The Tom Davis Fund concentrates its giving on regional social services and aviation-related education and museums, with major multi-year gifts to a small set of organizations. Grants support child welfare and residential care, food security, senior services, and aeronautical education/museums—often with repeat funding to the same nonprofits and a clear interest in aviation causes alongside local human-services needs.
Concentrated, relatively large grants with repeated multi-year support to a core group of grantees; funding is focused regionally (North Carolina) but also includes national aviation organizations. Few, substantial gifts account for most of the total giving rather than many small awards.
Tom Davis Fund’s recent giving shows a clear mix of child welfare, senior services, food security, and aviation-related education and museums, with repeat support going to a small group of organizations. The largest recent award in the dataset was $125,000 to Crossnore Communities for Children for general support, followed by six-figure gifts to Second Harvest Food Bank and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. That combination points to a funder that backs both local human-services infrastructure and aviation-centered institutions. The fund also returns to the same recipients across multiple years. Crossnore Communities for Children received support in 2024 and 2025, Senior Services was funded in 2023 and 2025, and Trellis appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while On Wings Like a Dove was funded in both 2023 and 2025. The pattern suggests a relationship-based approach rather than one-off project funding. General support appears repeatedly in the purpose field, indicating flexibility in how recipients use the funds.
In child welfare and residential care, the fund gave $125,000 to Crossnore Communities for Children for general support and also funded the organization in 2024. That makes it one of the clearest anchors in the portfolio. Food security is another visible line of support. The fund gave $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank for general support in 2025 and previously gave $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of NW NC in 2023. Aviation education and museums are a distinct thread. Grants include $100,000 to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2025, plus support to Sun ’n Fun Aviation Museum, EAA Aviation Foundation, and On Wings Like a Dove. The mix suggests interest in both formal education and public-facing aviation preservation. The fund also supports college access and scholarships through Trellis, with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grant size clusters around a median of $25,000, with the middle half of grants falling from $13,400 at the 25th percentile to $50,000 at the 75th percentile. That distribution fits a portfolio built around moderate operating grants, with some larger anchors and many smaller awards. The recent record shows recurring support across multiple years for several recipients, including Crossnore Communities for Children, Senior Services, Trellis, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, On Wings Like a Dove, and Oak Ridge Military Academy. The fund is not structured to fund individuals, and the available purposes repeatedly use general support or general operating support, suggesting flexible, unrestricted funding rather than tightly restricted project grants.
$568K
$5.4M
$238K
$690K
Most grants fall between $13K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Notable grantees: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Crossnore Communities for Children, Second Harvest Food Bank of NW NC, TRELLIS, Sun 'n Fun Aviation Museum
Grantmaking is concentrated in North Carolina: 79% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and NC is also the top state by grant count. Winston-Salem appears frequently among recipient locations, including Crossnore Communities for Children, Senior Services, Second Harvest Food Bank, Trellis, and Cancer Services Inc. Other NC recipients include Oak Ridge, Greensboro, Washington, Mooresville, Randleman, Wrightsville Beach, and Oak Ridge. Outside North Carolina, the fund has also supported recipients in Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Oshkosh, and New York, all within the US.
The portfolio centers on regional social services and aviation-related education and museums. Recent grants also show support for child welfare and residential care, food banks, senior services, scholarships or college access, and a few community organizations in North Carolina.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years: Crossnore Communities for Children in 2024 and 2025, Senior Services in 2023 and 2025, Trellis in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at the median, with the middle half of grants ranging from $13,400 at the 25th percentile to $50,000 at the 75th percentile.
North Carolina is the main giving state, with 79% of grants going to recipients in NC. Winston-Salem appears often among recipient locations, and the fund’s scope is regional.
No. The fund does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossnore Communities for Children | WinstonSalem, NC | $125,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Second Harvest Food Bank | WinstonSalem, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Daytona Beach, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Trellis | WinstonSalem, NC | $62,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Senior Services | WinstonSalem, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | WinstonSalem, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Children's Law Center | WinstonSalem, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| On Wings Like a Dove | WinstonSalem, NC | $23,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Piedmont Land Conservancy | Greensboro, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Oak Ridge Military Academy | Oak Ridge, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Jimmys Bike Drive Inc | Wrightsville Beach, NC | $7,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Victory Junction | Randleman, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Breakthrough T1D | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Crossnore Communities for Children | WinstonSalem, NC | $75,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Trellis | WinstonSalem, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Daytona Beach, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| EAA Aviation Foundation | Oshkosh, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Oak Ridge Military Academy | Oak Ridge, NC | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Inner Banks Stem Center | Washington, NC | $14,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Cancer Services Inc | WinstonSalem, NC | $3,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NW NC | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SENIOR SERVICES | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIV | DAYTONA BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRELLIS | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ON WINGS LIKE A DOVE INC | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $45,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SUN'N FUN AVIATION MUSEUM | LAKELAND, FL | $27,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF RJR AUDITORIUM | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INNER BANKS STEM CENTER | WASHINGTON, NC | $14,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PIEDMONT SILVER EAGLES | MOORESVILLE, NC | $12,800 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OAK RIDGE MILITARY ACADEMY | OAK RIDGE, NC | $3,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CANCER SERVICES INC | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FORSYTH HUMANE SOCIETY | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $100 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
Second Harvest Food Bank
$100,000General Support
Trellis
$62,500General Support
General Support
Children's Law Center
$25,000General Support
On Wings Like a Dove
$23,000General Support
Oak Ridge Military Academy
$20,000General Support
Jimmys Bike Drive Inc
$7,500General support
Victory Junction
$5,000General Support
Trellis
$50,000General Support
Oak Ridge Military Academy
$20,000General Support
Inner Banks Stem Center
$14,000General Support
TRELLIS
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ON WINGS LIKE A DOVE INC
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SUN'N FUN AVIATION MUSEUM
$27,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF RJR AUDITORIUM
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INNER BANKS STEM CENTER
$14,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PIEDMONT SILVER EAGLES
$12,800GENERAL SUPPORT
OAK RIDGE MILITARY ACADEMY
$3,500GENERAL SUPPORT