The Richard Wood Averill Charitable Trust concentrates its giving in two clear areas: higher education and regional healthcare. Grants are directed to institutional recipients (a public university foundation and a major health system), suggesting a preference for established organizations supporting education and medical services rather than small grassroots groups. The foundation gives repeatedly to the same limited set of beneficiaries, indicating long-term relationships with those institutions.
The Richard Wood Averill Charitable Trust aka Richard Wood Averill Foundation shows a clear pattern of repeated support for higher education and regional healthcare, with its largest recent awards going to GMU Foundation for Education and to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health for Medical Purposes. Those grants sit alongside smaller recurring gifts to Winston-Salem institutions, which makes the trust’s priorities easier to read: it backs established organizations that deliver academic support, medical services, and community-based civic programs. The giving history also points to continuity. GMU Foundation appears across multiple recent years, and Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health does as well, suggesting long-running relationships rather than one-time project funding. Beyond those anchors, the trust’s recent awards include support for senior services, hospice and palliative care, youth programs, the arts, and local charitable infrastructure. The overall picture is of a regional funder that concentrates on institutions already embedded in the communities it serves, especially in North Carolina and in a smaller cluster of Virginia recipients. Its recent checks range from modest community gifts to larger institutional awards, but the recurring pattern is the most distinctive feature.
Higher education is one of the trust’s clearest priorities. In 2025, it gave $45,000 to GMU Foundation for Education, following $48,500 in 2023 and $41,500 in 2024 for the same purpose. That multi-year pattern suggests sustained institutional support rather than a single campaign grant. Medical support is the other major pillar. Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health received $41,200 in 2024, $35,000 in 2025, and $30,000 in 2023 for Medical Purposes, showing a similar repeat-giving structure. The trust also supports community organizations that serve local needs: Senior Services received $20,000 in 2024 and $13,500 in 2025, while Trellis Supportive Care received $9,500 in 2025 after two $9,250 grants in 2024 and 2023. In the arts, Winston-Salem Symphony received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants are small to mid-sized, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $1,500, and a p75 of $5,000. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same organizations across 2023 through 2025, which indicates ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The trust gives directly to charities and foundations, and the grant list includes both program-specific and general support style awards. It does not fund individuals and it does not make program-related investments.
$237K
$3.5M
$279K
$244K
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Concentrated and repeat giving: a small number of mid-to-large gifts split between two institutional grantees (three grants each), indicating focused, ongoing relationships rather than broad, dispersed grantmaking.
Notable grantees: GMU Foundation (George Mason University), Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health
The trust’s giving is regional, and 52% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina, the same state as its headquarters in Winston Salem. Recent grants also reach Virginia, including Fairfax and Kilmarnock. Within North Carolina, many recipients are in Winston Salem, such as Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Senior Services, and Trellis Supportive Care. The overall recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 92 grants to U.S. organizations.
Its clearest recurring priorities are higher education and regional healthcare. The recent grants list shows repeated support for GMU Foundation for Education and for Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health for Medical Purposes across 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is modest: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $1,500, and p75 is $5,000. The recent list also includes a smaller number of larger institutional gifts in the tens of thousands.
Yes. While 52% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina, the recent grants list also includes Virginia recipients such as GMU Foundation in Fairfax and Alexandria Police Youth Camp in Kilmarnock.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including GMU Foundation, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem Symphony, Senior Services, Trellis Supportive Care, and Philanthropy Roundtable.
Recent awards include support for senior services, youth programming, the arts, and charitable infrastructure. Examples include Senior Services, Winston-Salem Symphony, LEAD Girls of NC, Trellis Supportive Care, and Winston-Salem Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University Foundation Inc | Fairfax, VA | $72,500 | 2026 | Education |
| Senior Services | Winston Salem, NC | $30,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health | Winston Salem, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | Medical Purposes |
| Winston-Salem Symphony | Winston Salem, NC | $20,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Samaritan Ministries | Winston Salem, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Fairfax United Methodist Church | Fairfax, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Trellis Supportive Care | Winston Salem, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | Veterans Support |
| Rotary Benevolent Fund WSFDN | Winston Salem, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Philanthropy Roundtable | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | Contribution to Charitible Foundation |
| Alexandria Police Youth Camp | Kilmarnock, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| TYDE YMCA Swim Team | Winston Salem, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Red Shield Youth Center Salvation Army of W-S | Winston Salem, NC | $3,500 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Salemtowne | Winston Salem, NC | $3,500 | 2026 | Helping Elderly |
| Willow Springs Elementary PTA | Fairfax, VA | $2,500 | 2026 | Education |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities Piednmont Triad | Winston Salem, NC | $2,500 | 2026 | Support families with sick children |
| Inova Health Foundatio | Fairfax, VA | $2,500 | 2026 | Healthcare |
| The Children's Inn at NIH | Bethesda, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Samaritan's Purse | Boone, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| UNCSA Foundation | Winston Salem, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Winston-Salem Street School | Winston Salem, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Crossnore Communities for Children | Winston Salem, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC | Winston Salem, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Patriot Academy | Fairfax, VA | $1,500 | 2026 | Civic Charities |
| Ellie's Hats | Chantilly, VA | $1,500 | 2026 | Children with Cancer |
| We See You Foundation | Arlington, VA | $1,500 | 2026 | Distressed Persons |
| Elaine Thompson Elementary School | Sterling, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Sycolin Creek Elementary School | Leesburg, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Goshen Post Elementary | Aldie, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | Education |
| GMU Foundation | Fairfax, VA | $45,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health | Winston Salem, NC | $35,000 | 2025 | Medical Purposes |
| Samaritan Ministries | Winston Salem, NC | $18,000 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Winston-Salem Symphony | Winston Salem, NC | $15,000 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Senior Services | Winston Salem, NC | $13,500 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Trellis Supportive Care | Winston Salem, NC | $9,500 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| LEAD Girls of NC inc | Winston Salem, NC | $6,000 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Alexandria Police Youth Canp | Kilmarnock, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Winston-Salem Foundation | Winston Salem, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitible Foundation |
| Philanthropy Roundtable | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | Contribution to Charitible Foundation |
| TYDE YMCA Swim Team | Winston Salem, NC | $3,500 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club | Winston Salem, NC | $2,560 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Willow Springs Elementary PTA | Fairfax, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | Education |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Piedmont Triad | Winston Salem, NC | $2,500 | 2025 | Support Families with sick children |
| Ellie's Hats | Chantilly, VA | $1,500 | 2025 | Children with Cancer |
| Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department | Fairfax, VA | $1,500 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle School | Arlington, VA | $1,426 | 2025 | Education |
| BritePaths | Fairfax, VA | $1,104 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC | Winston Salem, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | Distressed People |
| We See You Foundation | Arlington, VA | $1,000 | 2025 | Distressed Persons |
| Samaritian's Purse | Boone, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | Distressed People |
| Children's Inn at NIH | Bethesda, MD | $1,000 | 2025 | Civic Charities |
Senior Services
$30,000Civic Charities
Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health
$25,000Medical Purposes
Winston-Salem Symphony
$20,000Civic Charities
Fairfax United Methodist Church
$10,000Civic Charities
Rotary Benevolent Fund WSFDN
$5,000Civic Charities
Alexandria Police Youth Camp
$5,000Civic Charities
Red Shield Youth Center Salvation Army of W-S
$3,500Civic Charities
Salemtowne
$3,500Helping Elderly
Willow Springs Elementary PTA
$2,500Education
Ronald McDonald House Charities Piednmont Triad
$2,500Support families with sick children
Inova Health Foundatio
$2,500Healthcare
Winston-Salem Street School
$2,000Education
Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC
$2,000Civic Charities
Patriot Academy
$1,500Civic Charities
Ellie's Hats
$1,500Children with Cancer
We See You Foundation
$1,500Distressed Persons
Elaine Thompson Elementary School
$1,000Education
Sycolin Creek Elementary School
$1,000Education
Goshen Post Elementary
$1,000Education
GMU Foundation
$45,000Education
Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health
$35,000Medical Purposes
Alexandria Police Youth Canp
$5,000Civic Charities
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
$2,560Civic Charities
Willow Springs Elementary PTA
$2,500Education
Support Families with sick children
Ellie's Hats
$1,500Children with Cancer
Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department
$1,500Civic Charities
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
$1,426Education
We See You Foundation
$1,000Distressed Persons