The David and Susan Schoenholz Foundation gives in a fairly personal, relationship-driven way, with a clear emphasis on education and scholarship support at Duke University and other schools tied to professional and religious training. A second major thread is Asheville and western North Carolina community support—especially food insecurity, homeless services, animal welfare, and local arts—suggesting a strong geographic or family connection to that area. The foundation also supports faith-based institutions and a small set of national humanitarian causes, but its giving is most distinctive where it combines endowed scholarship gifts with repeated support for core community nonprofits.
A defining feature of the David and Susan Schoenholz Foundation is its heavy concentration of support for faith-based higher education, especially theological institutions. The largest recent grants in the record are broad, general-support awards, including $843,800 in 2025 and $332,000 in 2024 to See Attached Statement, followed by a $150,000 grant in 2023 to Duke Divinity School. That pattern points to institutional support rather than program-specific project funding. The foundation’s other recent grants extend that same approach to a small number of named beneficiaries. Trinity International University received $25,000 for the TEDS Scholarship Fund, while several smaller awards went to religious, humanitarian, and community organizations. The grant list also includes Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, Salvation Army, and Smile Train, all at much lower amounts than the major theological gifts. Its giving is highly selective, with only a few recipients appearing in the recent record and one dominant beneficiary receiving the largest share of support. The overall picture is of a foundation using sizable, mostly unrestricted grants to sustain institutional capacity, particularly in religious education and affiliated nonprofits.
The strongest thematic thread in the foundation’s recent grants is divinity-school and seminary support. Duke Divinity School received $150,000 in 2023 for general support, and Trinity International University received $25,000 for the TEDS Scholarship Fund. Beyond theological education, the foundation also made grants to organizations serving immediate community needs. Manna Food Bank received $35,000, while Meals on Wheels received $2,500 and Hendersonville Rescue Mission received $2,500, all in 2023. Religious and charitable institutions appear alongside those human-services grants. Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte received $10,000 for general support, and Salvation Army received $10,000. The recent record also includes Doctors Without Borders at $10,000 and Smile Train at $1,500, showing that the foundation’s support reaches beyond education to a small set of service-oriented nonprofits.
Typical grant size sits at $8,750 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $31,250 at the 75th percentile, although the recent record also includes much larger general-support commitments. The foundation’s giving is concentrated rather than broad: one recipient appears across 2024 and 2025, and the major awards are to the same “See Attached Statement” beneficiary. The foundation funds individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The pattern in the recent grants suggests mostly unrestricted support, with “general” or “general support” used on many entries.
$455K
$2.5M
$1.5M
$467K
Most grants fall between $6K and $37K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$37K
About 14% of grants go to recipients in NC.
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Concentrated giving with several repeat grantees and a few very large anchor gifts, especially to scholarship/endowment funds; smaller recurring grants support a stable circle of local nonprofits and faith-based charities.
Notable grantees: Duke University, DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL, MANNA FOOD BANK, Asheville Humane Society, CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States. Illinois is the top state by grant count, with 25% of grants going to recipients in the state, including See Attached Statement and Evans Scholar Foundation. North Carolina is another visible center of giving, with grants to Durham, Asheville, Hendersonville, and Charlotte-area recipients. Other recipient locations in the recent list include New York and Wisconsin. The geographic pattern is regional, not national in breadth.
Its recent grants are centered on religious and theological institutions, especially divinity schools and seminaries. Duke Divinity School received $150,000 for general support, and Trinity International University received $25,000 for the TEDS Scholarship Fund. The record also includes general-support grants to other faith-related and charitable organizations.
The typical grant size is $8,750 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $31,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes much larger grants, including $843,800 in 2025 and $332,000 in 2024 to See Attached Statement.
It is highly concentrated. One beneficiary, See Attached Statement, received the two largest recent grants across 2024 and 2025, and the rest of the list is a relatively small set of named organizations. That pattern indicates repeated support for a dominant recipient alongside a limited number of additional grants.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, with 25% of grants going to recipients there. The recent list includes Illinois-based recipients such as See Attached Statement and Evans Scholar Foundation, while North Carolina locations like Asheville, Durham, Hendersonville, and Charlotte also appear frequently.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING | DURHAM, NC | $150,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND; SCHOLARSHIP |
| ASHEVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY | ASHVILLE, NC | $62,700 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MANNA FOOD BANK | ASHEVILLE, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRY INC | ASHEVILLE, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DEPAUL UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $37,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | BRAVERD, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WALNUT COVE MEMBERS ASSOCIATION | SKYLAND, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HENDERSONVILLE RESCUE MISSION | HENDERSONVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EBLEN CHARITIES | ASHEVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SALVATION ARMY | ASHEVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH CAROLINE ARBORETUM SOCIETY | ASHEVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS OF ASHEVILLE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY INC | ASHEVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Duke University | — | $500,000 | 2025 | Duke School of Nursing Schoenholz Scholarship Endowment |
| Asheville Humane Society | — | $60,000 | 2025 | — |
| Duke University | — | $50,000 | 2025 | Duke School of Nursing Annual Fund |
| A-B Tech Community College | — | $50,000 | 2025 | School of Nursing and Vet Tech program support and Workforce Training Scholarships |
| Manna Foodbank | — | $50,000 | 2025 | Feeding Children Year-Round program |
| Brevard Music Center | — | $25,000 | 2025 | Jazz Scholarships and program support |
| Trident Technical College | — | $25,000 | 2025 | Schoenholz Scholarshin Fund |
| Evans Scholars Foundation | — | $25,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted support |
| Manna Foodbank | — | $25,000 | 2025 | disaster relief fund |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte | — | $15,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted ($10,000) and Food Pantry ($5,000) support |
| Salvation Army | Buncombe County | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted support |
| Hendersonville Rescue Mission | — | $5,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted support |
| Meals on Wheels | — | $2,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted support |
| Meals on Wheels | — | $1,800 | 2025 | Unrestricted support |
| DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL | DURHAM, NC | $150,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MANNA FOOD BANK | ASHEVILLE, NC | $35,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| ASHVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY | ASHVILLE, NC | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | HENDERSONVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY | DEERFIELD, IL | $25,000 | 2023 | TEDS SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SALVATION ARMY | CHARLOTE, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| EVANS SCHOLAR FOUNDATION | GOLF, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE | ASHEVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | BRAVERD, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| WCMA | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| HENDERSONVILLE RESCUE MISSION | HENDERSONVILLE, NC | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | ASHEVILLE, NC | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SMILE TRAIN | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRY INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WALNUT COVE MEMBERS ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HENDERSONVILLE RESCUE MISSION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SALVATION ARMY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH CAROLINE ARBORETUM SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS OF ASHEVILLE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Duke University
$500,000Duke School of Nursing Schoenholz Scholarship Endowment
Asheville Humane Society
$60,000Duke University
$50,000Duke School of Nursing Annual Fund
A-B Tech Community College
$50,000School of Nursing and Vet Tech program support and Workforce Training Scholarships
Manna Foodbank
$50,000Feeding Children Year-Round program
Brevard Music Center
$25,000Jazz Scholarships and program support
Trident Technical College
$25,000Schoenholz Scholarshin Fund
Evans Scholars Foundation
$25,000Unrestricted support
Manna Foodbank
$25,000disaster relief fund
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte
$15,000Unrestricted ($10,000) and Food Pantry ($5,000) support
Salvation Army
$10,000Unrestricted support
Hendersonville Rescue Mission
$5,000Unrestricted support
Meals on Wheels
$2,000Unrestricted support
Meals on Wheels
$1,800Unrestricted support
ASHVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY
$30,000GENERAL
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
$25,000TEDS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$10,000GENERAL
SALVATION ARMY
$10,000GENERAL
EVANS SCHOLAR FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL
WCMA
$5,000GENERAL
HENDERSONVILLE RESCUE MISSION
$2,500GENERAL
MEALS ON WHEELS
$2,500GENERAL