Smart Start Rowan Inc is a highly localized funder focused on early childhood education, family support, and community health in Rowan County (Salisbury/Kannapolis area). Its grants overwhelmingly target child care centers, public school systems, and county health/social service agencies to expand NC Pre-K, school-linked early learning, parenting supports (Triple P) and infant/healthy beginnings programs. The foundation tends to sustain a set of repeat grantees rather than dispersing many one-off awards, signaling long-term partnerships with local providers serving young children and families.
Smart Start Rowan Inc concentrates its grantmaking on early childhood education and family support in Rowan County, with repeated support for local schools, child development centers, and county health services. The largest recent awards go to Rowan-salisbury Schools for NC Pre-K, including $577,390 in 2024 and $551,250 in 2023, showing how central school-linked early learning is to the foundation’s work. Child care providers also receive substantial support. Partners in Learning Child Development Center received $387,137 in 2023 and $346,376 plus $324,790 in 2024, while Cornerstone Child Development Center and St John's Child Development Center also appear multiple times among the largest grants. The pattern extends beyond classrooms into maternal-child health and parenting support through county agencies and community organizations. Rowan County Health Department is a recurring recipient for Healthy Beginnings and CCHC funding, and Salisbury-rowan Community Action Agency appears in multiple years as well. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s funding is tightly tied to local providers serving young children, parents, and families in Salisbury, Kannapolis, and nearby Rowan County communities.
In NC Pre-K and school-linked early learning, Smart Start Rowan Inc supports both public schools and child care centers. Rowan-salisbury Schools received multiple large awards for NC Pre-K, and Kannapolis City Schools also appears with several grants for the same purpose. For child development centers, the foundation funded Partners in Learning Child Development Center, Cornerstone Child Development Center, St John's Child Development Center, Kiddie Land Kindergarten, and Advantage Children's Center for NC Pre-K and school-linked early learning. On the health side, Rowan County Health Department received grants for Healthy Beginnings and CCHC, linking the foundation’s work to maternal-child health services. Parenting and family support also show up through Salisbury-rowan Community Action Agency and First United Methodist Church Cdc, both funded for NC Pre-K and school-linked early learning.
Typical grants are in the six-figure range, with p25 at $62,500, a median of $152,272, and p75 at $218,611. The recent grants list shows repeated awards to the same recipients across 2023 and 2024, including schools, child development centers, and county agencies, which points to ongoing partnerships rather than one-time gifts. Smart Start Rowan Inc is a local funder and all listed recipient grants are in North Carolina. It does not fund individuals and it is not described as making program-related investments.
$2.3M
$287K
$3.4M
$3.5M
Most grants fall between $63K and $219K, with a median of $152K.
25th Percentile
$63K
Median
$152K
75th Percentile
$219K
AMY BROWN
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Concentrated, repeat funding: multiple mid-to-large grants to the same local institutions (many grantees have 2–3 grants each), focusing dollars geographically on Rowan County; grants are programmatic and operational support for early childhood services rather than broad national initiatives.
Notable grantees: Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Partners in Learning Child Development Center, St. John's Child Development Center, Rowan County Health Department, Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency
Smart Start Rowan Inc gives entirely within North Carolina, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The strongest cluster is in Salisbury, where Rowan-salisbury Schools, Partners in Learning Child Development Center, Cornerstone Child Development Center, St John's Child Development Center, Salisbury-rowan Community Action Agency, Rowan County Health Department, and First United Methodist Church Cdc all appear. Kannapolis is another recurring recipient city through Kannapolis City Schools. Outside Rowan County, the list also includes China Grove and Cleveland, both in North Carolina.
Its recent grants go mainly to Rowan-salisbury Schools, child development centers, county health services, and community organizations serving young children and families. The funded purposes include NC Pre-K, school-linked early learning, Healthy Beginnings, CCHC, and parenting supports.
The grant-size distribution is p25 of $62,500, a median of $152,272, and p75 of $218,611. That places many awards in the mid-six-figure or lower six-figure range.
No. The recipient country distribution shows 41 grants, all in the US, and 100% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina.
Yes. Rowan-salisbury Schools, Partners in Learning Child Development Center, St John's Child Development Center, Kiddie Land Kindergarten, Rowan County Health Department, and Salisbury-rowan Community Action Agency each appear multiple times across 2023 and 2024.
NC Pre-K and school-linked early learning appear most often, followed by Healthy Beginnings and CCHC through Rowan County Health Department. Parenting and family support also show up through community organizations funded for early childhood services.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS | SALISBURY, NC | $542,850 | 2025 | NCPK |
| PARTNERS IN LEARNING CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $394,967 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $277,248 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN | SALISBURY, NC | $218,737 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $199,523 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | SALISBURY, NC | $155,351 | 2025 | HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC |
| KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS | KANNAPOLIS, NC | $149,520 | 2025 | NCPK |
| SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY | SALISBURY, NC | $143,220 | 2025 | NCPK |
| SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY | CHINA GROVE, NC | $136,576 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC | SALISBURY, NC | $56,816 | 2025 | NCPK, SLE |
| TERRIE HESS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $45,000 | 2025 | TRIPLE P |
| ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER | CLEVELAND, NC | $8,483 | 2025 | SLE |
| AMAZING GRACE ADVOCACY FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK | CONCORD, NC | $5,200 | 2025 | PROJECT BABY REACH |
| KID'S 1ST CHILDCARE ACADEMY | SALISBURY, NC | $5,103 | 2025 | SLE |
| ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS | SALISBURY, NC | $577,390 | 2024 | NCPK |
| ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS | SALISBURY, NC | $542,361 | 2024 | NCPK |
| PARTNERS IN LEARNING CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $346,376 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| PARTNERS IN LEARNING CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $324,790 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $257,295 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $244,255 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN | SALISBURY, NC | $218,611 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN | SALISBURY, NC | $208,263 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $180,673 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $177,621 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS | KANNAPOLIS, NC | $171,835 | 2024 | NCPK |
| ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | SALISBURY, NC | $157,224 | 2024 | HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC |
| KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS | KANNAPOLIS, NC | $154,537 | 2024 | NCPK |
| ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | SALISBURY, NC | $152,606 | 2024 | HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC |
| SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY | SALISBURY, NC | $152,272 | 2024 | NCPK |
| ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER | CLEVELAND, NC | $138,435 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY | CHINA GROVE, NC | $137,630 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY | CHINA GROVE, NC | $135,894 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY | SALISBURY, NC | $128,520 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER | CLEVELAND, NC | $118,336 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC | SALISBURY, NC | $68,852 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC | SALISBURY, NC | $65,849 | 2024 | NCPK, SLE |
| TERRIE HESS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $44,610 | 2024 | TRIPLE P |
| TERRIE HESS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $43,376 | 2024 | TRIPLE P |
| NOAH'S PLAYLOFT | SALISBURY, NC | $13,595 | 2024 | SLE |
| KID'S 1ST CHILDCARE ACADEMY | SALISBURY, NC | $9,238 | 2024 | SLE |
| HAPPY DAY | LANDIS, NC | $5,502 | 2024 | SLE |
| AMAZING GRACE ADVOCACY FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK | CONCORD, NC | $5,200 | 2024 | PROJECT BABY REACH |
| ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS | SALISBURY, NC | $551,250 | 2023 | NCPK |
| PARTNERS IN LEARNING CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $387,137 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
| CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $346,800 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
| ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SALISBURY, NC | $225,415 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
| KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN | SALISBURY, NC | $196,695 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
| SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY | SALISBURY, NC | $156,500 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
| ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | SALISBURY, NC | $151,307 | 2023 | HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC |
| SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY | CHINA GROVE, NC | $133,186 | 2023 | NCPK, SLE |
ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS
$542,850NCPK
CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$277,248NCPK, SLE
KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN
$218,737NCPK, SLE
ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$199,523NCPK, SLE
ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
$155,351HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC
KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS
$149,520NCPK
SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
$143,220NCPK
SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY
$136,576NCPK, SLE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC
$56,816NCPK, SLE
ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$8,483SLE
AMAZING GRACE ADVOCACY FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK
$5,200PROJECT BABY REACH
KID'S 1ST CHILDCARE ACADEMY
$5,103SLE
ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS
$577,390NCPK
ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS
$542,361NCPK
ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$257,295NCPK, SLE
ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$244,255NCPK, SLE
KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN
$218,611NCPK, SLE
KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN
$208,263NCPK, SLE
CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$180,673NCPK, SLE
CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$177,621NCPK, SLE
KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS
$171,835NCPK
ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
$157,224HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC
KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS
$154,537NCPK
ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
$152,606HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC
SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
$152,272NCPK
ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$138,435NCPK, SLE
SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY
$137,630NCPK, SLE
SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY
$135,894NCPK, SLE
SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
$128,520NCPK, SLE
ADVANTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$118,336NCPK, SLE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC
$68,852NCPK, SLE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CDC
$65,849NCPK, SLE
NOAH'S PLAYLOFT
$13,595SLE
KID'S 1ST CHILDCARE ACADEMY
$9,238SLE
HAPPY DAY
$5,502SLE
AMAZING GRACE ADVOCACY FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK
$5,200PROJECT BABY REACH
ROWAN-SALISBURY SCHOOLS
$551,250NCPK
CORNERSTONE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$346,800NCPK, SLE
ST JOHN'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$225,415NCPK, SLE
KIDDIE LAND KINDERGARTEN
$196,695NCPK, SLE
SALISBURY-ROWAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
$156,500NCPK, SLE
ROWAN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
$151,307HEALTHY BEGINNINGS, CCHC
SOUTH ROWAN ACADEMY
$133,186NCPK, SLE