John M. Belk Endowment
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This foundation funds postsecondary access, completion and workforce relevance work in North Carolina, so it suits nonprofits working on these themes within that state.
- It operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity cannot simply submit a proposal; invited organisations complete a Letter of Inquiry, and it typically conducts a site visit during evaluation.
- A realistic request should be modest: about eight in ten grants fall between $5,000 and $1,250,000, the median grant is $50,000, and half of its grants are $50,000 or less, though its largest grant, $4,500,000, went to Foundation for the Carolinas, an organisation it funds every year that regrants to other organisations.
- The fact that 66% of its grant dollars go to organisations it had already funded in the previous two filings suggests a relationship-led, fairly concentrated approach to giving.
- Organisations should not apply if they lack current 501(c)(3) status, are foreign organisations, would pass funds to an ineligible organisation, are individuals or families seeking scholarships or fellowship assistance, are small businesses or private business ventures, seek support for fundraising events or sponsorships giving the Endowment tangible benefits, run athletic or sports-related events or school-affiliated orchestra, band, choir, student trips or tours, are political campaigns, labor, fraternal or civic clubs, seek funding for ongoing school operations, run high school drop-out prevention or K-8 programmes, or discriminate on the basis of race, colour, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or national origin.
Overview
John M. Belk Endowment is a US private foundation based in Charlotte, NC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Endowment focuses on improving access to postsecondary education for underrepresented students and cultivates partnerships with organisations that share its commitment to education as a route to fulfilling careers and a stronger North Carolina workforce. It awards grants to qualified nonprofit organisations, and invests in institutions, that address access, completion and workforce relevance across North Carolina. Its support is directed towards outcome-driven work that builds pathways into and through postsecondary education, helps students complete credentials relevant to market demands, and connects graduates to gainful employment. It defines underrepresented populations to include, but not be limited to, low- to moderate-income, first-generation, minority and rural students, and veterans. Its approach includes funding, knowledge-sharing and hands-on collaboration with partners.
Themes
- Postsecondary access
- Postsecondary completion
- Workforce relevance
Geographic Focus
North Carolina.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations that do not have current 501(c)(3) status (pending letters are not acceptable)
- Foreign organizations
- Organizations providing pass-through funds to an ineligible organization
- Individuals or families, including those requesting scholarships or fellowship assistance
- Small businesses or private business ventures
- Fundraising events or sponsorships that would provide the John M. Belk Endowment tangible benefits (e.g., tickets or tables at events)
- Athletic or sports related events, league or team sponsorships, school-affiliated orchestra, band, choir, student trips or tours
- Political campaigns, labor, fraternal or civic clubs
- Ongoing operations for schools
- High school drop-out prevention programs or K-8 programs
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or national origin
How to apply
Invited organisations complete and submit a Letter of Inquiry.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 66% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 141 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests should align with its Access, Completion and Workforce Relevance focus areas.
- Applicants should demonstrate impact in increasing postsecondary access, persistence and attainment.
- It assesses a proposal’s impact, scope, sustainability and scalability for underrepresented populations.
- It assesses an organisation’s internal capacity to advance the issue and its partnerships or integration with other organisations.
- It typically conducts a site visit during grant-proposal evaluation.
- Funded organisations are asked to provide scheduled impact reports based on goals and metrics in their applications.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 25% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 66% of grant dollars went to organisations John M. Belk Endowment had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 25% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 86 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- College Advising Corps · General Operating Support$2,880,0002024 tax year
- Foundation for the Carolinas · General Operating Support$2,738,0002024 tax year
- James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy · General Operating Support$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Strada Education Foundation · General operating support$1,462,4912024 tax year
- myFutureNC · General operating support$1,250,0002024 tax year
- EducationNC · General Operating Support$1,070,0002024 tax year
- Presbyterian Hospital · General operating support$522,4002024 tax year
- Year Up · General operating support$500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Virginia M Esposito — Board Member
- J Keith Benedict — Board Member
- Mary Claudia Belk Pilon — Board Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $25,024,843 | $16,959,827 | $364,360,242 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $23,424,176 | $14,707,092 | $395,139,086 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $23,144,997 | $14,691,485 | $415,770,924 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to John M. Belk Endowment?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Charlotte, NC
- jmbe.org
Applying to John M. Belk Endowment?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Charlotte, NC
- jmbe.org