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Barnhill Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.7M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.2M

Barnhill Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,741,976 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not specified
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $163,000
  • Average Grant: $35,125
  • Total Assets: $27.9 million
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily North Carolina, with some national grants

Contact Details

Address: Wilmington, DE

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or requests for funds. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

Established in 2014, the Barnhill Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation led by Bob and Penny Barnhill. With assets of $27.9 million and annual giving of approximately $1.7 million, the foundation supports organizations focused on helping underserved youth thrive and live healthy lives. The foundation has strong ties to North Carolina through the Barnhill family's Barnhill Contracting Company, based in Rocky Mount/Tarboro. Since 2016, the foundation has awarded 246 individual grants totaling $5.6 million, demonstrating consistent philanthropic commitment across education, health, youth development, and disaster relief programs. The foundation operates through trustee discretion, with all board members serving without compensation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not have formal grant programs with fixed application cycles. Instead, grants are awarded on a rolling basis through trustee discretion to preselected organizations.

Recent Notable Grants (2023):

  • Operation Resolute Inc: $163,000
  • Kenan-Flagler Business School Foundation
  • CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
  • NCInnovation Inc
  • WakeMed

Priority Areas

Education

  • Scholarships and student financial support
  • Teacher recruitment and support programs
  • School literacy programs
  • Educational innovation initiatives

Youth Development

  • Programs serving underserved youth
  • Youth organizations and services

Health

  • Healthcare initiatives
  • Medical research
  • Programs promoting healthy lives for youth

Community Development

  • Nonprofit organizational capacity building
  • Disaster relief programs
  • Shelter and housing support

Geographic Focus: Strong emphasis on Eastern North Carolina and statewide North Carolina organizations, with occasional grants to national organizations in major urban centers including Atlanta, Chicago, and New York.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the foundation has stated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (all serving without compensation):

  • Robert E. Barnhill Jr. - President, Director, and Secretary
  • Penny Barnhill - Vice President and Director
  • Austin Barnhill - Director
  • Christian Barnhill - Director
  • Sarah Barnhill - Director
  • Robert Barnhill III - Director

About the Leadership: Robert E. Barnhill Jr. (Bob) was inducted into the Carolinas AGC Hall of Fame in 2022 for his leadership of Barnhill Contracting Company, founded by his father in 1949. Industry colleagues have noted that the Barnhills "have done so much for this state - not just in all of the infrastructure they have built (and it's been a lot!) but also in their philanthropic efforts and in the support they have given their employees, their employees families, and in the communities in which they work." The foundation represents the family's strategic approach to philanthropy, with a mission-aligned, purpose-driven focus on maximum community impact.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly stated it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the board's identification of organizations aligned with their mission and priorities.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through proactive identification of organizations rather than in response to applications.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation made 65 grants in 2023 and 57 grants in 2022 to organizations selected by the board.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Barnhill Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

Alignment with Mission: Organizations focused on helping underserved youth thrive and live healthy lives, particularly in education, health, and youth development sectors.

North Carolina Connection: Strong preference for organizations serving Eastern North Carolina and statewide initiatives. Recent grants show concentrated support for NC-based organizations including educational institutions, youth services, healthcare providers, and community development initiatives.

Educational Focus: The foundation has demonstrated particular interest in educational initiatives, from K-12 literacy and teacher support to higher education through grants to institutions like Kenan-Flagler Business School Foundation.

Organizational Capacity: The foundation organizes free training workshops for local public charities that support underserved youth in the community to increase efficiency and effectiveness, suggesting they value well-run organizations with strong operational capacity.

Community Impact: Through their connection to Barnhill Contracting Company, the family has shown commitment to communities where they have business presence and where their employees live and work, with a philosophy that "giving back to their communities is consistent with their foundation, supports their employees and is good for business."

Strategic Partnerships: The foundation and associated Barnhill Contracting Company engage in "strategic partnerships that are purpose-driven and mission aligned, with maximum impact," suggesting they seek collaborative relationships rather than one-off grant transactions.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They proactively identify and select organizations for funding.

  • North Carolina Priority: Organizations with strong North Carolina connections, particularly in Eastern NC, receive the majority of funding, though the foundation occasionally supports national organizations.

  • Youth-Focused Mission: The clearest pathway to funding involves programs that help underserved youth thrive and live healthy lives, with emphasis on education, health, and youth development.

  • Relationship-Based Grantmaking: With 65 annual grants averaging $35,125, the foundation maintains ongoing relationships with a portfolio of organizations rather than responding to applications.

  • Family Foundation Values: The foundation reflects the Barnhill family's business values through their construction company - community investment, employee support, and strategic impact in communities where they work.

  • Education Emphasis: From scholarships to school programs to higher education support, education emerges as a consistent funding priority across multiple grant recipients.

  • Financial Stability: With $27.9 million in assets and consistent annual giving around $1.7-2.3 million, the foundation demonstrates long-term sustainability and commitment to their funding priorities.

References

Accessed January 2026

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