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Giving Trends in North Carolina

With over 2,100 grantmakers, North Carolina has become a major center for philanthropic giving in the Southeast. Grantmaking has decreased across the board, but since 2014 has held steady with $1.4 billion in grants in 2018 alone.

While a lot of giving in the state concentrates around the Research Triangle, grants for nonprofits in North Carolina exist across the state. Knowledge about giving in North Carolina filters through Philanthropy Southeast and the Southeastern Council of Foundations. Grants for education continue to dominate the North Carolina grantmaking scene — more than any other focus area combined — though human services and economic development are other major areas of giving in North Carolina. In contrast from other Southeastern states, the environment is also an important funding area, especially given the major academic, tech, medical and research institutions concentrated in the Research Triangle between Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh.

North Carolina’s top funders include a mix of private, public, corporate and community foundations. Major funders in North Carolina include those which make a handful of grants nationally — like the Duke Endowment — as well as major foundations that keep their funding within North Carolina like the Foundation for the Carolinas, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, The Winston-Salem Foundation, The Leon Levine Foundation, and the North Carolina Community Foundation, among others. The top funders in North Carolina tend to have much larger assets and giving capabilities than neighboring states, with the exceptions of Florida and Georgia.

Foundations in North Carolina

AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

The African American Community Foundation supports public education, health and economic development for African Americans in North Carolina.

MARY REYNOLDS BABCOCK FOUNDATION

The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation supports democracy and civic engagement initiatives, such as community organizing, voter education, and voter registration, in eleven southeastern states.

CAPITAL BANK FOUNDATION

The Capital Bank Foundation is a bank funder that supports Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia communities in the areas of arts and culture, education and leadership, environment, financial literacy, and health and human services.

CAROLINAEAST FOUNDATION

This health legacy funder supports the North Carolina counties of Craven, Pamlico, Jones, Carteret, and Onslow. There are two grant cycles per year.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF BURKE COUNTY

This funder supports a wide range of causes in Burke County, North Carolina. It also awards grants out of a women’s fund and a youth philanthropy fund.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GASTON COUNTY

This community funder supports broad funding areas in Gaston County, North Carolina. Education and youth are priorities.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER GREENSBORO

This community foundation supports nonprofit capacity-building. Other interests in greater Greensboro include arts and humanities, education, environment, housing, building social capital, and civic engagement.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HENDERSON COUNTY

This North Carolina community funder supports county nonprofits in the areas of arts and culture, civic affairs, conservation, education, health, and human services. There are other funds held here with their own focuses and application deadlines.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NC EAST

This funder supports numerous funding topics in eastern North Carolina. There are lots of funds, so grantseekers should contact CFNCE for application details.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

This Asheville-based funder supports early childhood development, food & farming, people in need, and natural & cultural resources in 18 counties in Western North Carolina.

CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This funder supports nonprofits in Cumberland County, North Carolina, in the areas of arts/culture/recreation, civic engagement, economic development, education, environmental education and preservation, and health and human services.

DAVIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

DCF has a competitive application process for North Carolina community grants in the fields of youth and literacy. The funder also provides capacity building support to nonprofits.

LOUIS DEJOY AND ALDONA WOS FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation was created to support and invest in organizations that provide opportunities for individuals to advance their education, explore career options, broaden their horizons, forge lasting relationships and become engaged contributors to their communities and society.

DOGWOOD HEALTH TRUST

The Dogwood Health Trust funds health, opioid epidemic, poverty, access to access to health care, mental health, substance use disorders, income inequality, unemployment, housing, transportation, and education in Western North Carolina.

DUKE ENDOWMENT

Duke supports childcare, healthcare, higher education, and rural church causes in North Carolina and South Carolina. James Buchanan Duke established this foundation in 1924.

EVERGREEN FOUNDATION

This mental health funder supports the seven western counties of North Carolina. intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavioral health issues, or substance abuse problems are top priority areas.

FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS

This funder serves a 13-county region in North Carolina and South Carolina. It distributes donor-advised funds and competitive grants. Funding areas include arts, education, health, housing and animals.

GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION

This funder supports rural communities in North Carolina through economic development grantmaking related to agriculture, job creation and retention, and workforce preparedness.

HIGH POINT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This funder supports the High Point, North Carolina, area in the fields of education, food security, and community cohesion. Grants are awarded once per year.

IMPACT ALAMANCE

This health legacy funder in North Carolina supports healthy eating and active lifestyles for kids, public schools, and capacity building for nonprofits. Current grant opportunities are posted on the funder’s website.

WILLIAM R. KENAN JR. CHARITABLE TRUST

This private family funder supports education (mostly higher ed), arts, arts education, and basic human needs in North Carolina, as well as in Kentucky, St. Augustine, Florida, and Lockport, New York.

LEON LEVINE FOUNDATION

Created by the founder of the Family Dollar retail store chain, Leon Levine Foundation primarily supports work in Charlotte, North Carolina, in healthcare, education, Jewish values, human services, and community. 

NORTH CAROLINA ARTS COUNCIL

The North Carolina Arts Council supports creative economy, art education, festivals, nonprofit capacity building, military and veterans healing, and other arts and culture programming in North Carolina.

NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This community funder works through many affiliate offices to address local needs in North Carolina. Broad topics of interest include education, human services, basic needs, arts, historical preservation, health, recreation, youth development, environment, and animal welfare.

OUTER BANKS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This community funder provides a variety of competitive community enrichment grants and special field of interest grants that accept unsolicited applications.

PHILLIPS FOUNDATION

This funder supports Guilford County, North Carolina, in the areas of education, children, families, homelessness, and economic development. Unsolicited applications are not accepted.

PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS CHARITIES

This corporate grocery store chain funder supports efforts related to hunger, homelessness, youth, and education in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

KATE B. REYNOLDS CHARITABLE TRUST

Mostly supports health and wellness in North Carolina, but also basic needs in Forsyth County. Commonly funded topics include diabetes, behavioral health, and access to primary care.

RHI LEGACY FOUNDATION

This funder supports programs for chronic disease, healthy eating, and active living in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Z. SMITH REYNOLDS FOUNDATION

Notable for its transparent approach to strategic planning, this funder supports North Carolina causes in economic development, strengthening democracy, the environment, education, and social justice and equality. Grants fund at the local, state and regional levels. 

C.D. SPANGLER FOUNDATION

The C. D. Spangler Foundation supports education, higher education, human services, health, religion and arts and culture in North Carolina.

R.B. TERRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The R. B. Terry Charitable Foundation supports education, youth, health and animals in North Carolina.

TRIANGLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This community funder mainly supports local groups in the areas of youth literacy, community development, arts and culture, and the environment. Durham, Chatham, Orange, and Wake counties of North Carolina are in focus.

WINSTON-SALEM FOUNDATION

This funder primarily supports Forsyth County, North Carolina in the areas of arts and culture, education, health, human services, community development, domestic animals, building social capital. There are multiple application deadlines throughout the year.

WOMEN'S GIVING GROUPS AT THE NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This community foundation has a statewide women’s fund and supports nine additional women’s giving groups in the state. Here are the basics of the 10 women-focused givers. 

WOMEN IN MOTION OF HIGH POINT

This is a women’s giving circle affiliated with the local community foundation in High Point, North Carolina. Grantmaking is focused on women, children, and families in the region.

POLK COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

This community foundation has a number of funds that provide competitive grants to a range of nonprofits in the county. Unsolicited applications are accepted for many funds.