North Carolina · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Arts & Culture in North Carolina

Imperigo has identified 507 funders that made 6,744 grants totaling $515.7M to 766 arts & culture organizations in North Carolina, with a median grant of $16K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Arts & Culture Funding in North Carolina

Total granted $515.7M
Funders 507
Grants 6,744
Organizations funded 766

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust
76 grants to 15 organizations · largest $7.1M · through 2024 · 95.6% of their giving
$51.9M
2. Foundation for the Carolinas
339 grants to 118 organizations · largest $5.9M · through 2024 · 4.9% of their giving
$100.2M
3. North Carolina Symphony Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.2M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$4.8M
4. Rockefeller Family Fund Inc
2 grants to 2 organizations · largest $9.7M · through 2024 · 9.0% of their giving
$9.9M
5. Bruce Barclay Cameron Foundation Inc
12 grants to 4 organizations · largest $900K · through 2024 · 33.8% of their giving
$4.2M
6. Arts Sciences & Cultural Council of Charlotte Mecklenburg Inc
36 grants to 35 organizations · largest $483K · through 2024 · 69.3% of their giving
$4.1M
7. Cccd Foundation
15 grants to 6 organizations · largest $675K · through 2024 · 98.5% of their giving
$4.0M
8. The Arts Council of Fayetteville Cumberland County Inc
36 grants to 9 organizations · largest $314K · through 2023 · 59.8% of their giving
$3.0M
9. Polk County Community Foundation Inc
42 grants to 9 organizations · largest $458K · through 2024 · 27.5% of their giving
$2.8M
10. United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc
149 grants to 47 organizations · largest $75K · through 2024 · 57.0% of their giving
$2.8M
11. Foundation for the Mint Museum
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.0M · through 2022 · 100.0% of their giving
$2.5M
12. Charlotte Center City Partners
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $671K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$2.4M
13. The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc
200 grants to 71 organizations · largest $556K · through 2024 · 5.8% of their giving
$7.5M
14. Cumberland Community Foundation Inc
33 grants to 12 organizations · largest $472K · through 2024 · 10.4% of their giving
$2.9M
15. Triangle Community Foundation Inc
236 grants to 72 organizations · largest $330K · through 2024 · 4.4% of their giving
$6.8M
16. North Carolina Humanities Council
93 grants to 62 organizations · largest $20K · through 2023 · 42.8% of their giving
$1.3M
17. Cherokee Preservation Foundation Inc
11 grants to 5 organizations · largest $418K · through 2022 · 14.4% of their giving
$1.7M
18. Greensboro Symphony Endowment Fund
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $292K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.2M
19. United Arts Council of Catawba County Inc
21 grants to 6 organizations · largest $66K · through 2024 · 53.8% of their giving
$929K
20. Our Three Winners Foundation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $690K · through 2025 · 39.5% of their giving
$781K
21. North Carolina Community Foundation
167 grants to 75 organizations · largest $179K · through 2024 · 3.0% of their giving
$4.1M
22. Rowan Arts Council Inc
21 grants to 5 organizations · largest $59K · through 2024 · 89.2% of their giving
$565K
23. Opera Carolina Endowment
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $318K · through 2023 · 100.0% of their giving
$512K
24. The Old School- Asheville
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $250K · through 2022 · 67.1% of their giving
$500K
25. The Winston-Salem Foundation
138 grants to 57 organizations · largest $261K · through 2023 · 1.5% of their giving
$6.3M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to arts & culture work in North Carolina, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 16 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in North Carolina

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering arts & culture work, with an address in North Carolina. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable arts & culture funding in North Carolina, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

Looking for organizations rather than funders? Browse all nonprofits in North Carolina

Research North Carolina funders in depth

Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.