The Brighton Foundation Trust concentrates its giving on place-based, operational support for local institutions in the Highlands/Cashiers, NC area, with a clear emphasis on a longtime relationship with the First Presbyterian Church of Highlands and support for community development programming in Cashiers. Grants are primarily unrestricted operations funding, suggesting the trustee prioritizes sustaining core services of local faith-based and civic organizations.
Brighton Foundation Trust Robert D Markley Trustee shows a strong pattern of operational support for a small set of community institutions, especially First Presbyterian Church of Highlands and Vision Cashiers. The largest recent grant in the file is $50,000 to Vision Cashiers Inc for operations, followed by $41,450 to First Presbyterian Church -highlands for operations in 2025. Earlier grants show the same organizations receiving repeat support over multiple years, which points to an ongoing relationship rather than one-time project funding. The foundation also funds local service organizations tied to health, youth development, and housing, including Highlands Cashiers Hospital Found, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau, and Resources Education Asst Counseling and Housing of Macon County Inc. Its recent record includes both nearby community groups and a few out-of-area recipients, but the overall picture is of trustee-directed giving that favors core operating needs. The grant sizes in the recent list are often modest, with several awards at $5,000 to $10,000 and larger grants reserved for a few anchor recipients.
Operational support is the clearest throughline in this foundation’s recent grants. In place-based community development, they gave $50,000 to Vision Cashiers Inc for operations and also supported Village Green Cashiers with multiple $5,000 operating grants. Faith-based community services are another recurring area: First Presbyterian Church -highlands received $41,450 for operations in 2025, after prior operating grants in 2024 and 2023. Youth-serving organizations also appear in the record, with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau receiving $10,000 for operations in 2024 and again in 2023, plus another $10,000 grant in 2025. Health-related support is present as well, including a $10,000 operating grant to Highlands Cashiers Hospital Found and a $10,000 general-operating grant to Resources Education Asst Counseling and Housing of Macon County Inc.
Typical grants are small to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $500, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. That distribution shows a long tail of larger operating grants paired with many smaller awards. The recent grants list also shows recurring recipients across multiple years, especially for local operating support, which suggests follow-on funding rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is a trustee-led private foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$263K
$2.5M
$791K
$267K
Most grants fall between $500 and $2K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$2K
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Highly concentrated: few, relatively large grants focused on repeat support to the same local beneficiaries (notably the First Presbyterian Church) and general operating funding rather than project-restricted awards.
Notable grantees: FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - HIGHLANDS, VISION CASHIERS INC, Other local Highlands/Cashiers community organizations (place-based recipients)
The foundation gives nationally, but its recipient base is concentrated in the United States, with 206 grants to U.S. organizations in the available country distribution. Cashiers and Highlands, North Carolina, appear repeatedly in the recent grants list, alongside Indianapolis, Indiana, and St Petersburg, Florida. The top state by grant count is Indiana, while 41% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina. That mix indicates a local core in the Highlands-Cashiers area with additional grants reaching organizations in other states.
The recent grants show a strong tilt toward operating support for community institutions. Recurring recipients include First Presbyterian Church -highlands, Vision Cashiers Inc, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau, Highlands Cashiers Hospital Found, and Village Green Cashiers. The pattern also includes health, youth, and housing-related organizations.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated at the lower end: the 25th percentile is $500, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. Recent grants still include larger awards, such as $50,000 and $41,450, but most awards are much smaller.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including First Presbyterian Church -highlands, Vision Cashiers Inc, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Plateau, Highlands Cashiers Hospital Found, Village Green Cashiers, St Petersburg Free Clinic, Brooke's Place, and Great Explorations. That points to repeated support rather than one-time gifts.
The foundation gives nationally, but 41% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina. Indiana is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Cashiers and Highlands in North Carolina, Indianapolis in Indiana, and St Petersburg in Florida.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH -HIGHLANDS | HIGHLANDS, NC | $110,250 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| VISION CASHIERS INC | CASHIERS, NC | $22,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ST PETERSBURG FREE CLINIC | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| VILLAGE GREEN | CASHIERS, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HEARTS AND HOPE FOR HAITI | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HIGHLANDS CASHIERS HEALTH FOUND | HIGHLANDS, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | HIGHLANDS, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| PROJECT ROUJ (ZANMI FONDWA) | ZIONSVILLE, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| REACH OF MACON COUNTY | FRANKLIN, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ACADEMY PREP FOUNDATION | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BROOKE'S PLACE | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE PLATEAU | CASHIERS, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| GREAT EXPLORATIONS CHILDREN'S MUSUEM | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $4,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BLUMENTHAL ARTS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $3,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| COMMUNITY CARE CLINIC | HIGHLANDS, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| MANNA FOOD BANK | MILLS RIVER, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BLACK MOUNTAIN HOME FOR CHILDREN | BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | CASHIERS, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BLUE RIDGE FREE DENTAL CLINIC | CASHIERS, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| GLENVILLE-CASHIERS RESCUE SQUAD | CASHIERS, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FISHES AND LOAVES | CASHIERS, NC | $3,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| LITERACY COUNCIL-CASHIERS | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SAFE ALLIANCE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HAMPTON PRESCHOOL AND EARLY LEARNING CENTER | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS-CASHIERS | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP CENTER | HIGHLANDS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES | ASHEVILLE, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| PBS NORTH CAROLINA | RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF INDIANAPOLIS | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| THE BASCOM | HIGHLANDS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| LITERACY COUNCIL & LEARNING CENTER | HIGHLANDS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BALLANTYNE FAMILIES-NEIGHBORS IN NEED | CHARLOTTE, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HIGHLANDS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | HIGHLANDS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CASHIERS-HIGHLANDS HUMANE SOCIETY | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| MANHATTAN THEATER CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CASHIERS VALLEY PRESCHOOL | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| VECINOS | CULLOWHEE, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CASHIERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY | CASHIERS, NC | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| INDIANA UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME | LEBANON, IN | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| MEMORY MATTERS | HILTON HEAD, SC | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CAMP TECUMSEH | BROOKSTON, IN | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| LEAD THE WAY HOUSING | INDIAN LAND, SC | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $1,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATER CO | NEW YORK, NY | $750 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| LINCOLN CENTER THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH -HIGHLANDS
$110,250OPERATIONS
VILLAGE GREEN
$5,000OPERATIONS
HEARTS AND HOPE FOR HAITI
$5,000OPERATIONS
OPERATIONS
HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$5,000OPERATIONS
PROJECT ROUJ (ZANMI FONDWA)
$5,000OPERATIONS
REACH OF MACON COUNTY
$5,000OPERATIONS
GREAT EXPLORATIONS CHILDREN'S MUSUEM
$4,000OPERATIONS
BLUMENTHAL ARTS
$3,500OPERATIONS
COMMUNITY CARE CLINIC
$3,000OPERATIONS
BLACK MOUNTAIN HOME FOR CHILDREN
$3,000OPERATIONS
BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$3,000OPERATIONS
BLUE RIDGE FREE DENTAL CLINIC
$3,000OPERATIONS
GLENVILLE-CASHIERS RESCUE SQUAD
$3,000OPERATIONS
FISHES AND LOAVES
$3,000OPERATIONS
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$2,000OPERATIONS
LITERACY COUNCIL-CASHIERS
$2,000OPERATIONS
HAMPTON PRESCHOOL AND EARLY LEARNING CENTER
$2,000OPERATIONS
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS-CASHIERS
$2,000OPERATIONS
PBS NORTH CAROLINA
$2,000OPERATIONS
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF INDIANAPOLIS
$2,000OPERATIONS
THE BASCOM
$2,000OPERATIONS
BALLANTYNE FAMILIES-NEIGHBORS IN NEED
$2,000OPERATIONS
HIGHLANDS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$2,000OPERATIONS
MANHATTAN THEATER CLUB
$2,000OPERATIONS
CASHIERS VALLEY PRESCHOOL
$2,000OPERATIONS
VECINOS
$2,000OPERATIONS
CASHIERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,000OPERATIONS
INDIANA UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME
$1,000OPERATIONS
CAMP TECUMSEH
$1,000OPERATIONS
LEAD THE WAY HOUSING
$1,000OPERATIONS
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$1,000OPERATIONS
ROUNDABOUT THEATER CO
$750OPERATIONS
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
$500OPERATIONS
ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND
$500OPERATIONS