About Mdc
MDC equips leaders, institutions, and communities with the necessary tools and strategies to advance equity—particularly racial and gender equity—and economic mobility across the South.
Focus Areas
Racial equityGender equityEconomic mobilityEducation (early childhood through post-secondary)Rural community developmentNonprofit capacity buildingDisaster recovery and resiliencePhilanthropic practice/advancing equitable philanthropyDebt reduction and consumer financial security
Who They Fund
Leaders of colorYoung children and families (early childhood)North Carolina communities/organizations
About Mdc
Mdc Inc channels much of its grantmaking through leadership and fellowship programs built around equity, with a strong emphasis on leaders of color and North Carolina communities. In 2025, one of its largest grants went to Hayti Reborn Justice Movement in Durham for economic security and mobility work, while a separate $100,000 grant supported the NC Budget & Tax Center through an American Rescue Plan Act subaward. Those awards fit a broader pattern of funding organizations that work on racial equity, gender equity, economic mobility, early childhood systems, and community resilience. The foundation also backs structured leadership pipelines. Its Investing in Leaders of Color program appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, including grants to community organizations in Durham, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Lumberton, and other cities across North Carolina and South Carolina. Alongside direct grants, MDC runs fellowship and capacity-building efforts such as the Oak–MDC Emerging Leaders Fellowship and the George B. Autry Fellowship for Southern Policy & Research, showing a preference for developing people and institutions rather than only funding discrete projects. The result is a grantmaker that combines programmatic support, subawards, and leadership development across the U.S. South.
What Mdc Funds
Leadership development is a central thread in Mdc Inc’s funding. The Investing in Leaders of Color program supported Midlands Fatherhood Coalition in Columbia, Soteria Community Development Corporation in Greenville, and Care Share Health Alliance in Raleigh with $100,000 grants each. In education, the foundation used LENS subawards to support a wide set of organizations, including the Public School Forum of NC in Raleigh, Student U in Durham, and the Center for Racial Equity in Education in Charlotte. For early childhood and family systems, MDC’s capacity-building work appears in the Learning Educational Network - NC and the PEECO-related project model. Rural and place-based development also shows up through programs such as the Dan Broun Award and Internship, which is tied to rural prosperity and investment. Across these areas, the foundation favors organizational support, fellowship structures, and network-based work rather than single-issue, one-off grants.
How Mdc Gives
Mdc Inc’s recent grants cluster around a middle range, with a p25 of $15,000, a median of $37,500, and a p75 of $75,000. The recent list also includes a larger set of $100,000 grants, showing that the foundation uses both standard grant sizes and higher-value awards for selected programs. Granting appears to recur across years and through program channels: Empowered Parents in Community received funding in 2023 and again in 2024, and many 2023 awards came through the LENS Sub Awards vehicle. MDC is a regular funder rather than a DAF or PRI vehicle, and the pattern of pass-thru granting, subawards, and fellowship support suggests a programmatic operating style rather than open-call general grantmaking. Unsolicited applications are accepted for some fellowship programs, including Oak–MDC Emerging Leaders Fellowship and Investing in Leaders of Color.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.2M
Total Assets
$14.6M
Total Revenue
$9.9M
Total Expenses
$8.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $75K, with a median of $38K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$38K
75th Percentile
$75K
Geographic Reach
Local4 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JOHN L S SIMPKINS
Unlock Deep Analysis
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 FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Mdc?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime