North Carolina · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Recreation & Sports in North Carolina

Imperigo has identified 248 funders that made 1,595 grants totaling $410.8M to 298 recreation & sports organizations in North Carolina, with a median grant of $14K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Recreation & Sports Funding in North Carolina

Total granted $410.8M
Funders 248
Grants 1,595
Organizations funded 298

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. National Collegiate Athletic Association
10 grants to 2 organizations · largest $65.9M · through 2023 · 9.4% of their giving
$281.7M
2. North Carolina High School Athletic Association Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $18.3M · through 2023 · 78.1% of their giving
$22.4M
3. Charlotte Sports Foundation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $4.8M · through 2024 · 30.0% of their giving
$16.2M
4. Gator Bowl Sports Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.7M · through 2024 · 41.6% of their giving
$10.3M
5. North Carolina Community Foundation
17 grants to 10 organizations · largest $4.2M · through 2024 · 9.5% of their giving
$12.7M
6. United Jewish Charities of Greater Charlotte Inc
26 grants to 2 organizations · largest $966K · through 2024 · 27.7% of their giving
$5.8M
7. State Employees' Credit Union
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $3.0M · through 2022 · 38.9% of their giving
$3.1M
8. Kyle Petty Charity Ride Inc
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $700K · through 2023 · 33.4% of their giving
$1.5M
9. Friends Homes Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $350K · through 2019 · 15.7% of their giving
$350K
10. Carolina Hurricanes Foundation
17 grants to 9 organizations · largest $100K · through 2024 · 13.0% of their giving
$375K
11. Triangle Community Foundation Inc
39 grants to 11 organizations · largest $484K · through 2024 · 1.7% of their giving
$2.5M
12. Durham Sports Commission
15 grants to 6 organizations · largest $18K · through 2024 · 34.2% of their giving
$140K
13. American Legion Charities Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $300K · through 2021 · 3.9% of their giving
$560K
14. Walking for Kids Foundation
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $62K · through 2024 · 22.9% of their giving
$106K
15. Foundation for the Carolinas
70 grants to 34 organizations · largest $1.6M · through 2024
$6.1M
16. Davie County Chamber of Commerce
8 grants to 2 organizations · largest $14K · through 2024 · 23.3% of their giving
$80K
17. High Point Community Foundation
8 grants to 4 organizations · largest $41K · through 2024 · 7.6% of their giving
$211K
18. Gaston Community Foundation
8 grants to 3 organizations · largest $208K · through 2024 · 1.8% of their giving
$605K
19. Believers Stewardship Services Inc
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $210K · through 2024 · 1.9% of their giving
$364K
20. NC Business Leaders for Health Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $40K · through 2024 · 13.6% of their giving
$40K
21. Alabama Chapter Safari Club International
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $27K · through 2025 · 47.3% of their giving
$27K
22. North Carolina Association of Agricultural Fairs Inc
9 grants to 3 organizations · largest $17K · through 2024 · 4.6% of their giving
$115K
23. The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Inc
17 grants to 10 organizations · largest $219K · through 2024
$794K
24. The Power of Play Charitable Fund
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $20K · through 2024 · 53.7% of their giving
$20K
25. The Dale Jr Foundation
8 grants to 2 organizations · largest $25K · through 2025 · 2.7% of their giving
$124K

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to recreation & sports 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. 14 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 recreation & sports 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 recreation & sports funding in North Carolina, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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