Foundation for the Carolinas

CHARLOTTE, NC EIN: 56-6047886 Website

INSPIRING PHILANTHROPY AND STRENGTHENING OUR REGION THROUGH INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND QUALITY SERVICES TO DONORS AND CONSTITUENTS.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF

Total Assets

$3.9B

+12.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$609.1M

+15.9% YoY

Grant Count

1,605

+14.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$379K

+1.0% YoY

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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$262M$524M$787M$1.0B20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$3,934,238,899$3,492,760,144$3,064,138,829
Revenue$761,389,623$538,046,453$953,517,849
Expenses$849,185,395$582,472,149$414,316,706
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income$87,323,425$70,915,744$50,596,670
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$152M$305M$457M$609M1,240 grants20201,598 grants20211,348 grants20221,399 grants20231,605 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

CATAWBA COLLEGE$56.6MSOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL L…$26.5MINTERNATIONAL RESCUE COM…$24.0MLEAGUE OF CONSERVATION V…$20.0MDUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL …$17.0MNOVA UKRAINE$16.0MPLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTH…$14.1MDUKE CANCER INSTITUTE$13.0MROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE$12.3MJOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY$11.8M

Grant Size Distribution

7,190 grants across all recorded years

4615<$50K826$50–100K751$100–250K333$250–500K259$500K–1M325$1–5M81$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Who else does Foundation for the Carolinas fund?

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Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

CATHY BESSANTCEO$571KLAURA SMITHFORMER COO$436KBLAIR STANFORDCELC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$267KDOUGLAS W BENSONCHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE AND CHI…$258KNIKHIL SAWANTCIO (THRU 3/1/24)$246KLAURA YATES CLARKPRESIDENT$234KALYSSA FEDERICOCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (TRE…$229KFEDERICO G RIOSSVP, CIVIC LEADERSHIP$216KEVAN N WOLKOFSKYGENERAL COUNSEL (ASST SECRET…$213KELIZABETH KISERCHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER$202KMUNRO C RICHARDSONREAD CHARLOTTE EXECUTIVE DIR…$199KSHERRI S CHISHOLMLOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$195KTARA KEENERCHIEF MARKETING OFFICER (ASS…$172KSEAN SEIFERTCAROLINA THEATRE EXECUTIVE$150KROBIN BAREFOOTASSOCIATE COUNSEL$139K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
ARRINGTON MIXONCHAIR0.5
MARIAN STEELE CLARKDIRECTOR0.5
KIETH COCKRELLCHAIR ELECT0.5
MALCOMB COLEYDIRECTOR0.5
SHARYN ELLISONDIRECTOR0.5
BETSY FLEMINGDIRECTOR0.5
LYNN GOODDIRECTOR0.5
TODD GORELICKDIRECTOR0.5
JADA GRANDY-MOCKDIRECTOR0.5
KELLY KATTERHAGENDIRECTOR0.5
SUSAN KLUTTZDIRECTOR0.5
RALPH LOPEZ-MASSASDIRECTOR0.5
TROPZIE MCCLUNEYDIRECTOR0.5
GENE MCLAURINDIRECTOR0.5
TOM NELSONDIRECTOR0.5
EDWARD SERNADIRECTOR0.5
FRED WHITFIELDDIRECTOR0.5
BILL MARTINDIRECTOR0.5
ASHA RODRIGUEZDIRECTOR0.5
CATHY BESSANTCEO50$571,104
DOUGLAS W BENSONCHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE AND CHIEF RISK OFFICER (SECRE50$258,355
ALYSSA FEDERICOCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (TREASURER)50$228,615
EVAN N WOLKOFSKYGENERAL COUNSEL (ASST SECRETARY)50$213,325
LAURA YATES CLARKPRESIDENT50$234,479
TARA KEENERCHIEF MARKETING OFFICER (ASST SECRETARY)50$171,869
BLAIR STANFORDCELC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR50$267,230
ELIZABETH KISERCHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER50$202,221
SEAN SEIFERTCAROLINA THEATRE EXECUTIVE50$150,154
NIKHIL SAWANTCIO (THRU 3/1/24)50$245,614
MUNRO C RICHARDSONREAD CHARLOTTE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR50$199,175
FEDERICO G RIOSSVP, CIVIC LEADERSHIP50$216,270
SHERRI S CHISHOLMLOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR50$195,493
ROBIN BAREFOOTASSOCIATE COUNSEL50$139,084
LAURA SMITHFORMER COO50$436,231

Geographic Focus

Where this funder has awarded grants

Grant Distribution by State

51states
+44 more states

Cities

AberdeenAbingdonActonAcworthAikenAlbanyAlbemarleAledoAlexandriaAllianceAlpharettaAmblerAmericusAmherstAndersonAnn ArborAnnandaleAnnapolisAntonitoArden

Data last updated March 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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