The Samuel L Phillips Family Foundation concentrates philanthropic support in northwest North Carolina (Avery/Mitchell counties and the Appalachian region), funding institutional capacity and education. Its grants prioritize capital projects and facility completion, scholarships, and general operating support for local public schools, community college programs, and youth-serving organizations. The foundation makes relatively large, targeted awards to a small set of local institutions, often providing repeat support to the same organizations.
A $300,000 grant to the YMCA of Avery County for youth and child development sets the tone for the Samuel L Phillips Family Foundation: large, targeted awards that support local institutions and community-serving facilities. The foundation also backed Appalachian State University with a $252,000 scholarship grant in 2025 and gave $250,000 and $150,000 to the YMCA of Avery County for capital campaign support the same year, showing a strong preference for concentrated commitments rather than broad dispersal. Across recent grants, the Samuel L Phillips Family Foundation supports education, youth development, and community infrastructure in northwest North Carolina and the surrounding Appalachian region. Awards reach public schools, community colleges, universities, legal aid organizations, health-related nonprofits, and local community centers. Several grants go to the same organizations more than once, including YMCA of Avery County, Mayland Community College Fnd, Mitchell County Schools, Pisgah Legal Services, and Duke University. The pattern suggests a funder that uses sizable grants to help local partners complete projects, sustain operations, and fund scholarships for regional students.
Education appears in several forms. The foundation gave $252,000 to Appalachian State University for scholarship support and earlier awarded $20,000 to the same university for general purpose use. It also funded $60,000 and $5,000 assistant scholarship grants to Duke University, plus $55,281 to East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc for dental scholarships. Community facilities and program spaces are another clear priority. Mayland Community College Fnd received $105,000 and $75,000 in 2025 for restaurant completion, following a $115,000 project-cost grant in 2023. The foundation also made a $21,000 grant to Spruce Pine Montessori School Inc for roof, gutter, and drainage updates. General-purpose support reaches local safety-net groups too. Pisgah Legal Services received $45,000, $40,000, and $25,000 across the recent-grants list, while Mitchell County Schools received $106,571 for general purpose support.
Typical grants are clustered around small-to-mid awards, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $41,250. The grant list also includes several much larger commitments, which indicates a wide spread between routine support and major project or scholarship awards. Repeat funding is common: YMCA of Avery County, Mayland Community College Fnd, Mitchell County Schools, Pisgah Legal Services, and Duke University each appear more than once in the recent grants data. The foundation makes grants from a family foundation structure and also funds individuals. It does not make program-related investments.
$600K
$10.8M
$1.2M
$760K
Most grants fall between $1K and $41K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$41K
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Concentrated, place-based giving: few but large grants focused on capital/one-time projects and scholarships, with multiple repeat grants to the same regional institutions rather than many small awards to diverse national causes.
Notable grantees: YMCA of Avery County, Mayland Community College Foundation, Appalachian State University, Mitchell County Schools
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in North Carolina, with 77% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. The top state by grant count is South Carolina, reflecting some regional reach beyond North Carolina. Recent recipient cities include Linville, Boone, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Asheville, Newland, Greenville, Durham, and Morrisville in North Carolina, plus Columbia and Spartanburg in South Carolina. The grant country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Recent grants favor local schools, colleges, youth-serving organizations, and community nonprofits. Examples include a $252,000 scholarship grant to Appalachian State University, $106,571 in general-purpose support to Mitchell County Schools, and multiple grants to YMCA of Avery County for youth and child development and capital campaign support.
Yes. Several organizations appear multiple times in the recent-grants list, including YMCA of Avery County, Mayland Community College Fnd, Mitchell County Schools, Pisgah Legal Services, and Duke University. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
The distribution is broad, but the center is modest: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is $41,250. Recent awards also include larger project and scholarship grants, such as $252,000 to Appalachian State University and $250,000 to YMCA of Avery County.
Most grants go to North Carolina recipients, which account for 77% of grants in the data. The foundation’s top state by grant count is South Carolina. Recent recipient cities include Linville, Boone, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Asheville, and Columbia.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals, and the recent-grants list includes scholarship support such as $252,000 to Appalachian State University for scholarship purposes, $60,000 and $5,000 assistant scholarship grants to Duke University, and $55,281 to East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc for dental scholarships.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MITCHELL COUNTY DEVELOPMENT | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $335,400 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFT | PENLAND, NC | $115,000 | 2026 | ESSENTIAL WATER SYSTEM UPGRADES |
| PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES | ASHEVILLE, NC | $45,000 | 2026 | SUSTAINING FREE LEGAL IN MITCHELL CO |
| GREENLEE PRIMARY SCHOOL | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $27,000 | 2026 | SMART BOARDS TO SUPPORT SMART KIDS |
| BULADEAN COMMUNITY CENTER | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND PROJECT |
| APPALACHIAN THERAPEUTIC RIDING | BURNSVILLE, NC | $21,000 | 2026 | ENSURING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR ATRC |
| MITCHELL COMMUNITY HEALTH | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $6,600 | 2026 | HURRICANE HELENE FOOD PANTRY |
| MITCHELL COUNTY SAFE PLACE | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS | MORRISVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF MITCHELL CO |
| NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY SOCIETY INC | RALEIGH, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | MITCHELL CO MUSIC EDUCATION |
| MANNA FOOD BANK | MILLS RIVER, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY | BOONE, NC | $252,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| YMCA OF AVERY COUNTY | LINVILLE, NC | $250,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| YMCA OF AVERY COUNTY | LINVILLE, NC | $150,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| MITCHELL COUNTY SCHOOLS | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $106,571 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MAYLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE FND | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $105,000 | 2025 | RESTAURANT COMPLETION |
| MAYLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE FND | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $75,000 | 2025 | RESTAURANT COMPLETION |
| MITCHELL COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HIGH COUNTRY YOUTH BALLET INC | NEWLAND, NC | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES | ASHEVILLE, NC | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARYLAND EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BULADEAN COMMUNITY CENTER | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $37,800 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ECU MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES | GREENVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES | ASHEVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GO GLOBAL INC | COLUMBIA, SC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CHILDRENS CANCER PARTNERS OF THE CAROLINA | SPARTANBURG, SC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MITCHELL COMMUNITY HEALTH PSHIP | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS | MORRISVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS | MORRISVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SEARCH | BURNSVILLE, NC | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MITCHELL COUNTY SAFE PLACE | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH | BAKERSVILLE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MITCHELL COUNTY SAFE PLACE | SPRUCE PINE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BROADWAY CARES EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
MITCHELL COUNTY DEVELOPMENT
$335,400GENERAL PURPOSE
GREENLEE PRIMARY SCHOOL
$27,000SMART BOARDS TO SUPPORT SMART KIDS
BULADEAN COMMUNITY CENTER
$25,000COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND PROJECT
APPALACHIAN THERAPEUTIC RIDING
ENSURING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR ATRC
MITCHELL COMMUNITY HEALTH
$6,600HURRICANE HELENE FOOD PANTRY
LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SALVATION ARMY
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
MAYO CLINIC
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$252,000SCHOLARSHIP
MITCHELL COUNTY SCHOOLS
$106,571GENERAL PURPOSE
MITCHELL COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HIGH COUNTRY YOUTH BALLET INC
$45,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MARYLAND EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$45,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BULADEAN COMMUNITY CENTER
$37,800GENERAL PURPOSE
ECU MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GO GLOBAL INC
$20,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CHILDRENS CANCER PARTNERS OF THE CAROLINA
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MITCHELL COMMUNITY HEALTH PSHIP
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SEARCH
$4,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
LILY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MT ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SALVATION ARMY
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SALVATION ARMY
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
MAYO CLINIC
$500GENERAL PURPOSE