The Jerry & Marilyn Cook Foundation appears to make targeted, high-value gifts to regional higher-education institutions with a focus on design and the built environment. Their recorded giving shows a single large financial contribution to NC State's School of Design, suggesting interest in advancing design education or campus programs in North Carolina.
Highly concentrated — a single large, one-off grant to a university design school rather than many small or diversified awards; likely prefers substantial institutional support.
Notable grantees: NC State School of Design
A $750,000 grant to NC State School of Design anchors the Jerry & Marilyn Cook Foundation Inc’s recent giving and points to a clear interest in design education and the built environment. The foundation’s 2024 record also includes a follow-on gift to the same school, indicating repeated support for the program rather than a one-time contribution. Beyond that central relationship, the foundation’s smaller grants reach a mix of North Carolina nonprofits, including Cape Fear Community College, Rex Healthcare Foundation, and Cape Fear River Watch. That pattern suggests a funder that mixes a major institutional commitment with a wider set of local gifts. Most of the recorded support stays within North Carolina, especially in Raleigh and Wilmington, and the grant list includes organizations tied to education, health, public media, hunger relief, disability services, and community support. The foundation also appears in the data as a cash-grant maker rather than an individual-aid funder or a program-related investor. Its grant history in the file is concentrated and regionally focused, with one especially large award and many smaller gifts around the same local network of organizations.
Design and architecture education is the most visible theme in the record. The foundation gave $750,000 to NC State School of Design in 2024 and $16,000 to the same school in 2023, both listed as financial support. Higher education appears again in a $3,000 grant to Cape Fear Community College and a separate $1,000 grant to the same institution in 2024. Community support shows up through several health and service organizations, including $3,000 to Food Bank of North Carolina and $2,500 to Rex Healthcare Foundation. The giving list also includes $1,000 grants to The Salvation Army Cape Fear, The Arc North Carolina, and Methodist Home for Children. Cultural and civic support is present as well, with gifts to Whqr, Wunc Tv, Wunc Radio, and Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.
Typical grants are small: the 25th percentile is $500, and both the median and 75th percentile are $1,000. The distribution is therefore tightly clustered at the low end, even though one 2024 grant to NC State School of Design is far larger than the rest. The record shows repeated support for some recipients across years, including NC State School of Design, Cape Fear Community College, Rex Healthcare Foundation, Cape Fear River Watch, and Union Theological Seminary. The foundation is not listed as funding individuals and is not a program-related investor. The file does not show an application process, so the pattern is inferred from awarded grants rather than an open solicitation model.
$642K
$1.4M
$177K
$646K
Most grants fall between $500 and $1K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$1K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly North Carolina-centered: 87% of grants in the file went to recipients in the HQ state, and North Carolina is also the top state by grant count. Raleigh and Wilmington appear most often among recipient cities, with additional gifts in Chapel Hill, Newport, Greensboro, and Charlotte. Outside North Carolina, the list is limited to a few U.S. recipients such as New York, Washington, DC, Georgia, and one grant in Americus, GA. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 54 grants in the United States.
The grant list points to higher education, health and human services, public media, and community organizations. Examples include NC State School of Design, Food Bank of North Carolina, Rex Healthcare Foundation, Whqr, Wunc Radio, The Arc North Carolina, and Methodist Home for Children.
Most awards are small. The typical grant size is $500 at the 25th percentile and $1,000 at both the median and 75th percentile, although the foundation also made a much larger $750,000 grant in 2024.
Yes. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, and 87% of grants in the file went to recipients in that state. Raleigh and Wilmington are the most visible recipient cities.
Yes. NC State School of Design, Cape Fear Community College, Rex Healthcare Foundation, Cape Fear River Watch, and Union Theological Seminary each appear more than once across the recent-grants list.
No. The provided data shows that it funds organizations rather than individuals and that it does not make program-related investments.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN | RALEIGH, NC | $625,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WILMINGTON, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| UNC REX CANCER CENTER | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $2,500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR RIVER WATCH | WILMINGTON, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH HISTORY MUSEUM | WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE | WILMINGTON, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY | RALEIGH, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WUNC RADIO | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| THE GREEN CHAIR | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ALLEGANY JUNIOR APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS | SPARTA, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WUNC TV | RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| KIDS MAKING IT | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NOURISH NC | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FELLOWSHIP HALL | GRENESBORO, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| THALIAN HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NC ALS | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| UMCOR | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WHQR | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BEAFORT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | BEAUFORT, NC | $300 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BANNERTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH | MOUNT AIRY, NC | $150 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SALEM BAPITIST CHURCH | SNEADS FERRY, NC | $150 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE | RALEIGH, NC | $100 | 2026 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN | RALEIGH, NC | $625,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| REX HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $2,500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR RIVER WATCH | WILMINGTON, NC | $2,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE | WILMINGTON, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| UMCOR | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NC ALS | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FELLOWSHIP HALL | GRENESBORO, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WUNC TV | RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WHQR | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NOURISH NC | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| KIDS MAKING IT | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| THALIAN HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC | WILMINGTON, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WUNC RADIO | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $500 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BEAFORT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | BEAUFORT, NC | $300 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ALLEGANY JUNIOR APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS | SPARTA, NC | $250 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SALEM BAPITIST CHURCH | SNEADS FERRY, NC | $250 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BANNERTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH | MOUNT AIRY, NC | $150 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN | RALEIGH, NC | $750,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| REX HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $2,500 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR RIVER WATCH | WILMINGTON, NC | $2,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE | WILMINGTON, NC | $1,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FOOD BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA | RALEIGH, NC | $500 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN
$625,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$3,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
UNC REX CANCER CENTER
$2,500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH HISTORY MUSEUM
$1,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$1,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
$1,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WUNC RADIO
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
THE GREEN CHAIR
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
ALLEGANY JUNIOR APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WUNC TV
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
KIDS MAKING IT
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FELLOWSHIP HALL
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
THALIAN HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NC ALS
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
UMCOR
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
BEAFORT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$300FINANCIAL SUPPORT
BANNERTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH
$150FINANCIAL SUPPORT
SALEM BAPITIST CHURCH
$150FINANCIAL SUPPORT
THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE
$100FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN
$625,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
REX HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$2,500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$1,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$1,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
UMCOR
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NC ALS
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FELLOWSHIP HALL
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WUNC TV
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
KIDS MAKING IT
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
THALIAN HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WUNC RADIO
$500FINANCIAL SUPPORT
BEAFORT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$300FINANCIAL SUPPORT
ALLEGANY JUNIOR APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS
$250FINANCIAL SUPPORT
SALEM BAPITIST CHURCH
$250FINANCIAL SUPPORT
BANNERTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH
$150FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NC STATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN
$750,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
REX HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$2,500FINANCIAL SUPPORT