The David Belk Cannon Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $6,500,000 (2024)
Total Assets: $132,500,000
Number of Grants: 45 grants (2023)
Geographic Focus: Primarily Gaston County, NC and surrounding region
Foundation Type: Private family foundation (supporting organization)

Contact Details

Mailing Address: Gastonia, NC
EIN: 27-0004751

Key Staff:

Eugene R. Matthews II, Chair & CEO
Tamara Burrell, Executive Director

Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The David Belk Cannon Foundation was established in 2002 as a supporting organization of the Community Foundation of Gaston County. Named in honor of David Belk Cannon (who passed in 1998), grandson of Dr. John Belk and part of the family behind Belk department stores, the foundation perpetuates his legacy of hard work, religious faith, and generosity to the community. The foundation holds total assets of $132.5 million and distributed approximately $6.5 million in charitable grants in 2024. Originally begun as a memorial to Cannon's two children who died tragically in a fire in 1964, the foundation has expanded its mission to support education, healthcare, religious institutions, and community welfare across the Gaston County region and beyond. The foundation is led by the Matthews family and operates as a private foundation that makes strategic grants aligned with Cannon's values of service to community and church.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's board to preselected charitable organizations.

Notable Grant Examples:

Presbyterian College: $2.7 million (2019) for renovation of William Henry Belk Auditorium
CaroMont Health: Grant amount undisclosed for hybrid operating room and advanced interventional cardiology program
Gaston College Scholarships: Over $250,000 in scholarships to 260+ students through the David Belk Cannon Family Scholarship program
Presbytery of Western North Carolina: Support for "Campaign for Hope" ($2.25 million goal) for building churches and hospitals in Guatemala and Malawi, Africa, plus Camp Grier in NC

Priority Areas

Based on documented grants, the foundation prioritizes:

Education: Scholarships for students (particularly at Gaston College), capital improvements at colleges and universities, support for educational institutions with Presbyterian/faith-based affiliations
Healthcare: Advanced medical technology and facilities, particularly cardiac care and surgical capabilities
Religious Institutions: Presbyterian churches, presbyteries, faith-based missions and ministries
Community Services: Organizations serving low-income and underserved populations, programs enabling self-sufficiency
Organizations connected to the Belk family legacy: Institutions honoring William Henry Belk and the family's historical contributions

Geographic Focus: Strong emphasis on Gaston County, NC and surrounding regions, with some support for national and international faith-based missions.

What They Don't Fund

This information is not publicly available, as the foundation does not publish exclusions. However, given that they only fund preselected organizations, they effectively do not fund any organization with which they do not have an existing relationship.

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership:

Eugene R. Matthews II - Chair & CEO
Ben F. Matthews III - Vice Chairman
Mary M. Vaughn - Secretary
Annabelle Kelly - Assistant Secretary
Dr. Richard E. Rankin Jr. - Director

Executive Staff:

Tamara Burrell - Executive Director

Foundation Philosophy (from Gene Matthews, President): "The mission of Presbyterian College, the mission of our Foundation and the lives that David Belk Cannon and William Henry Belk lived have many common threads," indicating alignment with educational institutions and faith-based values. Matthews has emphasized the foundation's commitment to "continuing the legacy of service to community and church for which William Henry Belk was known."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The foundation has explicitly stated that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's board of directors to organizations with which they have existing relationships.

Getting on Their Radar

The David Belk Cannon Foundation operates through the Community Foundation of Gaston County as a supporting organization. While they do not accept unsolicited applications, organizations may:

Build relationships through the Community Foundation of Gaston County: As a supporting organization, the foundation works in partnership with the Community Foundation. Organizations already working with or known to the Community Foundation may have greater visibility.
Demonstrate alignment with the Belk family legacy: The foundation has shown particular interest in organizations that honor the values of William Henry Belk and David Belk Cannon, particularly those serving Gaston County and Presbyterian/faith-based institutions.
Focus on the foundation's documented priority areas: Organizations working in education (especially higher education), healthcare advancement, Presbyterian church missions, and services for low-income populations align with their known funding patterns.

Important Note: Given the foundation's structure and explicit policy, organizations should not send unsolicited proposals. The foundation operates on a board-directed model where trustees identify and select grant recipients.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available regarding decision timelines, as grants are made at the discretion of the board to preselected organizations rather than through a competitive application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no "success factors" in the traditional grant application sense. However, based on their documented grants, the foundation has shown affinity for:

Institutional Relationships: The foundation supports organizations with connections to:

The Belk family history and department store legacy
Presbyterian and faith-based institutions
Gaston County community institutions
Educational institutions, particularly those with historical ties to the family

Large-Scale Impact Projects: Notable grants like the $2.7 million Presbyterian College gift and the CaroMont Health hybrid operating room demonstrate interest in transformational projects with lasting community impact.

Values Alignment: Gene Matthews' statement about "common threads" between the foundation's mission and supported institutions emphasizes the importance of shared values around community service, faith, and educational advancement.

Community Benefit Focus: CaroMont Health noted that "the community-minded focus of the David Belk Cannon Foundation mirrors the mission and vision of CaroMont Health," suggesting that community benefit is a key consideration.

Memorial and Legacy Naming: The foundation has supported projects that include naming recognition honoring physicians and community members (e.g., Aycock-Digby-Letts Surgery Waiting Lounge), suggesting appreciation for legacy and memorial aspects.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted: This foundation operates exclusively by board discretion and does not have a public application process. Do not submit proposals unless specifically invited.
Supporting organization structure: The foundation works in partnership with the Community Foundation of Gaston County, which may provide a pathway for organizational visibility.
Substantial capacity: With $132.5 million in assets and $6.5 million in annual giving, this is a significant funder capable of large, transformational grants in the $100,000-$2.7 million range.
Geographic focus: Strong preference for Gaston County, NC and surrounding region, though they do support some statewide and faith-based international missions.
Values-driven grantmaking: The foundation's mission centers on continuing David Belk Cannon's legacy of service to community and church, with emphasis on education, healthcare, Presbyterian faith, and helping those in need.
Relationship-based philanthropy: The foundation's model is built on existing relationships and board-identified opportunities rather than competitive grantmaking.
Multi-year capacity: The foundation has demonstrated ability to make multi-million dollar commitments to capital projects and sustained scholarship programs.

References

Information accessed December 2024