The Champion McDowell Davis Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving locally in Wilmington, NC, providing large, unrestricted support to community institutions tied to the Davis name. Grants are directed primarily to elder-care and community services organizations, suggesting the foundation supports family-associated legacy nonprofits that serve local residents. Their pattern indicates a focus on sustaining established community service providers rather than broad, diversified philanthropy.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants (two organizations receiving the entire portfolio), repeat funding to at least one grantee, and emphasis on sustaining legacy/local institutions rather than broad distribution.
The most distinctive feature of Champion McDowell Davis Charitable Foundation Inc is its repeated support for The Davis Community in Wilmington: $800,000 in 2024, $800,000 in 2025, and $850,000 in 2026. That pattern puts a single local institution at the center of the foundation’s recent grantmaking and shows a clear preference for sustained charitable support rather than scattered awards. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s dollars stay in Wilmington and cluster around organizations tied to elder care, community services, and nonprofit infrastructure. Lower Cape Fear Life Care appears repeatedly as another major recipient, alongside Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In and Harrelson Center Help Hub, each receiving multiple grants across several years. The grants are described primarily as charitable support, operating support, or operations, which points to broad institutional backing rather than project-specific funding. The foundation’s giving also reaches StepUp Wilmington, YWCA Lower Cape Fear, Eden Village of Wilmington, Therapeutic Musicians of Coastal, YMCA SE North Carolina, and Cameron Art Museum, reinforcing a local portfolio built around established service providers and community organizations serving Wilmington residents.
Elder care and long-term care are a clear part of the foundation’s portfolio. In 2023, it gave $800,000 to CN Davis Healthcare Center for charitable support, and Lower Cape Fear Life Care received $100,000 in 2025 plus $77,500 in 2026, with earlier awards of $52,500 and $50,000. Community services and housing-related support also appear through Harrelson Center Help Hub, which received $20,000 in 2023, $22,500 in 2024, $24,750 in 2025, and $30,000 in 2026. The foundation has also backed social service and empowerment organizations, including $44,500 to YWCA Lower Cape Fear in both 2024 and 2025. In addition, it funded StepUp Wilmington with $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, then $20,000 in 2026, showing continued support for the same local nonprofit over time.
The typical grant size is $10,500 at the 25th percentile, $23,625 at the median, and $48,750 at the 75th percentile. That distribution sits alongside a few very large awards, including eight-figure-scale support in the recent record. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: The Davis Community, Lower Cape Fear Life Care, Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In, Harrelson Center Help Hub, StepUp Wilmington, and YWCA Lower Cape Fear each appear in multiple years. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant descriptions lean toward charitable support, general support, operating support, and operations, which suggests flexible institutional funding.
$1.1M
$19.8M
$1.7M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $11K and $49K, with a median of $24K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$24K
75th Percentile
$49K
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Notable grantees: The Davis Community, CN Davis Healthcare Center
Grantmaking is entirely local and entirely in North Carolina: 100% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and NC is also the top state by grant count. Wilmington is the sole recipient city shown in the recent grants list. That includes major awards to The Davis Community and CN Davis Healthcare Center, plus repeated support for Lower Cape Fear Life Care, Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In, Harrelson Center Help Hub, and StepUp Wilmington. The geographic footprint is concentrated in one metro area rather than spread across multiple states or countries.
Its recent grants go to nonprofit organizations in Wilmington, with recurring support for elder care, long-term care, assisted living, community services, and nonprofit infrastructure. Examples in the record include The Davis Community, CN Davis Healthcare Center, Lower Cape Fear Life Care, Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In, Harrelson Center Help Hub, and StepUp Wilmington.
No. All 39 grants in the recipient country distribution went to U.S. organizations, and 100% of grants were made to recipients in NC. The recent grants list shows Wilmington as the recipient city for every grant shown.
The grant-size distribution centers on a median of $23,625, with a 25th percentile of $10,500 and a 75th percentile of $48,750. The recent grants list also includes several much larger awards, including $800,000 and $850,000 grants.
They are often recurring. Several organizations appear across multiple years: The Davis Community received grants in 2024, 2025, and 2026; Lower Cape Fear Life Care in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026; and StepUp Wilmington in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Davis Community | Wilmington, NC | $850,000 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| Lower Cape Fear Life Care | Wilmington, NC | $77,500 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In | Wilmington, NC | $76,250 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| Harrelson Center Help Hub | Wilmington, NC | $30,000 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| StepUp Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| Therapeutic Musicians of Coastal | Wilmington, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Operating support |
| Eden Village of Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| Cameron Art Museum | Wilmington, NC | $11,500 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| St James Parish | Wilmington, NC | $1,250 | 2026 | Charitable Support |
| The Davis Community | Wilmington, NC | $800,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Lower Cape Fear Life Care | Wilmington, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In | Wilmington, NC | $75,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| YWCA Lower Cape Fear | Wilmington, NC | $44,500 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| YMCA SE North Carolina | Wilmington, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Harrelson Center Help Hub | Wilmington, NC | $24,750 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Therapeutic Musicians of Coastal | Wilmington, NC | $16,500 | 2025 | Operating support |
| StepUp Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Eden Village of Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $12,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Cameron Art Museum | Wilmington, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable Support |
| Salvation Army of Cape Fear | Wilmington, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable support |
| The Davis Community | Wilmington, NC | $800,000 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In | Wilmington, NC | $76,000 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Lower Cape Fear Life Care | Wilmington, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| YWCA Lower Cape Fear | Wilmington, NC | $44,500 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Eden Village of Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $37,000 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Harrelson Center Help Hub | Wilmington, NC | $22,500 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| StepUp Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $15,000 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Salvation Army of Cape Fear | Wilmington, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | Charitable support |
| Cameron Art Museum | Wilmington, NC | $9,500 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| Cape Fear Literacy Council | Wilmington, NC | $500 | 2024 | Charitable Support |
| CN Davis Healthcare Center | Wilmington, NC | $800,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Lower Cape Fear Life Care | Wilmington, NC | $52,500 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In | Wilmington, NC | $45,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Eden Village of Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $36,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Harrelson Center Help Hub | Wilmington, NC | $20,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| StepUp Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $15,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Cameron Art Museum | Wilmington, NC | $8,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Weekend Meals on Wheels | Wilmington, NC | $1,000 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
| Cape Fear Literacy Council | Wilmington, NC | $500 | 2023 | Charitable Support |
The Davis Community
$850,000Charitable Support
Lower Cape Fear Life Care
$77,500Charitable Support
Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In
$76,250Charitable Support
Harrelson Center Help Hub
$30,000Charitable Support
StepUp Wilmington
$20,000Charitable Support
Therapeutic Musicians of Coastal
$20,000Operating support
Charitable Support
Cameron Art Museum
$11,500Charitable Support
St James Parish
$1,250Charitable Support
The Davis Community
$800,000Charitable Support
Lower Cape Fear Life Care
$100,000Charitable Support
YMCA SE North Carolina
$25,000Operations
Harrelson Center Help Hub
$24,750Charitable Support
Therapeutic Musicians of Coastal
$16,500Operating support
StepUp Wilmington
$15,000Charitable Support
Cameron Art Museum
$10,000Charitable Support
Salvation Army of Cape Fear
$5,000Charitable support
The Davis Community
$800,000Charitable Support
Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilm In
$76,000Charitable Support
Lower Cape Fear Life Care
$50,000Charitable Support
Harrelson Center Help Hub
$22,500Charitable Support
StepUp Wilmington
$15,000Charitable Support
Salvation Army of Cape Fear
$10,000Charitable support
Cameron Art Museum
$9,500Charitable Support
Cape Fear Literacy Council
$500Charitable Support
CN Davis Healthcare Center
$800,000Charitable Support
Lower Cape Fear Life Care
$52,500Charitable Support
Harrelson Center Help Hub
$20,000Charitable Support
StepUp Wilmington
$15,000Charitable Support
Cameron Art Museum
$8,000Charitable Support
Weekend Meals on Wheels
$1,000Charitable Support
Cape Fear Literacy Council
$500Charitable Support