The Randleigh Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on education, with large, targeted gifts to elite secondary and higher education institutions and selective civic educational projects. Several grants explicitly support class-year or teaching-focused sustainability initiatives, while other awards fund capital or undesignated support for schools and a public library. The foundation tends to favor repeat, sizable gifts to a small set of institutions rather than broad, small-dollar distribution.
Randleigh Foundation’s recent giving is marked by repeated, sizable support for a small number of education institutions, especially sustainability-themed funds at Williams College and Phillips Academy. Those two schools appear multiple times across the recent grants list, with gifts directed to named class funds and annual support rather than broad, open-ended programming. The foundation also backs school and campus discretionary funds, which suggests a preference for institutional flexibility within selected educational settings. Education is the clearest thread, but the grant list also shows a wider pattern of support for arts, libraries, and civic institutions. In 2025, the foundation gave $200,000 to Carolina Performing Arts for the Wyndham Robertson Artist Residency Endowment, and it awarded $250,000 to Lexington Public Library Foundation for the New Village Library. Other large gifts went to The Thacher School, Sayre School, and Barnard College, all in amounts consistent with its focus on sizable, targeted awards. The foundation’s recent history points to concentrated relationships rather than many small one-time gifts. Its support includes endowed funds, discretionary funds, annual fund gifts, and designated projects, all within a regional grantmaking pattern centered on institutions it has chosen to back over multiple years.
A core theme in Randleigh Foundation’s grantmaking is sustainability education at independent schools and colleges. It gave $288,000 in 2025 to Williams College for the Class of 1963 Sustainability Fund and $287,000 in 2025 to Trustees of Phillips Academy for the Class of ’59 Fund for Teaching Sustainability. The foundation also supports arts and cultural programming. It awarded $200,000 to Carolina Performing Arts for the Wyndham Robertson Artist Residency Endowment and $100,000 to the Center for Independent Documentary for the Three Black Men Film Project. Another area is libraries and community facilities. A $250,000 grant to Lexington Public Library Foundation supported the New Village Library, showing interest in capital or new-facility projects. Alongside that, the foundation has funded school endowments and unrestricted use at institutions such as Sayre School and Civiclex, reflecting a mix of designated and flexible support.
$2.8M
$11.6M
$4.7M
$3M
Most grants fall between $15K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, high-value grants with repeat funding to a small roster of educational institutions; mix of program-restricted sustainability gifts and flexible/undesignated support, with few total recipients per year.
Notable grantees: Williams College, Trustees of Phillips Academy, Lexington Public Library Foundation, The Thacher School
Typical grants cluster around a meaningful mid-six-figure to five-figure range: p25 is $15,000, median is $25,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent grants list also shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Williams College, Trustees of Phillips Academy, The Thacher School, Tipping Point Community, Rubin Museum of Art, and North Carolina Justice Center. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. Randleigh Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it also funds individuals. Program-related investments are listed as false.
Randleigh Foundation gives most often in North Carolina, which accounts for 41% of its grants, even though its headquarters are in Chapel Hill. The recipient list is otherwise regional and entirely U.S.-based. Recent grants land in places such as Williamstown, Massachusetts; Andover, Massachusetts; Lexington, Kentucky; Ojai, California; San Francisco, California; New York, New York; and Raleigh, North Carolina. The geography suggests a mix of in-state support and select gifts to institutions in other states.
Its recent grants center on education, especially independent schools, colleges, and school-based funds. The list also includes libraries, arts organizations, museums, documentary film, and a few basic-needs or civic groups such as Tipping Point Community, North Carolina Justice Center, and Commonwealth Center for Father & Families.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Williams College, Trustees of Phillips Academy, The Thacher School, Tipping Point Community, Rubin Museum of Art, North Carolina Justice Center, Civiclex, and Tidelines Institute. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing institutional relationships.
The distribution is centered on modest-to-substantial grants: p25 is $15,000, median is $25,000, and p75 is $50,000. Recent awards also include larger targeted gifts, including six-figure grants for education, libraries, arts, and civic projects.
North Carolina is the top giving state, with 41% of grants going to recipients there. Recent North Carolina recipients include organizations in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, while other grants go to Massachusetts, Kentucky, California, New York, and Alaska.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTON, MA | $338,000 | 2026 | CLASS OF 1963 SUSTAINABILITY FUND |
| TRUSTEES OF PHILLIPS ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MA | $312,000 | 2026 | CLASS OF '59 FUND FOR TEACHING SUSTAINABILITY |
| UNIVERSITY OF NC AT GREENBORO | GREENSBORO, NC | $200,000 | 2026 | HAPPY DUBOSE "KENAN" GRAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| BLACK YARNS INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $200,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED - OPERATIONS |
| UNC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FOUNDATION | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $195,000 | 2026 | CONCERTMASTER SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT |
| AYIN PRESS LIMITED | BROOKLYN, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | DANCING WITH MOUNTAINS |
| CIVICLEX | LEXINGTON, KY | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COMMONWEALTH CENTER FOR FATHER & FAMILIES | LEXINGTON, KY | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| THE FRIENDSHIP HOUSE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN INDIANS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | THE VILLAGE SF INITIATIVE |
| AYIN PRESS LIMITED | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | THE SCHOOL OF THE CRACKS |
| TIPPING POINT COMMUNITY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | HOUSING FAMIIES IN BAY AREA |
| NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL FOUNDATION INC | RALEIGH, NC | $60,000 | 2026 | RANDLEIGH DAIRY HERITABE FARM MUSEUM - OPERATIONS |
| SAYRE SCHOOL | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | DESIGNATED FOR SCHOOL'S ENDOWMENT |
| CANAL ALLIANCE | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND |
| SEEDLEAF INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | UNDESIGNATED |
| HEALING TO HOPE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $50,000 | 2026 | ANAR FUTURE FUND SUPPORT |
| LEXARTS | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | AFRICAN AMERICAN BALLET TROUPE |
| UNC-CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION - WILSON LIBRARY |
| BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $45,000 | 2026 | PARIS WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION |
| NORTH CAROLINA VETERINARY MEDICAL FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $40,000 | 2026 | W.R. KENAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT |
| DURHAM NATIVITY SCHOOL | DURHAM, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND - GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | ST AUGSTINE, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | PASTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND |
| DUPLIN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION | KENANSVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | LIBERTY HALL RESTORATION OPERATIONS |
| UNC WILMINGTON FOUNDATION | WILMINGTON, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | CREATIVE WRITING DEPARTMENT |
| FIU FOUNDATION | MIAMI, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | ICTB AT THE KAMPONG DISC. FUND (113260) |
| THOMPSON CHILD & FAMILY FOCUS | MATTHEWS, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | KENAN COTTAGE GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| LEXARTS | LEXINGTON, KY | $25,000 | 2026 | TOWARDS FREEDOM PROJECT |
| KENTUCKY NATURAL LANDS TRUST | BREA, KY | $25,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| WEAVING EARTH | GRATON, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | SOLIDARITY FIELD SCHOOL (ATTUNE; SFS X WE) |
| TRUSTEES OF PHILLIPS ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| ST MARY'S SCHOOL | RALEIGH, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | SARAH GRAHAM KENAN LIBRARY - GREATEST NEEDS |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY | LEXINGTON, KY | $20,000 | 2026 | COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE FOR BLACK STUDIES |
| NORTH CAROLINA VETERINARY MEDICAL FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $12,000 | 2026 | KENAN SCHOLARS FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2026 | DESIGNATED FOR "A SENSE OF PLACE ENDOWMENT" |
| NORTH CAROLINA ZOO SOCIETY | ASHEBORO, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS - MEMORY OF OWEN G. KENAN |
| HENRY MORRISON FLAGLER MUSEUM | PALM BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | PIPE ORGAN MAINTENANCE |
| FRANK H KENAN CHAPEL AT LANDFALL | WILMINGTON, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | DESIGNATED FOR CHAPEL CONCERTS |
| KENAN CENTER - LOCKPORT | LOCKPORT, NY | $8,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS/SALARIES ETC. |
| DURHAM ACADEMY | DURHAM, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND - GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTON, MA | $288,000 | 2025 | CLASS OF 1963 SUSTAINABILITY FUND |
| TRUSTEES OF PHILLIPS ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MA | $287,000 | 2025 | CLASS OF '59 FUND FOR TEACHING SUSTAINABILITY |
| CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTSUNC | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $200,000 | 2025 | WYNDHAM ROBERTSON ARTIST RESIDENCY ENDOWMENT |
| SAYRE SCHOOL | LEXINGTON, KY | $150,000 | 2025 | DESIGNATED FOR SCHOOL'S ENDOWMENT |
| CIVICLEX | LEXINGTON, KY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| TIPPING POINT COMMUNITY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTED OF UNHOUSED IN THE BAY AREA |
| TIDELINES INSTITUTE | GUSTAVUS, AK | $100,000 | 2025 | DIRECTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND - EDUCATIONAL BUILDING |
| CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY | NEWTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | THREE BLACK MEN FILM PROJECT |
| NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER | RALEIGH, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE THACHER SCHOOL | OJAIM, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | RIDING PROGRAM |
UNIVERSITY OF NC AT GREENBORO
$200,000HAPPY DUBOSE "KENAN" GRAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
BLACK YARNS INC
$200,000UNRESTRICTED - OPERATIONS
AYIN PRESS LIMITED
$150,000DANCING WITH MOUNTAINS
COMMONWEALTH CENTER FOR FATHER & FAMILIES
$100,000UNRESTRICTED USE
THE VILLAGE SF INITIATIVE
AYIN PRESS LIMITED
$100,000THE SCHOOL OF THE CRACKS
RANDLEIGH DAIRY HERITABE FARM MUSEUM - OPERATIONS
SAYRE SCHOOL
$50,000DESIGNATED FOR SCHOOL'S ENDOWMENT
SEEDLEAF INC
$50,000UNDESIGNATED
HEALING TO HOPE
$50,000ANAR FUTURE FUND SUPPORT
LEXARTS
$50,000AFRICAN AMERICAN BALLET TROUPE
UNC-CHAPEL HILL
$50,000SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION - WILSON LIBRARY
W.R. KENAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT
MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$25,000PASTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND
DUPLIN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
$25,000LIBERTY HALL RESTORATION OPERATIONS
UNC WILMINGTON FOUNDATION
$25,000CREATIVE WRITING DEPARTMENT
LEXARTS
$25,000TOWARDS FREEDOM PROJECT
WEAVING EARTH
$25,000SOLIDARITY FIELD SCHOOL (ATTUNE; SFS X WE)
ST MARY'S SCHOOL
$25,000SARAH GRAHAM KENAN LIBRARY - GREATEST NEEDS
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
$20,000COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE FOR BLACK STUDIES
FRANK H KENAN CHAPEL AT LANDFALL
$10,000DESIGNATED FOR CHAPEL CONCERTS
DURHAM ACADEMY
$5,000ANNUAL FUND - GENERAL OPERATIONS
CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTSUNC
$200,000WYNDHAM ROBERTSON ARTIST RESIDENCY ENDOWMENT
SAYRE SCHOOL
$150,000DESIGNATED FOR SCHOOL'S ENDOWMENT