The Barnhill Family Foundation makes a small number of relatively large, targeted gifts that concentrate on health-care capacity and education in eastern North Carolina, with additional support for local history/cultural sites and refugee services. Their grants fund both clinical/research priorities (scholarships, recruitment, and cellular immunotherapy) and place-based community investments (K–12 innovation, historic preservation, and refugee support).
Barnhill Family Foundation’s largest recent gift on file is a $500,000 commitment to University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina Foundation for the ECU Health Scholarship fund and Recruitment Endowment fund. That single award captures a broader pattern: the foundation uses targeted, often sizeable grants to build capacity in eastern North Carolina, especially in health care and education. Across the recent grants list, it also supports clinical and research infrastructure, school-based innovation, scholarships, and community institutions tied to place. The foundation has backed UNC Health Foundation for cellular immunotherapy work, Edgecombe County public school initiatives, and postsecondary scholarship support at UNC Kenan-Flagler. Its portfolio also includes gifts for historic preservation at Tryon Palace and refugee services through Operation Resolute. The result is a grantmaking profile that blends human-capital investment with institution-building, with many awards directed to organizations serving regional communities in North Carolina. Recent grants show repeated support for some grantees across multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards. The overall pattern is practical and program-specific, with each grant tied to a named fund, project, or initiative.
Health care and clinical innovation are central to the Barnhill Family Foundation’s giving. In 2023, it gave $200,000 to UNC Health Foundation for the Barnhill Fund for Advances in Cellular Immunotherapy, and it also supported WakeMed with $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for Pediatric Behavioral Health Innovation. A related grant of $58,657 to East Carolina University supported Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback in COVID-19 Patients. Education support appears in both K–12 and postsecondary forms. Edgecombe County Public Schools Educational Foundation received $152,794 in 2024 and $144,847 in 2023 for North Phillips School of Innovation, plus $145,487 for Science of Reading Capacity in Edgecombe County fund and $65,345 for Elementary After School Programming and Family Medication Management. The foundation also gave $125,000 in 2024 and again in 2025 to Kenan-flagler Business School Foundation for Barnhill Assured Admit Scholars at UNC Kenan-Flagler. Place-based community work also shows up in grants such as $100,000 to Casa for King’s Ridge and $163,000 to Operation Resolute for The Refuge fund.
$2.2M
$31.4M
$6.1M
$2.6M
Most grants fall between $5K and $30K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$30K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NC.
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Concentrated giving: a small portfolio of large, one-off or single-year gifts to institutional grantees rather than many small awards; geographically focused on eastern North Carolina; mixes health/medical philanthropy with local education and community services.
Notable grantees: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (ECU Health), UNC Health Foundation, Tryon Palace Foundation, Operation Resolute, Edgecombe County Public Schools Educational Foundation
Typical grant size centers around $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $12,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile, while the recent list also includes several $100,000-plus awards. The foundation’s pattern is selective rather than high-volume, with repeated grants to the same organizations across multiple years, including UNC Kenan-Flagler, WakeMed, Casa, NCInnovation, and Edgecombe County Public Schools Educational Foundation. It funds individuals and appears to use restricted, project-tied awards rather than open-ended support. The portfolio also includes long-term support through named funds and endowment-style purposes, such as scholarship and recruitment funds.
Grantmaking is concentrated in North Carolina, which accounts for the top state by grant count. Recipient cities in the recent list include Greenville, Chapel Hill, Tarboro, Raleigh, Durham, New Bern, Belhaven, Rocky Mount, and Winterville. Outside North Carolina, the recent grants list includes Houston, Texas; New York, New York; and Woodberry Forest, Virginia. All grants in the recipient-country distribution go to U.S. organizations.
The foundation backs universities, health systems, public school foundations, community nonprofits, and cultural institutions. Recent awards include scholarship and recruitment support, cellular immunotherapy research, school innovation and literacy work, refugee services, and historic preservation projects.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including WakeMed in 2024 and 2025 for Pediatric Behavioral Health Innovation, Casa in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for King’s Ridge, and Kenan-flagler Business School Foundation in 2024 and 2025 for Barnhill Assured Admit Scholars at UNC Kenan-Flagler.
The recent grant distribution shows a 25th percentile of $5,000, a median of $12,000, and a 75th percentile of $30,000. The list also includes larger strategic awards, such as $500,000 for ECU Health scholarship and recruitment support and several $100,000 gifts.
Its grants go most often to North Carolina recipients. The recent list includes organizations in Greenville, Chapel Hill, Tarboro, Raleigh, Durham, New Bern, Belhaven, Rocky Mount, Winterville, Nashville, Cary, and Bethel.
Recent grants point to health care and biomedical innovation, K–12 education and literacy, scholarship support, behavioral health, housing-related work, refugee services, historic preservation, and nature conservation. Named examples include cellular immunotherapy, science of reading, pediatric behavioral health, and the Refuge fund.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC HEALTH FOUNDATION INC | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $250,000 | 2026 | UNC Whole Brain Health Program - Epilepsy Transition Clinic |
| EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA | TARBORO, NC | $230,000 | 2026 | Edgecombe County Public Schools Early Literacy Fund |
| KENAN-FLAGLER BUSINESS SCHOOL FOUNDATION | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $125,000 | 2026 | Barnhill Assured Admit Scholars at UNC Kenan-Flagler |
| EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA | TARBORO, NC | $115,000 | 2026 | ECPS Educational Foundation Capacity-Building: Foundation Director Position Fund |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $102,000 | 2026 | Applying Artificial Intelligence to Pediatric Retinal Screening with Ultra-Widefield Fundus Imaging |
| WAKEMED | RALEIGH, NC | $100,000 | 2026 | Pediatric Behavioral Health Innovation |
| NCINNOVATION INC | DURHAM, NC | $100,000 | 2026 | NCInnovation, Inc. |
| HELPING A HERO ORG | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2026 | the Kelsey McInnis Home Project, Rocky Mount, NC |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $67,500 | 2026 | Hurricane Helene Relief |
| BOYS CLUB OF WAKE COUNTY INC | RALEIGH, NC | $54,614 | 2026 | B.E.S.T. - Behavioral & Emotional Support Team |
| MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM | RALEIGH, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | Bigger Play, Brighter Futures - Marbles Renovation Project |
| EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA | TARBORO, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | Telling Our Story |
| NORTH CAROLINA BUSINESS LEADERS FOR EDUCATION | CARY, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | Expanding Capacity to Support Teacher Apprenticeships Educator Innovation in North Carolina |
| WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL | WOODBERRY FOREST, VA | $46,000 | 2026 | Leigh and Rob Edwards Scholarship Fund |
| CENTER FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP DEVEL | BETHEL, NC | $40,000 | 2026 | general & unrestricted |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $38,613 | 2026 | Joshua's Challenge Literacy Program |
| BOYS CLUB OF WAKE COUNTY INC | RALEIGH, NC | $35,000 | 2026 | Great Futures |
| SOUTHSIDE ACADEMY INCORPORATED | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $35,000 | 2026 | Strategic Development Consulting |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $30,000 | 2026 | Scholarships and Support for Future CMS Teachers |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $30,000 | 2026 | Teach For America Eastern NC: Edgecombe General Operating Support |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE TAR RIVER REGION INC | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $26,000 | 2026 | BE Well |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $25,747 | 2026 | Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Prevention Clinical Model for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in High Risk Patients |
| NORTH CAROLINA BUSINESS LEADERS FOR EDUCATION | CARY, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | BEST NC: Expanding Capacity to Support Educator Innovation & Pathways to Excellence for the NC Teacher Pipeline |
| MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM | RALEIGH, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | Marbles Ready Set School Memberships + TriplePLAY Partnership |
| MI CO CORPORATION | TARBORO, NC | $22,750 | 2026 | The Champions Academy |
| BOYS CLUB OF WAKE COUNTY INC | RALEIGH, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Fox Road Basketball Courts |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Myanmar Relief |
| NC HISTORY CENTER ON THE CIVIL WAR EMANCIPATION & | FAYETTEVILLE, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Main Resource Center Building |
| PEACEMAKERS OF ROCKY MOUNT INCORPORATED | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Freedom School |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | BARNHILL PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION INNOVATION FUND |
| NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | RALEIGH, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Funds for the Shelton Leadership Center |
| BREAKTHROUGH T1D | HAGERSTOWN, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | Research to Cure T1D |
| HELPING A HERO ORG | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | Patriot Award Dinner Sponsor |
| FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL & EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA INC | RALEIGH, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE TAR RIVER REGION INC | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | Project Learn |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | One Day Breakfast - Award Sponsor |
| PEACEMAKERS OF ROCKY MOUNT INCORPORATED | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $12,500 | 2026 | Mold Remediation |
| URBANPROMISE CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $12,000 | 2026 | UrbanPromise Charlotte StreetLeader and Out-of-School-Time Programs |
| THOMPSON CHILD & FAMILY FOCUS | MATTHEWS, NC | $12,000 | 2026 | Friends of the Children - Charlotte and School-Based Outpatient Therapy |
| CENTER FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP DEVEL | BETHEL, NC | $12,000 | 2026 | Promotional Professional Video production for Fundraising, Public Relations, and Recruitment |
| CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Early Childhood Programming: Active Reading |
| THE RELATIVES INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Guiding Youth in Crisis to Safety, Stability and Independence |
| CROSSNORE COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN | NEWLAND, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TARBORO COMMUNITY OUTREACH INC | TARBORO, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HILL CENTER INC | DURHAM, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Launching Hill's New Strategy - Innovation Fund in honor of Beth Anderson |
| ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| DOWN EAST PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN | ROCKY MOUNT, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Elevator Repairs |
| NASH-ROCKY MOUNT SCHOOL DISTRICT | NASHVILLE, NC | $8,400 | 2026 | Mental Health Services for Services in Need |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $7,500 | 2026 | Hurricane Helene Relief |
UNC Whole Brain Health Program - Epilepsy Transition Clinic
EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA
$230,000Edgecombe County Public Schools Early Literacy Fund
Barnhill Assured Admit Scholars at UNC Kenan-Flagler
EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA
$115,000ECPS Educational Foundation Capacity-Building: Foundation Director Position Fund
Applying Artificial Intelligence to Pediatric Retinal Screening with Ultra-Widefield Fundus Imaging
WAKEMED
$100,000Pediatric Behavioral Health Innovation
NCINNOVATION INC
$100,000NCInnovation, Inc.
EDGECOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDA
$50,000Telling Our Story
Expanding Capacity to Support Teacher Apprenticeships Educator Innovation in North Carolina
CENTER FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP DEVEL
$40,000general & unrestricted
THE SALVATION ARMY
$38,613Joshua's Challenge Literacy Program
SOUTHSIDE ACADEMY INCORPORATED
$35,000Strategic Development Consulting
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
$30,000Scholarships and Support for Future CMS Teachers
TEACH FOR AMERICA INC
$30,000Teach For America Eastern NC: Edgecombe General Operating Support
Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Prevention Clinical Model for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in High Risk Patients
BEST NC: Expanding Capacity to Support Educator Innovation & Pathways to Excellence for the NC Teacher Pipeline
Marbles Ready Set School Memberships + TriplePLAY Partnership
MI CO CORPORATION
$22,750The Champions Academy
NC HISTORY CENTER ON THE CIVIL WAR EMANCIPATION &
$20,000Main Resource Center Building
PEACEMAKERS OF ROCKY MOUNT INCORPORATED
$20,000Freedom School
General Operating Funds for the Shelton Leadership Center
BREAKTHROUGH T1D
$15,000Research to Cure T1D
TEACH FOR AMERICA INC
$15,000One Day Breakfast - Award Sponsor
PEACEMAKERS OF ROCKY MOUNT INCORPORATED
$12,500Mold Remediation
UrbanPromise Charlotte StreetLeader and Out-of-School-Time Programs
Friends of the Children - Charlotte and School-Based Outpatient Therapy
CENTER FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP DEVEL
$12,000Promotional Professional Video production for Fundraising, Public Relations, and Recruitment
Early Childhood Programming: Active Reading
Guiding Youth in Crisis to Safety, Stability and Independence
Launching Hill's New Strategy - Innovation Fund in honor of Beth Anderson
THE SALVATION ARMY
$10,000General & Unrestricted
NASH-ROCKY MOUNT SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,400Mental Health Services for Services in Need