Does Carolina Thread Trail accept unsolicited proposals?

Yes. Its active Implementation Grant Program and Carolina Thread Trail Implementation Grants are both described as rolling programs that accept unsolicited applications. The program materials also say the grants provide financial and technical support to communities and partner organizations.

What size grants does Carolina Thread Trail usually make?

Typical grant size is in the mid-five-figure range: p25 is $30,000, median is $35,000, and p75 is $76,250. The recent list also shows a broad spread, from $8,000 up to a $7,463,261 award.

Where does Carolina Thread Trail give most often?

Its giving is local, and 89% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina. The recent grants list also includes South Carolina recipients, but North Carolina is the clear center of activity by grant count.

Who receives Carolina Thread Trail grants?

Recent recipients include Foundation for the Carolinas, City of Shelby, Town of Richfield, Town of Cramerton, Friends of North Stanly Trails and Parks, Iredell County Parks & Recreation, and City of Rock Hill. The list is weighted toward municipalities, parks and recreation agencies, and local trail organizations.

Carolina Thread Trail

Name: Carolina Thread Trail — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePublic Charity

CHARLOTTE, NCWebsite

EIN (Tax ID):

About Carolina Thread Trail

Creating a legacy of conservation and connectivity through a regional network of trails.

Focus Areas

trailsgreenwaysbluewaysland conservationoutdoor recreationnon-motorized transportationcommunity planningenvironmental educationeconomic developmentpublic health

Who They Fund

local community residentshikers and trail userscyclists and non-motorized commutersmunicipalities and parks & recreation agencies

About Carolina Thread Trail

Carolina Thread Trail’s 2023 grantmaking was anchored by a single infrastructure-scale award: $7,463,261 to Foundation for the Carolinas for trail development. That grant sits alongside a series of smaller implementation awards to municipalities and local partners across the Carolina Thread Trail footprint, showing a model built around trail construction, connectivity, and community-based projects. The foundation supports trails, greenways, blueways, land conservation, outdoor recreation, and non-motorized transportation, with related attention to community planning, environmental education, economic development, and public health. Its stated purpose is creating a legacy of conservation and connectivity through a regional network of trails. Recent grants also show a strong public-sector and place-based orientation. City governments, county agencies, and local trail organizations appear frequently, including City of Shelby, Town of Richfield, Town of Cramerton, Town of Wadesboro, and Iredell County Parks & Recreation. The pattern suggests funding for projects that move beyond concept stage into implementation, with financial and technical support described as catalytic funding that can help attract public sources. Carolina Thread Trail’s giving is local and concentrated in its 15-county region across North Carolina and South Carolina.

What Carolina Thread Trail Funds

Trail development is the clearest throughline in the recent awards. Carolina Thread Trail gave $275,000 to City of Shelby for trail development, $87,061 to Town of Richfield for trail development, and $86,700 to Town of Cramerton for trail development. Those awards align with its implementation-grant model for community-based trails, greenways, blueways, and conservation. Public agencies and local nonprofit partners also appear in the trail-building mix. The foundation awarded $40,000 to Friends of North Stanly Trails and Parks for trail development and $30,000 to Iredell County Parks & Recreation for trail development, pointing to projects that involve both municipal and community-led work. Connectivity and access are reinforced by grants such as $30,000 to City of Rock Hill for trail development and $30,000 to City of Concord for trail development. The grant list also includes smaller awards tied to specific trail projects in towns such as Waxhaw, Spencer, Mount Pleasant, and Marshville, showing support for a network of local connectors rather than a single corridor.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$8.4M

Total Assets

Total Revenue

$338K

Total Expenses

$9.8M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $30K and $76K, with a median of $35K.

25th Percentile

$30K

Median

$35K

75th Percentile

$76K

Geographic Reach

Local2 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS	CHARLOTTE, NC	$7,463,261	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF SHELBY	SHELBY, NC	$275,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF RICHFIELD	RICHFIELD, NC	$87,061	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF CRAMERTON	CRAMERTON, NC	$86,700	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF WADESBORO	WADESBORO, NC	$85,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF WAXHAW	WAXHAW, NC	$50,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF SPENCER	SPENCER, NC	$50,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT	MOUNT PLEASANT, NC	$43,923	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
FRIENDS OF NORTH STANLY TRAILS AND PARKS	RICHFIELD, NC	$40,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
IREDELL COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION	STATESVILLE, NC	$30,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
KINGS MOUNTAIN GATEWAY TRAILS INC	KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC	$30,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF GREAT FALLS	GREAT FALLS, SC	$30,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF ROCK HILL	ROCK HILL, SC	$30,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF CONCORD	CONCORD, NC	$30,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY	CHARLOTTE, NC	$17,760	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF BESSEMER CITY	BESSEMER CITY, NC	$15,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
TOWN OF MARSHVILLE	MARSHVILLE, NC	$14,500	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF LOWELL	LOWELL, NC	$8,000	2023	TRAIL DEVELOPMENT

Carolina Thread Trail

About Carolina Thread Trail

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About Carolina Thread Trail

What Carolina Thread Trail Funds

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Deep Analysis

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Where Carolina Thread Trail Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Carolina Thread Trail

What kinds of projects does Carolina Thread Trail fund?

Does Carolina Thread Trail accept unsolicited proposals?

What size grants does Carolina Thread Trail usually make?

Where does Carolina Thread Trail give most often?

Who receives Carolina Thread Trail grants?

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