44 private foundations reported environment & conservation grants in North Carolina on their IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2023–2025. Historical giving records — not an open application portal.
Themes are derived from the free-text purpose each foundation wrote on its own Part XV filing, so a grant is classified by what the funder said it was for. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from recipient counts and tables.
Across tax years 2023–2025, 44 private foundations reported 66 grants for environment & conservation totaling $4,786,634 to 51 organizations in North Carolina. The most-funded North Carolina communities were Asheville, Durham, Sanford. John S and James L Knight Foundation reported the most environment & conservation giving — $828,000 across 3 grants. The median grant was $15,000.
Foundation filings are a record of past giving. The UseGrants eligibility check matches you to federal and state opportunities accepting applications today.
| Foundation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| John S and James L Knight Foundation | 3 | $828,000 |
| The Kresge Foundation | 2 | $535,000 |
| V Kann Rasmussen Foundation | 1 | $500,000 |
| Margaret a Cargill Foundation | 1 | $300,000 |
| Freedom Together Foundation | 1 | $300,000 |
| Green South Foundation Inc | 2 | $294,639 |
| The Summit Charitable Foundation Inc | 3 | $275,000 |
| The Lastinger Family Foundation Inc | 1 | $250,000 |
| Douglas S Witcher Family Foundation | 2 | $202,000 |
| The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation | 1 | $200,000 |
| The Rockefeller Foundation | 2 | $150,000 |
| Z Smith Reynolds Foundation Inc | 1 | $120,000 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Sustainability Directors Network | 6 | $1,435,000 |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2 | $528,000 |
| Embodiment Institute Incorporated | 1 | $300,000 |
| Invest Appalachia | 1 | $300,000 |
| University Radio Foundation Inc | 1 | $300,000 |
| Conserving Carolina | 1 | $250,000 |
| BHI Conservancy | 1 | $200,000 |
| Catawba College | 1 | $194,639 |
| Family Health International | 2 | $150,000 |
| Croatan Institute | 1 | $120,000 |
| Mountaintrue | 2 | $115,000 |
| OUR Wild Neighbors Inc | 2 | $102,000 |
| Dogwood Alliance Inc | 1 | $100,000 |
| Holler Harm Reduction | 2 | $85,500 |
| Southeast Sustainability Directors Network | 1 | $75,000 |
44 private foundations reported environment & conservation grants in North Carolina on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $4,786,634. The largest by reported dollars were John S and James L Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, V Kann Rasmussen Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
51 distinct organizations appear as recipients in North Carolina, led by Urban Sustainability Directors Network, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Embodiment Institute Incorporated. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported environment & conservation grant in North Carolina was $15,000, and the largest single reported grant was $500,000. Amounts are as reported by the filing foundation for a historical tax year.
The UseGrants feed tracks federal and state opportunities that are open today, each with the eligibility explained in plain English.
Source: public IRS Form 990-PF Part XV filings (tax years 2023–2025). Theme classification is derived from the funder’s own purpose text and is a summary, not a legal categorization. UseGrants is an independent aggregator, not affiliated with any foundation listed.
