The Charles and Melanie Winton Foundation concentrates giving in the southeastern U.S., with a strong emphasis on education (from K–12 school support and teacher residency programs to several universities) and faith-based community organizations. Grants are typically general operating support and often directed to institutions that combine education, community development and faith missions; housing (Habitat for Humanity) and youth-serving nonprofits also appear regularly. Recipients include repeat grantees and a mix of higher education, local school systems, churches, and community development groups.
The Charles and Melanie Winton Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by multi-year operating support for education institutions and faith-based organizations, with several repeat grantees appearing across 2023 and 2025. The largest grant on file is $153,000 to the University of Memphis for operations, and the foundation also backed Claflin University three times in the recent list, including two awards in 2025. That pattern suggests a funder that supports institutions over time rather than only through one-off awards. Education is a central thread in the portfolio. Grants reach universities, K–12-related organizations, teacher residency efforts, and school support nonprofits, alongside churches and ministries that serve as community anchors. Habitat for Humanity also appears twice in the recent grants list, pointing to interest in housing and neighborhood stability. The foundation’s giving is not limited to one type of institution: it includes higher education, school systems, faith communities, youth-serving organizations, and local service groups. The recent grants also show a mix of larger operating gifts and smaller awards to community organizations, with recipient locations spread across the Southeast and a few additional U.S. cities.
Education-related grants form the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent list. In 2025, it gave $153,000 to the University of Memphis for operations, and it also gave $100,000 to Memphis Teacher Residency for operations. Claflin University received three operating grants across 2023 and 2025, including awards of $115,000 and $110,000 in 2025. Faith-based organizations are another recurring category. The foundation gave $100,000 to Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, in both 2023 and 2025, and it supported St John Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, with $25,000 in 2025. Housing and community support also appear in the portfolio. Habitat for Humanity received $100,000 in 2025, while Classroom Central received $15,000 for operations. The recent grants further include youth and service organizations such as Carolina Youth Coalition and Rainbow Express Ministries.
The grant distribution is layered: p25 is $5,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $77,500. That spread matches a portfolio with both modest community grants and larger institutional awards. The foundation appears to support some recipients across multiple years, including Claflin University, Alfred Street Baptist Church, Habitat for Humanity, and several other repeat grantees in the recent list. Most awards are listed as operating support, with a smaller number tied to program-specific purposes such as educational programs, meals, food distribution, mammograms, and hurricane relief. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF vehicle or an individual giving entity.
$515K
$8.7M
$1.3M
$556K
Most grants fall between $5K and $78K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$78K
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Moderately concentrated: a small portfolio of 14 grants with several multi‑grant relationships and sizable awards focused on operating support. Funding is regionally targeted in the Southeast and leans toward institutional partners (universities, school foundations, churches, Habitat) rather than many small one‑off grants.
Notable grantees: Claflin University, Alfred Street Baptist Church, Habitat for Humanity, CMS Foundation, Memphis Teacher Residency
Giving is regional and concentrated in the Southeast. North Carolina recipients appear often, including Charlotte, Matthews, Gastonia, and Stallings. Texas is the top state by grant count, with recipients in Memphis? Actually Memphis is Tennessee; Texas recipients in Amarillo show up more than once. South Carolina recipients include Orangeburg and Talladega? Talladega is Alabama. Florida recipients include Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale. All recent grants in the provided list went to U.S. organizations, with no non-U.S. recipient countries shown.
The recent grants show repeated support for universities, teacher-development organizations, churches and ministries, housing groups, and youth-serving nonprofits. Education and faith-based institutions are especially prominent, with operating support appearing across multiple years for several of those recipients.
Typical awards sit at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $77,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes several larger operating grants at $100,000 or more.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Claflin University, Alfred Street Baptist Church, and Habitat for Humanity. That repeated pattern points to ongoing support for selected institutions rather than purely one-time awards.
The foundation’s giving is regional, with strong concentration in the Southeast. Recent recipients are located in cities such as Memphis, Charlotte, Orangeburg, Alexandria, Fort Myers, and Amarillo, and all of the listed grants go to U.S. organizations.
Most of the recent grants are listed as operations or operating support. A smaller number are tied to specific purposes, including educational programs and meals, food distribution, mammograms, and Florida Hurricane Ian relief.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY | ORANGEBURG, SC | $110,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| THE JOHN CROSLAND SCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $69,458 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| UNCF CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $58,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CHAPPELL MEMORIAL BAPTIST (CHARLOTTE) | CHARLOTTE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CMS FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| GASTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | GASTONIA, NC | $12,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BROOKSTONE SCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH STATESVILLE | STATESVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| NOURISH UP CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ST PAUL BAPTIST CHURCH | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CAROLINA YOUTH COALITION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HEALING HEARTS HEALING HOMES FOUNDATION | DOUGLASVILLE, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| THE LINKS FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SUSAN G KOMEN | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH | STATESVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| RAINBOW EXPRESS MINISTRIES | MATTHEWS, NC | $2,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BREAKTHROUGH T1D | CHARLOTTE, NC | $2,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY | GREENSBORO, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS | Memphis, TN | $153,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Claflin University | Orangeburg, SC | $115,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY | Orangeburg, SC | $110,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| MEMPHIS TEACHER RESIDENCY | Memphis, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Habitat for Humanity | Charlotte, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH | Alexandria, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| CMS FOUNDATION | Charlotte, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Christian Brothers University | Memphis, TN | $55,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIV | Fort Myers, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| St John Baptist Church | Amarillo, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute | Kansas City, MO | $20,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Prayer Temple COGIC | Amarillo, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Classroom Central | Charlotte, NC | $15,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Gaston Christian School | Gastonia, NC | $12,500 | 2025 | Operations |
| CAROLINA YOUTH COALITION | Charlotte, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| RAINBOW EXPRESS MINISTRIES | Matthews, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Talladega College | Talladega, AL | $6,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Shallow Ford Foundation | Clemmons, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| FEED NORTH CAROLINA | Mooresville, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Brookstone Schools | Charlotte, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| BROOKSTONE SCHOOLS | Charlotte, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| FRIEDMAN FOUNDAITON | New York City, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| Southminster Church | Gastonia, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| BLACK GIRLS CODE | Oakland, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| SUSAN G KOMEN | Dallas, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | Operations |
| MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION | Memphis, TN | $2,500 | 2025 | Operations |
| T TIME FOUNDATION | Nashville, TN | $2,000 | 2025 | Operations |
| HARVEY GANTT CENTER | Charlotte, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | Operations |
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA
$100,000OPERATIONS
UNCF CHARLOTTE
$58,500OPERATIONS
CHAPPELL MEMORIAL BAPTIST (CHARLOTTE)
$25,000OPERATIONS
OPERATIONS
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
$25,000OPERATIONS
GASTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$12,500OPERATIONS
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH STATESVILLE
$10,000OPERATIONS
NOURISH UP CHARLOTTE
$10,000OPERATIONS
ST PAUL BAPTIST CHURCH
$10,000OPERATIONS
HEALING HEARTS HEALING HOMES FOUNDATION
$10,000OPERATIONS
SUSAN G KOMEN
$5,000OPERATIONS
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
$5,000OPERATIONS
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY
$5,000OPERATIONS
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
$3,000OPERATIONS
RAINBOW EXPRESS MINISTRIES
$2,500OPERATIONS
BREAKTHROUGH T1D
$2,500OPERATIONS
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
$2,000OPERATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
$153,000Operations
Habitat for Humanity
$100,000Operations
ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
$100,000Operations
Christian Brothers University
$55,000Operations
FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIV
$50,000Operations
St John Baptist Church
$25,000Operations
Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute
$20,000Operations
Prayer Temple COGIC
$15,000Operations
Gaston Christian School
$12,500Operations
RAINBOW EXPRESS MINISTRIES
$10,000Operations
Shallow Ford Foundation
$5,000Operations
FEED NORTH CAROLINA
$5,000Operations
Brookstone Schools
$5,000Operations
FRIEDMAN FOUNDAITON
$5,000Operations
Southminster Church
$5,000Operations
SUSAN G KOMEN
$2,500Operations
MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION
$2,500Operations
T TIME FOUNDATION
$2,000Operations
HARVEY GANTT CENTER
$1,000Operations