To inspire generosity, uplift nonprofits, and connect donors with community needs.
A student-led grantmaking board is one of the clearest signals of how Gaston Community Foundation works: Teens Changing Gaston County directs endowment dollars toward projects that partner with local nonprofits and expand access for Gaston County residents. That youth-centered structure sits alongside a broader community foundation model that also administers scholarships, donor-established funds, and competitive local grants. The foundation’s recent grant record shows a mix of unrestricted support for long-standing community institutions and targeted awards tied to education, health, the arts, and local service. General support is a common thread in the recent grants list, including major gifts to Gaston Co Family YMCA and Caromont Health Foundation. The foundation also appears in scholarship administration through donor-created awards for students in Gaston County and neighboring local communities, with criteria that can tie support to school, character, mentoring, or financial need. Across programs, the pattern is local and place-based: grants are designed to serve Gaston County residents, strengthen nonprofits, and connect donor intent with community priorities.
Education is a major line of work for Gaston Community Foundation, especially through scholarships. One example is the Alaina N. Abernathy Scholarship, a $1,000 annual award for a graduate of Cherryville High School. Another is the Paul F. Fuller Scholarship, which supports a graduating senior from a Gaston County high school who took part in the Chamber/Gaston County Schools Student Mentoring Program. The foundation also backs youth and community development through small, local grantmaking. Teens Changing Gaston County awards up to $1,000 for student-led projects that partner with local nonprofits, while the Next Generation Giving Circle pools gifts from young professionals to fund local organizations and causes in Gaston County. In its broader community grantmaking, the foundation uses unrestricted and field-of-interest funds for Gaston County nonprofits, with an emphasis on community needs, collaboration, and measurable impact.
Typical grant size is modest relative to the foundation’s larger discretionary awards: the 25th percentile is $9,992, the median is $15,000, and the 75th percentile is $34,170. The recent grants list also shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Most grants are unrestricted or general support, with board-directed funding and donor-advised or field-of-interest allocations appearing in the active programs. Unsolicited applications are accepted for some programs, including the Community Grants Cycle and several scholarship opportunities, while others such as Next Gen and certain named awards are not open to unsolicited requests.
$10.3M
$145.4M
$12.1M
$11.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $34K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$34K
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Gaston Community Foundation gives primarily in North Carolina: 87% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top recipient location by count is also NC. Gastonia appears often in the grants list, alongside other local places such as Charlotte, Belmont, Cherryville, and Davidson. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 491 grants in the United States.
The foundation supports education and scholarships, Gaston County community grants, nonprofit capacity building, field-of-interest priorities such as arts and health, and donor-advised fund support. Its active programs also include student-led grantmaking, scholarship portfolios, and community grant cycles for local nonprofits.
The typical grant size is $9,992 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $34,170 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger general-support awards to established local institutions.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support across multiple years for several recipients, including Gaston Co Family YMCA, Boys and Girls Club of Gastonia, First Presbyterian Church of Gaston, First Arp Church of Gastonia, Gaston Aquatics Inc, and Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
Some programs accept unsolicited requests, including the Community Grants Cycle, Teens Changing Gaston County, and certain scholarship opportunities such as the Alaina N. Abernathy Scholarship and John Hunsucker Memorial Scholarship. Other programs, including Next Gen and the Allen H. Sims Award, are not open to unsolicited applications.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Gaston Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Supports Gaston County nonprofits through the Next Gen grant cycle. The page states that the grant cycle supports nonprofits in Gaston County; specific application criteria and deadlines are not visible in the scraped content.
Deadline: Annual grant cycle; specific dates not visible in the scraped content.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GASTON CO FAMILY YMCA | GASTONIA, NC | $1,732,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $679,624 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC PUBLIC TELEVISION FOUNDATION | TRIANGLE RESEARCH PARK, NC | $677,124 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAROMONT HEALTH FOUNDATION | GASTONIA, NC | $565,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OTHER UNDER 5000 | GASTONIA, NC | $514,594 | 2025 | — |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST OF GASTONIA | GASTONIA, NC | $330,089 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $317,417 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GASTON | GASTONIA, NC | $248,600 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF GASTONIA | GASTONIA, NC | $219,225 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GASTON DAY SCHOOL | GASTONIA, NC | $187,485 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NCF SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $175,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DANIEL STOWE BOTANICAL GARDEN | BELMONT, NC | $153,020 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PIEDMONT COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMER | GASTONIA, NC | $143,800 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GASTON AQUATICS INC | GASTONIA, NC | $143,671 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DREAM CENTER ACADEMY | GASTONIA, NC | $137,088 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $136,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GASTON COLLEGE FOUNDATION | DALLAS, NC | $126,644 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY OF GASTONIA | GASTONIA, NC | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BELMON | BELMONT, NC | $122,094 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST ARP CHURCH OF GASTONIA | GASTONIA, NC | $109,381 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SALVATION ARMY | GASTONIA, NC | $103,311 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CRISIS ASSISTANCE MINISTRY | GASTONIA, NC | $102,314 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COVENANT VILLAGE INC | GASTONIA, NC | $87,068 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY | MISENHEIMER, NC | $82,908 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOLY ANGELS INC | BELMONT, NC | $81,258 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS FOOD PANTRY | GASTONIA, NC | $80,750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FLYNN FELLOWSHIP HOME | GASTONIA, NC | $71,482 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANIMAL LEAGUE OF GASTON COUNTY | GASTONIA, NC | $70,825 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | $65,163 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIRL SCOUTS CAROLINAS PEAKS TO PIED | COLFAX, NC | $61,027 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $60,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCHIELE MUSEUM | GASTONIA, NC | $59,575 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BACKPACK WEEKEND FOOD PROGRAM | GASTONIA, NC | $53,778 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE LIGHTHOUSE | GASTONIA, NC | $51,782 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PROMISE FOR HAITI | NASHVILLE, TN | $51,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARLOTTE RESCUE MISSION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOWN OF CRAMERTON | CRAMERTON, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOMENTS OF HOPE CHURCH | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GASTON LITERACY COUNCIL INC | GASTONIA, NC | $47,205 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE | BELMONT, NC | $45,099 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEAST OF THESE CAROLINAS | GASTONIA, NC | $41,912 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNC CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $41,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLIER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHILADELPHIA EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN | DALLAS, NC | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LORAY GIRLS' HOME INC | GASTONIA, NC | $39,820 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATAWBA RIVERKEEPER FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $39,743 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUREHOPE | CINCINNATI, OH | $38,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION OF UNC CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $37,750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OFF THE STREETS PROGRAM INC | GASTONIA, NC | $37,243 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GASTON COUNTY EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GASTONIA, NC | $37,113 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
CAROMONT HEALTH FOUNDATION
$565,200GENERAL SUPPORT
OTHER UNDER 5000
$514,594FIRST UNITED METHODIST OF GASTONIA
$330,089GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GASTON
$248,600GENERAL SUPPORT
NCF SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION
$175,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DANIEL STOWE BOTANICAL GARDEN
$153,020GENERAL SUPPORT
PIEDMONT COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMER
$143,800GENERAL SUPPORT
GASTON AQUATICS INC
$143,671GENERAL SUPPORT
CITY OF GASTONIA
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BELMON
$122,094GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST ARP CHURCH OF GASTONIA
$109,381GENERAL SUPPORT
SALVATION ARMY
$103,311GENERAL SUPPORT
CRISIS ASSISTANCE MINISTRY
$102,314GENERAL SUPPORT
COVENANT VILLAGE INC
$87,068GENERAL SUPPORT
BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS FOOD PANTRY
$80,750GENERAL SUPPORT
FLYNN FELLOWSHIP HOME
$71,482GENERAL SUPPORT
ANIMAL LEAGUE OF GASTON COUNTY
$70,825GENERAL SUPPORT
NC STATE UNIVERSITY
$65,163GENERAL SUPPORT
GIRL SCOUTS CAROLINAS PEAKS TO PIED
$61,027GENERAL SUPPORT
SCHIELE MUSEUM
$59,575GENERAL SUPPORT
BACKPACK WEEKEND FOOD PROGRAM
$53,778GENERAL SUPPORT
THE LIGHTHOUSE
$51,782GENERAL SUPPORT
PROMISE FOR HAITI
$51,200GENERAL SUPPORT
TOWN OF CRAMERTON
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOMENTS OF HOPE CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GASTON LITERACY COUNCIL INC
$47,205GENERAL SUPPORT
LEAST OF THESE CAROLINAS
$41,912GENERAL SUPPORT
UNC CHARLOTTE
$41,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PHILADELPHIA EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LORAY GIRLS' HOME INC
$39,820GENERAL SUPPORT
PUREHOPE
$38,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OFF THE STREETS PROGRAM INC
$37,243GENERAL SUPPORT
GASTON COUNTY EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$37,113GENERAL SUPPORT
