The Dickson Foundation is a Charlotte-area funder focused on strengthening regional educational institutions, health care and palliative services, and conservation/cultural assets. It favors established nonprofit institutions — colleges, private K–12 schools, hospitals, zoos/aquaria and parks — and also supports faith-based and direct service organizations that serve local communities. Grants are often sizable and targeted, frequently made in multiple installments to the same institutions. The portfolio reflects a mix of place-based civic investments and occasional national faith-driven giving.
The Dickson Foundation Inc. repeatedly backs established institutions with six-figure general-support grants, and its recent records show that pattern clearly. In 2025, it gave $301,000 to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Ctr Foundation for general support, matching a $301,000 grant it made to the same institution in 2023. That kind of repeat giving appears across its portfolio, alongside support for colleges, private schools, hospitals, hospice providers, and conservation groups. The foundation’s recent grants also show a consistent interest in Charlotte-area civic and community institutions. It supported Southminster in both 2023 and 2025, gave to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, and funded organizations such as Wing Haven Foundation and NC Zoo Society. Educational recipients include NC State University, Davidson College, Elon University, Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, Lees McRae College, and Pfeiffer University. Alongside place-based giving, the foundation includes faith-related and direct-service organizations in its portfolio. Recent grants went to Samaritan's Purse, Charlotte Rescue Mission, Crossnore Communities for Children, Dilworth Center, and Coalition for Liberty. Across these awards, the recurring theme is flexible support for institutions with established programs and local reach.
Higher education is one clear strand in the portfolio. The Dickson Foundation Inc. gave $220,000 to NC State University in 2023 and $127,500 in 2025, both for general support, and it also awarded $182,000 to Davidson College in 2023 and $106,000 to Elon University in 2025. Independent schools are another recurring category. Recent grants include $152,000 to Charlotte Country Day School in 2023, $101,000 to Charlotte Latin in 2023, and $100,000 to St Catherine's School in Richmond. Health and hospice support also appears prominently. The foundation gave $127,000 to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region in 2025 and $101,000 to Appalachian Regional Healthcare Fdn in 2025, both as general support. Conservation and public-space institutions are part of the mix as well, including $121,000 to Wing Haven Foundation and $100,000 to Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy, both in 2025.
The recent grant record shows a compact distribution: p25 is $1,000, the median is $1,000, and p75 is $5,000. That suggests many small awards alongside a smaller number of large institutional grants. The same organizations often appear more than once across years, including Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Ctr Foundation, Southminster, NC State University, Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, Dilworth Center, Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation, and NC Zoo Society. The foundation is structured as a grantmaker to nonprofits only; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants are frequently labeled general support, indicating flexible funding rather than project-specific awards.
$3.8M
$65.4M
$8.4M
$4.7M
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to institutional grantees with multiple repeat awards; portfolio is geographic- and institution-focused (Charlotte/Carolinas) rather than diffuse small-dollar funding. Mix of capital and program support, with several recurring beneficiaries receiving multi-year or multi-grant backing.
Notable grantees: NC State University, Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center/Foundation, NC Zoo Society, Charlotte Country Day School, Samaritan's Purse
Grants are concentrated in North Carolina, which accounts for 74% of recipients by grant count. Charlotte appears often, with recipients including Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Ctr Foundation, Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, Southminster, and Charlotte Country Day School. Other North Carolina cities and towns show up as well, including Raleigh, Boone, Davidson, Asheboro, and Banner Elk. Outside North Carolina, one recent grant went to St Catherine's School in Richmond, Virginia. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Its recent grants focus on colleges, community colleges, private K–12 schools, hospitals, hospice providers, conservation and cultural institutions, and faith-based or direct-service organizations. Examples in the recent record include NC State University, Charlotte Country Day School, Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Ctr Foundation, Wing Haven Foundation, and Samaritan's Purse.
The typical award is small, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $5,000. At the same time, the recent grant list also includes much larger general-support grants, including several in the $100,000 to $301,000 range.
Yes. The recent records show repeat support for several recipients across 2023 and 2025, including Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Ctr Foundation, Southminster, NC State University, Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, Dilworth Center, Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation, and NC Zoo Society.
North Carolina is the main recipient location, with 74% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Charlotte shows up frequently in the recent grant list, along with Raleigh, Boone, Davidson, Asheboro, and Banner Elk.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVANT HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CTR FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $301,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEES MCRAE COLLEGE | BANNER ELK, NC | $201,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | $127,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE CHARLOTTE REGION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $127,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COALITION FOR LIBERTY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WING HAVEN FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $121,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ELON UNIVERSITY | ELON, NC | $106,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTHMINSTER | CHARLOTTE, NC | $105,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $103,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CROSSNORE COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN | CROSSNORE, NC | $102,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE FDN | BOONE, NC | $101,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DILWORTH CENTER | CHARLOTTE, NC | $101,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC AQUARIUM SOCIETY | RALEIGH, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC ZOO SOCIETY | ASHEBORO, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE JOHN CROSLAND SCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHRIST CHURCH CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FFTC- HUGH MCCOLL PARK | CHARLOTTE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHARLOTTE, NC | $51,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST PHILIP'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | CHARLESTON, SC | $51,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FFTC- CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GRANDFATHER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LINVILLE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARLOTTE NEUROSCIENCE FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DOROTHEA DIX PARK | RALEIGH, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NOURISH UP | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| QUEEN CITY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CTR | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA - YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOPEWAY FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WEE KIRK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | LINVILLE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAROLINA YOUTH COALITION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TURNING POINT USA | PHOENIX, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE UMBRELLA CENTER | CHARLOTTE, NC | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA - STOWE FAMILY YMCA OF GASTON COUNTY | GASTONIA, NC | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HEART MATH TUTORING | CHARLOTTE, NC | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE GENERALS REDOUBT | LEXINGTON, VA | $27,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNC HEALTH FOUNDATION | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $26,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA - WILLIAMS YMCA OF AVERY COUNTY | NEWLAND, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MARBLE KIDS MUSEUM | RALEIGH, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNION COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION | MONROE, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NAT'L RIGHT TO WORK LEGAL DEFENSE FDN | SPRINGFIELD, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SUSAN B ANTHONY PRO-LIFE AMERICA EDUCATION FUND | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HISTORIC ROSEDALE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $21,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NC COASTAL FEDERATION | NEWPORT, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAKE-A-WISH CENTRAL & WESTERN NC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $16,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE JESSE HELMS CENTER | WINGATE, NC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHILANTHROPY SOUTHEAST | ATLANTA, GA | $10,230 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
NOVANT HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CTR FOUNDATION
$301,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LEES MCRAE COLLEGE
$201,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NC STATE UNIVERSITY
$127,500GENERAL SUPPORT
HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE CHARLOTTE REGION
$127,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COALITION FOR LIBERTY
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WING HAVEN FOUNDATION
$121,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ELON UNIVERSITY
$106,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOUTHMINSTER
$105,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$103,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CROSSNORE COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN
$102,000GENERAL SUPPORT
APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE FDN
$101,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DILWORTH CENTER
$101,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NC AQUARIUM SOCIETY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NC ZOO SOCIETY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE JOHN CROSLAND SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHRIST CHURCH CHARLOTTE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FFTC- HUGH MCCOLL PARK
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$51,200GENERAL SUPPORT
ST PHILIP'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$51,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FFTC- CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GRANDFATHER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARLOTTE NEUROSCIENCE FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DOROTHEA DIX PARK
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NOURISH UP
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
QUEEN CITY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CTR
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER CHARLOTTE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YMCA - YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOPEWAY FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WEE KIRK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAROLINA YOUTH COALITION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TURNING POINT USA
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE UMBRELLA CENTER
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YMCA - STOWE FAMILY YMCA OF GASTON COUNTY
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HEART MATH TUTORING
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE GENERALS REDOUBT
$27,500GENERAL SUPPORT
UNC HEALTH FOUNDATION
$26,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YMCA - WILLIAMS YMCA OF AVERY COUNTY
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MARBLE KIDS MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNION COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NAT'L RIGHT TO WORK LEGAL DEFENSE FDN
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SUSAN B ANTHONY PRO-LIFE AMERICA EDUCATION FUND
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HISTORIC ROSEDALE
$21,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NC COASTAL FEDERATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAKE-A-WISH CENTRAL & WESTERN NC
$16,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE JESSE HELMS CENTER
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PHILANTHROPY SOUTHEAST
$10,230GENERAL SUPPORT