Provide financial resources and support to East Carolina University students and programs, with a strong emphasis on scholarships and student success.
East Carolina University Foundation Inc’s recent grant activity is dominated by support for East Carolina University itself, with the two largest grants in the record going to the university in Greenville: $3,019,355 in 2023 and $649,743 in 2024. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated role of providing financial resources for ECU students and programs, especially scholarships and student success. The grant record also shows support for ECU-linked entities such as Ecu Medical & Hlth Science Fn, Ecu Educational Foundation, and Ecu Alumni Association, all in Greenville. Those awards point to a funder that works through the university ecosystem rather than a broad external grant portfolio. Programmatically, the foundation’s active funding includes Chancellor’s Scholars, general student scholarships, and named giving categories tied to student success, athletics, faculty and research, healthcare, and regional transformation. The structure is centered on institutional support for ECU’s academic and student-life priorities, with scholarship funding appearing as a recurring theme across programs and recent grants.
Scholarships are the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. Through its Student Scholarships program, East Carolina University Foundation Inc supports merit-based, need-based, and athletic scholarships for ECU students, including tuition, housing, books, and supplies. The Chancellor’s Scholars program also funds first-year recruitment and ongoing support for sophomores, juniors, and seniors at East Carolina University. Beyond scholarships, the foundation’s donor-supported fund categories include Student Success & Leadership and Scholarships & Fellowships, indicating a broader student-centered funding approach. It also lists Athletics among its fund categories, matching its scholarship support for student athletes. Other active categories such as Faculty & Research, Healthcare, Arts & Culture, and Regional Transformation show that the foundation channels giving into several university priorities, but always within the ECU setting.
Typical grants are mid-sized to large, with a p25 of $52,629, a median of $70,117, and a p75 of $507,366. The recent record includes one very large institutional award and several smaller general-program grants, suggesting a mix of major operating support and supplemental allocations. The foundation’s recent recipients are concentrated around the ECU ecosystem, and the same core institution appears across the grant record over multiple years. Its structure is that of a university foundation, and it does make some programs available for unsolicited support through donor-facing fund categories, including Student Scholarships and Browse Funds. Program-related investments are not part of the profile, and the foundation does not fund individuals.
$5.8M
$262.5M
$24.9M
$13.4M
Most grants fall between $53K and $507K, with a median of $70K.
25th Percentile
$53K
Median
$70K
75th Percentile
$507K
CHRISTOPHER M DYBA
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Giving is entirely local and entirely in North Carolina: 100% of grants in the available record go to recipients in the HQ state, and all six recent grants are to Greenville organizations. East Carolina University is the primary recipient city-level anchor, joined by Ecu Medical & Hlth Science Fn, Ecu Educational Foundation, and Ecu Alumni Association, all in Greenville, NC. The grant pattern is tightly centered on the university’s local institutional network rather than a wider geographic spread.
The foundation focuses on higher education, scholarships, student support, and athletics support. Its active programs include Chancellor’s Scholars, general student scholarships, and donor-supported fund categories such as Student Success & Leadership, Scholarships & Fellowships, Athletics, Faculty & Research, Healthcare, and Regional Transformation.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated in the middle range: p25 is $52,629, the median is $70,117, and p75 is $507,366. The recent record also includes a very large institutional grant of $3,019,355 and several smaller awards in Greenville.
Its giving is local, and 100% of grants in the available data go to recipients in North Carolina. The recent recipient list is concentrated in Greenville, including East Carolina University and several ECU-affiliated organizations.
Yes. The active program list shows that Student Scholarships and Browse Funds accept unsolicited support. Those options are listed alongside other ECU-focused programs such as Chancellor’s Scholars and Pirate Nation Gives.
No. The profile identifies Funds individuals as False, and the recent grants are made to institutions tied to East Carolina University rather than to individual recipients.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | GREENVILLE, NC | $5,737,251 | 2026 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES FOUNDATION INC | GREENVILLE, NC | $56,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GREENVILLE, NC | $100,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU MEDICAL & HLTH SCIENCE FN | GREENVILLE, NC | $55,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | GREENVILLE, NC | $5,655 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | GREENVILLE, NC | $649,743 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU MEDICAL & HLTH SCIENCE FN | GREENVILLE, NC | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GREENVILLE, NC | $50,172 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | GREENVILLE, NC | $10,212 | 2024 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | GREENVILLE, NC | $3,019,355 | 2023 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
| ECU MEDICAL & HLTH SCIENCE FN | GREENVILLE, NC | $80,234 | 2023 | GENERAL PROGRAM |
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
$5,737,251GENERAL PROGRAM
ECU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$100,500GENERAL PROGRAM
ECU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
$5,655GENERAL PROGRAM
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
$649,743GENERAL PROGRAM
ECU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$50,172GENERAL PROGRAM
ECU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
$10,212GENERAL PROGRAM
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
$3,019,355GENERAL PROGRAM