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 North Wilkesboro, NC (2 grants) and Millers Creek, NC (2 grants).
Does Wilkes Community Partnership for Children give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Quality STARS;DUAL SUBSIDY;CHILDCARE Scholarships" (3 grants) and "Disaster Relief" (3 grants).
Who are Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's largest grantees?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's largest 2025 grantees include Wilkes County Schools ($100,000), Kinder Care ($41,350) and Way Makers Preschool Inc ($38,297), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($690,218), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wilkes Community Partnership for Children?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children reported $852K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.1M.
What does Wilkes Community Partnership for Children fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to “ensure children enter school healthy and ready to succeed.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wilkes Community Partnership for Children?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's EIN?
Wilkes Community Partnership for Children's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1875083. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 24, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Wilkes Community Partnership for Children funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wilkes Community Partnership for Children funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wilkes-community-partnership-for-children-morg_a45566e92c344f66b78f36169f6ae0ad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_561875083_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wilkes Community Partnership for Children funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wilkes-community-partnership-for-children-morg_a45566e92c344f66b78f36169f6ae0ad},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Wilkes Community Partnership for Children'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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