The Ochiltree Foundation of North Carolina concentrates its philanthropy on large, targeted operating support grants in North Carolina, with a clear emphasis on land conservation and higher education. Recent grants show a preference for supporting regional environmental stewardship (notably in the Triangle area) and a flagship public university through unrestricted/general operating funding. The foundation makes few but substantial gifts rather than many small awards.
Concentrated portfolio: a small number of relatively large grants focused on a few organizations, including repeat support to at least one grantee; preference for general operating funding over project-restricted grants.
A defining feature of the Ochiltree Foundation of North Carolina is its repeated use of unrestricted support for North Carolina institutions, especially land conservation and public higher education. The largest recent grant in the file is $100,000 to Triangle Land Conservancy Inc in Durham for general operating purposes, followed by multiple operating grants to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That pattern points to a funder that backs core budgets rather than narrow project lines. The foundation’s recent grants also show attention to place-based civic and environmental work in the Triangle. Triangle Land Conservancy appears more than once, and the file also includes grants to community organizations in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. Beyond North Carolina, the foundation has made operating gifts to a small number of national organizations, but the center of gravity remains clearly on North Carolina nonprofits. Grant sizes cluster in the five-figure range, with many awards written for general operating purposes. The result is a grantmaking profile built around a few recurring recipients and steady support for organizational sustainability.
Land conservation is one of the clearest themes in the recent grants. In 2025, the foundation gave $100,000 to Triangle Land Conservancy Inc in Durham for general operating purposes, and it also awarded the organization $25,000 in both 2024 and 2023. Public higher education is another recurring focus. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received $40,000 in 2023, $30,000 in 2024, and $30,000 in 2025, all for general operating purposes. The foundation also supports local community institutions in Chapel Hill and nearby towns. Examples include $25,000 to Friends of the Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation Department in 2023 and $10,000 to Friends of Moorefields in 2025, both as unrestricted operating support. Smaller grants extend to social-service and conservation-related groups such as Inter-faith Council for Social Service, Rogers-eubanks Neighborhood Association, and World Wildlife Fund Inc.
Typical awards are modestly concentrated: the p25 and median grant size are both $5,000, while the p75 is $10,000. Even with that baseline, the file includes larger operating gifts, including six-figure support for a single recipient and several $25,000 to $40,000 grants. The pattern is one of selective, repeat support rather than a high-volume program. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Triangle Land Conservancy Inc, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter Inc, Rogers-eubanks Neighborhood Association, Inter-faith Council for Social Service, Friends of Moorefields, and National Park Foundation. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$245K
$3.5M
$283K
$278K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NC.
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Notable grantees: Triangle Land Conservancy, Inc., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The foundation gives nationally, but every grant in the recent file went to U.S. organizations. North Carolina is the clear center of giving by count, with Durham and Chapel Hill appearing repeatedly and Hillsborough also represented. Outside North Carolina, recipient locations include Suwanee and Danielsville in Georgia, plus Washington, DC. The HQ is in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, but there were no grants to Pennsylvania recipients in the recent list.
Its recent grants go to nonprofit organizations, with a strong tilt toward land conservation, public higher education, and community-based operating support in North Carolina. The file includes repeated general operating grants to conservation and university recipients, along with support for local civic and social-service groups.
Yes. General operating purposes appear throughout the recent grants list, including major awards such as $100,000 to Triangle Land Conservancy Inc and multiple grants to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The foundation also uses operating support for local groups and national nonprofits.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Triangle Land Conservancy Inc, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter Inc, Rogers-eubanks Neighborhood Association, Inter-faith Council for Social Service, and Friends of Moorefields. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts.
North Carolina is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in the state include Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, with additional grants in Georgia and Washington, DC.
The p25 and median grant size are both $5,000, and the p75 is $10,000. The recent list also shows larger operating grants, but the central cluster is in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY | DURHAM, NC | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| MADISON OGLETHORPE ANIMAL SHELTER | DANIELSVILLE, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| EXTRAORDINARY VENTURES | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ROGERS EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION (RENA) | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF MOOREFIELDS | HILLSBOROUGH, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $8,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| INTERFAITH COUNCIL - FOOD FOR THE SUMMER | CARRBORO, NC | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY ORANGE COUNTY | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF ORANGE COUNTY | DURHAM, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| CLUB NOVA COMMUNITY | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| CHAUTAUQUA FOUNDATION | CHAUTAUQU, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| IPAS | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ORANGE COUNTY FRIENDS OF DSS | HILLSBOROUGH, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ENVIROMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | RALEIGH, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| AUDUBON NORTH CAROLINA | DURHAM, NC | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| HEIFER INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY | NASHVILLE, TN | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| CHATHAM ANIMAL RESCUE | PITTSBORO, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| FEED MORE | RICHMOND, VA | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| RICHMOND SPCA ANIMAL SHELTER | RICHMOND, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY INC | DURHAM, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY INC | DURHAM, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| MADISON OGLETHORPE ANIMAL SHELTER INC | DANIELSVILLE, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF MOOREFIELDS | HILLSBOROUGH, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| INTER-FAITH COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICE | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ROGERS-EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF THE CHAPEL HILL PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ROGERS-EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| IPAS | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| CLUB NOVA COMMUNITY | CARRBORO, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| CHAUTAUQUA FOUNDATION INC | CHAUTAUQUA, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY ORANGE COUNTY | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES | HILLSBOROUGH, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| EXTRAORDINARY VENTURES INC | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF DURHAM AND ORANGE COUNTIES | DURHAM, NC | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| ENVIRONMENT NORTH CAROLINA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER INC | RALEIGH, NC | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY | NASHVILLE, TN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
| HEIFER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES |
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
MADISON OGLETHORPE ANIMAL SHELTER
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION
$12,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
EXTRAORDINARY VENTURES
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ROGERS EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION (RENA)
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF MOOREFIELDS
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
INTERFAITH COUNCIL - FOOD FOR THE SUMMER
$7,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$6,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
CLUB NOVA COMMUNITY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ORANGE COUNTY FRIENDS OF DSS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ENVIROMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
$3,500GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
RICHMOND SPCA ANIMAL SHELTER
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
MADISON OGLETHORPE ANIMAL SHELTER INC
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF MOOREFIELDS
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ROGERS-EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
$7,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF THE CHAPEL HILL PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ROGERS-EUBANKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
CLUB NOVA COMMUNITY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
EXTRAORDINARY VENTURES INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES
ENVIRONMENT NORTH CAROLINA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER INC
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES