About Crystal Coast Tournament
The Big Rock Foundation is the charitable arm of the Big Rock tournaments and strives to raise funds to benefit organizations that excel in community enrichment and enhance quality of life in Carteret County and Eastern North Carolina.
Focus Areas
Community enrichmentQuality of lifeCharitable givingYouth and family supportLocal nonprofit projects
Who They Fund
children and school-aged youthK-12 schools and school districts (bands, athletics, facilities)patients / healthcare recipientsmilitary families and local community chaptersyouth mentoring participants (men's mentoring home)recreational anglers / marine researchers
About Crystal Coast Tournament
Crystal Coast Tournament Inc. has made a large grant to its own related foundation to support child-related activities, a pattern that sits alongside a broad local portfolio across Carteret County and Eastern North Carolina. The biggest award in the recent list was $2,015,668 in 2023 to Big Rock Foundation Inc in Morehead City, followed by $1,200,000 in 2024 to the same recipient for the same purpose. That scale is unusual for a county-centered funder and shows how much of the organization’s charitable activity moves through a closely tied local institution. Beyond that relationship, the foundation funds schools, youth programs, community organizations, health-related projects, conservation, and public facilities. Recent support includes $500,000 to Carteret Health Care Foundation for facility expansion and cancer facility upgrades, $250,000 to Carteret Community Theatre for ongoing production needs, and $250,000 to Carteret County Public School Foundation for the teacher housing fund. The grant list also shows steady support for field upgrades, playgrounds, band programs, and emergency or safety equipment, suggesting a practical, project-based approach to community improvement rather than a narrow program portfolio.
What Crystal Coast Tournament Funds
Education appears repeatedly in the grant list, but often through tangible school projects rather than unrestricted support. In 2025, the foundation gave $250,000 to Carteret County Public School Foundation for the teacher housing fund, and $115,000 to Smyrna Elementary and Down East Middle to improve sports fields. Other school-linked awards funded bleacher seating at Broadcreek Middle School and a quarter-mile track at Bogue Sound Elementary School. Community and recreation projects are also prominent. The foundation awarded $83,000 to Town of Atlantic Beach for guardrails, picnic tables, a bike rack, and a sidewalk, and $78,000 to Bogue Sound Elementary School for playground equipment, including handicap accessible equipment. In the arts, it provided $250,000 to Carteret Community Theatre for ongoing production needs. Health and emergency-related grants include $500,000 to Carteret Health Care Foundation and $69,000 to West Carteret Fire and EMS for a water rescue vessel.
How Crystal Coast Tournament Gives
Typical awards cluster around a middle range: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $30,000, and the 75th percentile is $51,000. The recent list also shows several much larger project grants, so the foundation uses a mix of mid-sized awards and occasional major capital support. The grant record spans multiple years, with recipients such as Big Rock Foundation Inc, Carteret Community Theatre, Carteret County Schools-Beaufort Middle School, The Bridge Downeast, and Morehead City Little League appearing more than once. That suggests recurring relationships rather than isolated one-off awards. The organization also operates annual charity application programs and donation request forms, indicating an open solicitation channel alongside program-specific giving.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$1.7M
Total Revenue
$11.7M
Total Expenses
$10.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $51K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$51K
Geographic Reach
Local4 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MIKE THOMPSON
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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