Funding by state · NC
Grantmaking in North Carolina
2,798 grantmakers are based in North Carolina. Together they granted $5.9B across the 2022 and 2023 filings, the 16th most of any state, and kept 70% of it in North Carolina. Funding here stays close to home, the 28th most in-state of any state.
North Carolina's 51,718 nonprofits, by cause, size and age ↓- 2,798
- grantmakers
- $5.9B
- granted, FY2022 and FY2023
- $280
- given per resident, per year
- 70%
- stays in-state
The short version
- 2,798 grantmakers are based in North Carolina, granting $5.9B across the FY2022 and FY2023 IRS filings, the 16th most of any state.
- 70% of grant dollars from North Carolina funders stayed in North Carolina; the rest went to organizations in other states.
- North Carolina's grantmakers give $280 a year for every resident of the state.
- North Carolina is a net importer of grant money, its organizations drawing $690M more from other states than North Carolina funders send to them.
- Grant money reaching North Carolina organizations goes to crime and legal at 2.25× the national rate.
- North Carolina has 51,718 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s, 49 for every 10,000 residents; 92% of its public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year.
Where North Carolina sits among the states
Each dot is a state, sized by its grant dollars. North Carolina is in green.
Given per resident, per year
Share that stays in-state
Net flow with other states
North Carolina and the other states
North Carolina's organizations draw $690M more from other states' foundations than North Carolina's send out. Switch direction to see who it funds and who funds it.
Donor-advised funds, related-party transfers and regrants through intermediaries are left out, so these ties show where the state's own grantmakers reach.
Largest funders based in North Carolina
Grantmakers headquartered in North Carolina, sized by total grants made. Pick one for its dossier.
Organizations in North Carolina that draw the most
The nonprofits in North Carolina that received the most grant money.
Biggest funders reaching in from elsewhere
Out-of-state funders sending the most money to organizations in North Carolina.
What draws money in North Carolina, against the country
Each cause by how much of the grant money reaching North Carolina's organizations it takes, relative to the national rate. Right of the line is overweight, left underweight. North Carolina is most overweight on crime and legal, at 2.25× the national rate. Dot size is the cause's share.
Where the money goes by org size
Grant dollars to organizations in North Carolina, by the recipient's size, against the national average (the marker). North Carolina sends a larger share to $1M to $10M organizations than the country as a whole, and less to $10M to $100M.
Find funders by cause in North Carolina
Who funds each cause in North Carolina, with the largest funders and how to reach them.
The nonprofit sector · NC
North Carolina's nonprofits
North Carolina has 51,718 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 48,986 public charities, 9,336 of them congregations, and 2,732 private foundations. 92% of the public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year, and together they report 3% of the sector's revenue. The largest 1% report 76%.
- 51,718
- registered 501(c)(3)s
- 49
- per 10,000 residents
- $89B
- charity revenue, latest returns
- 24%
- file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ
Registered 501(c)(3)s per 10,000 residents
Each dot is a state, sized by its number of 501(c)(3)s. North Carolina is in green.
What they do, by count and by money
Religion is the largest group by number, 25% of North Carolina's public charities and 3% of their revenue. Health is 6% of the charities and 45% of the revenue. North Carolina has 1.63× the national share of disaster and safety charities.
- 25%3%
- 12%24%
- 11%5%
- 6%0.9%
- 6%45%
- 5%1%
- 4%0.3%
- 3%0.8%
- 3%0.3%
- 3%Philanthropy3%
- 2%0.8%
- 2%1%
- 2%0.3%
- 2%0.9%
- 1%0.5%
- 1%0.5%
- 0.3%2%
- 2%Everything else1.0%
- 10%Not classified10%
The thin mark on the left is the national share of charities in the same cause.
Many small, a few very large
Public charities by the revenue on their latest return. Each band is drawn twice: by its share of the charities on top, and by its share of the revenue underneath.
- Under $50k
72% of charities · under 0.1% of revenue - $50k to $250k
12% of charities · 0.7% of revenue - $250k to $1M
8% of charities · 2% of revenue - $1M to $10M
6% of charities · 9% of revenue - $10M to $100M
1% of charities · 17% of revenue - $100M and up
0.2% of charities · 72% of revenue
What the IRS sees
Only charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ report their finances. Financial figures about nonprofits, here and in any study built on 990s, describe 24% of North Carolina's public charities.
- 24% file a Form 990 or 990-EZ
11,821 charities · 26% nationally - 56% file only the e-Postcard (990-N)
27,450 charities · 54% nationally - 20% file no return of their own (mostly congregations)
9,715 charities · 20% nationally
How new they are
Half of North Carolina's public charities were recognized by the IRS in 2015 or later, and 35% since 2020 (32% nationally). The register lists only organizations still recognized, so the older decades count survivors.
The line across each bar is the national share for that decade. The 2020s are a partial decade.
North Carolina's largest charities
By total revenue on each one's latest return. A health system files as several organizations, so one system can appear more than once.
How they are doing
Financial health of the charities that file full returns, against every state.
FY2023 returns from 12,219 North Carolina charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ and spending $50k or more; cash figures are from the 8,974 full 990 filers among them. The national health report.
Counts, causes, revenue and recognition dates are from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, which records recognitions through May 2026. A charity is placed by its mailing address. Causes are NTEE major groups, with health's sub-groups folded in; a congregation the IRS has given no NTEE code counts under religion. Revenue is each organization's own latest return, summed, so payments between related organizations are counted on both sides.
Questions and answers
- What does it mean for grant money to stay in-state?
- It is the share of grants made by funders based in North Carolina that reached organizations also located in North Carolina, rather than organizations in other states. A high share means local funders mostly back local causes; a low one means the money largely leaves.
- Is North Carolina a major grantmaking state?
- North Carolina ranks 16th of the 52 states and territories by grant dollars from resident funders. The largest grantmaking states are California and New York; the most outward, where money mostly leaves, are domiciles like Delaware.
- How can a nonprofit find funders in North Carolina?
- Start with the largest grantmakers based in North Carolina, currently The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc and North Carolina Teachers and State Employees Benefit Trust. Out-of-state funders also reach in, led by Gates Foundation. Grant money reaching North Carolina favors crime and legal above the national rate, so funders active there are worth approaching.
- How many nonprofits are there in North Carolina?
- 51,718 organizations in North Carolina are registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 48,986 public charities, 9,336 of them congregations, and 2,732 private foundations. Only 24% of the public charities file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ; 56% file only the e-Postcard, for organizations normally taking in $50,000 or less, and the rest, mostly congregations, file no return of their own. The count is from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File.
- How recent is this North Carolina grant data?
- It is read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file filings for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the two years with complete coverage. US charity filings lag 12 to 24 months, so this is the most recent complete picture.
More from the funding graph
Read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file XML for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. A funder is placed by the state on its most recent filing. Grants only: payments into and out of donor-advised fund sponsors, transfers to related organizations, regrants through intermediaries, non-philanthropic payments and grants to individuals are left out. In-state share is among grants whose recipient state is known; ties with other states and the net flow count only grants placed at both ends. Residents are Census ACS 5-year estimates (2019 to 2023). Source: IRS Form 990 downloads.