The W. Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation directs the bulk of its funding to local and regional institutions in and around Gaston County, NC, with a strong emphasis on education at multiple levels (independent K–12, community college, and industry-focused higher education) and civic/cultural assets. Grants are frequently large, multi-year or repeated awards to a small set of hometown organizations that bolster community infrastructure, workforce/industry training (textiles), children’s services, and civic amenities like botanical gardens.
The W Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation Co Julia B Singh’s recent grantmaking is defined by repeated large awards to a small circle of Gaston County institutions, especially education. Gaston College Foundation received $1,843,333 in 2024, while Gaston Day School drew two seven-figure grants in 2024 and 2025 for school support and capital improvements. Those awards sit alongside other major commitments to local civic and cultural organizations, including Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and Gaston Community Foundation, showing a pattern that combines institutional support with community infrastructure. Education appears at several levels. The foundation has funded an independent K–12 school, a community college foundation, and textile-industry education through North Carolina Textile Foundation. Its portfolio also reaches into museums, housing, disaster recovery, and donor-advised community philanthropy. The result is a grantmaker with a strong regional footprint and a preference for concentrated support to organizations with direct local impact. Several grantees recur across multiple years, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The pattern is especially visible in Gastonia, Dallas, Belmont, and other nearby North Carolina communities, with additional grants to organizations outside the state when the purpose fits the foundation’s broader charitable interests.
Education is the clearest throughline. The foundation gave $1,843,333 to Gaston College Foundation for the tax-exempt educational purpose of the organization, and it also supported Gaston Day School with $1,212,935 in 2024 and $1,208,601 in 2025, including capital improvements in the later grant. Workforce-oriented higher education is another major theme. North Carolina Textile Foundation received $600,000 in both 2024 and 2025 to advance textile industry education through Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University, linking the foundation to a specific industry pipeline. Its community-facing grants extend beyond schools. Gaston Community Foundation received $1,623,565 in 2023 for exempt charitable purposes and $1,114,732 in 2025 for a donor-advised fund to support charitable activities as directed by the foundation’s directors. The foundation also gave $1,200,000 to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, reflecting support for regional civic and cultural assets.
$5M
$97.3M
$6M
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $50K and $600K, with a median of $220K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$220K
75th Percentile
$600K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, large-dollar giving to a small number of repeat grantees with a strong local/regional focus; multiple multi-grant relationships and targeted investments in education, workforce development, and civic amenities rather than many small, one-off grants.
Notable grantees: Gaston Community Foundation, Gaston Day School, Gaston College Foundation, North Carolina Textile Foundation (Wilson College of Textiles), Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
The foundation’s grant size profile is weighted toward larger awards: the 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $220,495, and the 75th percentile is $600,000. That distribution matches a pattern of concentrated institutional funding rather than many small gifts. Recipient overlap across years is common. Gaston Day School, Gaston College Foundation, Gaston Community Foundation, Carolina Thread Trail, Woods Services, and the North Carolina Textile Foundation each appear in multiple years, indicating repeated support for selected organizations. The foundation is structured as a family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No application process is shown in the grant data.
The foundation gives primarily in North Carolina, which accounts for 73% of its grants, and its top state by grant count is NC. Recent recipient cities cluster in Gastonia, Dallas, Belmont, and Charlotte. Gastonia appears most often through schools, community groups, housing, and cultural institutions; Dallas appears through community college support; Belmont appears through a botanical garden grant; Charlotte appears through trail funding. All recorded grants in the recent list went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on education at several levels: Gaston College Foundation, Gaston Day School, and North Carolina Textile Foundation. The foundation also funds civic and cultural organizations such as Gaston Community Foundation and Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, plus selected grants for housing, disaster recovery, and museum programming.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Gaston Day School, Gaston College Foundation, Gaston Community Foundation, Carolina Thread Trail, Woods Services, and North Carolina Textile Foundation. That pattern points to recurring support for a select group of institutions rather than isolated one-time grants.
The grant-size distribution is tilted toward large awards. The 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $220,495, and the 75th percentile is $600,000. The recent list also includes seven-figure grants, which reinforces the foundation’s focus on sizable institutional support.
North Carolina is the top state by grant count, and 73% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipient cities include Gastonia, Dallas, Belmont, and Charlotte, showing a strong regional pattern centered in and around Gaston County.
No. Education is central, but the recent grants also include support for a botanical garden, a donor-advised community fund, a museum, low-income housing, a trail organization, and hurricane recovery in Mountain City, Tennessee. The portfolio mixes educational, civic, cultural, and relief-oriented grants.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GASTON DAY SCHOOL | GASTONIA, NC | $1,208,601 | 2025 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS |
| DANIEL STOWE BOTANICAL GARDEN | BELMONT, NC | $1,200,000 | 2025 | FURTHER TAX EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GASTONIA, NC | $1,114,732 | 2025 | FUND DONOR ADVISED FUND TO FUND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY AS DIRECTED BY THE FOUNDATION'S DIRECTORS |
| NORTH CAROLINA TEXTILE FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $600,000 | 2025 | TO ADVANCE TEXTILE INDUSTRY EDUCATION THROUGH WILSON COLLEGE OF TEXTILES, NC STATE UNIVERSIY |
| HOMETOWN SERVICE COALITION | MOUNTAIN CITY, TN | $500,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE RECOVERY ASSISTANCE TO THE MOUNTAIN CITY TN COMMUNITY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY HURRICANE HELENE |
| SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | GASTONIA, NC | $166,667 | 2025 | PALEO PROJECT TO FURTHER TAX EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE MUSEUM |
| GASTON COLLEGE FOUNDATION | DALLAS, NC | $150,000 | 2025 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODS SERVICES | LANGHOME, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON COLLEGE FOUNDATION | DALLAS, NC | $1,843,333 | 2024 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON DAY SCHOOL | GASTONIA, NC | $1,212,935 | 2024 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL |
| NORTH CAROLINA TEXTILE FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $600,000 | 2024 | TO ADVANCE TEXTILE INDUSTRY EDUCATION THROUGH WILSON COLLEGE OF TEXTILES, NC STATE UNIVERSIY |
| BEYOND BOUNDARIES CHILDRENS FOUNDAT | MIAMI, FL | $600,000 | 2024 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | GASTONIA, NC | $166,667 | 2024 | TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE TO FUND PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GASTON COUN | GASTONIA, NC | $100,000 | 2024 | TAX EXEMPT LOW INCOME HOUSING PURPOSE OF THE ORGAINZATION |
| CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODS SERVICES | LANGHOME, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON COUNTY JAYCEES | GASTONIA, NC | $1,500 | 2024 | TO ASSIST WITH TAX EXEMPT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | GASTONIA, NC | $1,623,565 | 2023 | EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BEYOND BOUNDARIES CHILDRENS FOUNDAT | MIAMI, FL | $350,000 | 2023 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON COLLEGE FOUNDATION | DALLAS, NC | $333,333 | 2023 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GASTON DAY SCHOOL | GASTONIA, NC | $220,495 | 2023 | TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL |
| CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WOODS SERVICES | LANGHOME, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION |
TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
DANIEL STOWE BOTANICAL GARDEN
$1,200,000FURTHER TAX EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FUND DONOR ADVISED FUND TO FUND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY AS DIRECTED BY THE FOUNDATION'S DIRECTORS
TO ADVANCE TEXTILE INDUSTRY EDUCATION THROUGH WILSON COLLEGE OF TEXTILES, NC STATE UNIVERSIY
HOMETOWN SERVICE COALITION
$500,000TO PROVIDE RECOVERY ASSISTANCE TO THE MOUNTAIN CITY TN COMMUNITY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY HURRICANE HELENE
SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
$166,667PALEO PROJECT TO FURTHER TAX EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE MUSEUM
CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
$50,000GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
TO ADVANCE TEXTILE INDUSTRY EDUCATION THROUGH WILSON COLLEGE OF TEXTILES, NC STATE UNIVERSIY
BEYOND BOUNDARIES CHILDRENS FOUNDAT
$600,000TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
$166,667TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE TO FUND PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GASTON COUN
$100,000TAX EXEMPT LOW INCOME HOUSING PURPOSE OF THE ORGAINZATION
CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
$50,000GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
WOODS SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
GASTON COUNTY JAYCEES
$1,500TO ASSIST WITH TAX EXEMPT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE ORGANIZATION
BEYOND BOUNDARIES CHILDRENS FOUNDAT
$350,000TAX EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
$50,000GENERAL TAX EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION