SECU Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- SECU Foundation funds work across North Carolina in housing, education, healthcare and human services, so a small nonprofit should first check that its project sits within these themes and the state.
- Grant size is modest for most applicants: half of its 360 grants were $25,000 or less and about 8 in 10 fell between $15,000 and $325,000, with a median grant of $25,000, though the largest grant was $1,000,000, so pitching a request toward the lower end is the safer bet.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the Foundation's grants portal, so there is no fixed deadline to plan around.
- All of its grant dollars in its most recent filing went to organisations it had also funded in the two filings before that, which points to a relationship-led pattern of repeat support, so a first-time applicant should be prepared for this to be a competitive, trust-building process rather than a one-off ask.
- Organisations should not apply if they are seeking funding for operational budgets or shortfalls, event sponsorships, and for-profit organisations, government agencies and places of worship are not eligible; those seeking a capital grant should also note that administrative functions are not covered.
Overview
SECU Foundation is a US private foundation based in Raleigh, 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 SECU Foundation promotes local and community development through high-impact projects in housing, education, healthcare and human services. It funds non-profit projects and initiatives that strengthen communities across North Carolina, through capital grants, programmatic grants and mission development grants. Capital grants support new construction or large-scale renovation of facilities providing direct community services; programmatic grants support pilot programmes or large-scale expansions delivering regional or statewide services; mission development grants help smaller non-profits build organisational capacity. It favours projects with regional or statewide impact and potential for replication, tangible and permanent work, partnerships across the non-profit and philanthropic community, and improvements to the social and economic conditions of North Carolina residents and public employees. Its housing work includes supportive and affordable housing where local-market provision does not meet residents’ needs; its healthcare focus includes physical and mental health services, and its education work benefits public schools, students, teachers and experiential learning.
Themes
- Housing
- Education
- Healthcare
- Human Services
Geographic Focus
North Carolina.
What They Don't Fund
- Operational budgets or budget shortfalls
- Event sponsorships
- For-profit organizations
- Government agencies
- Places of worship
- Capital Grants only: administrative functions
How to apply
Complete an application for Foundation review and submit it through the grants portal accessed from the Grants page; the portal landing page describes what the Foundation looks for in a request.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% 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 360 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation favours projects with regional or statewide impact and potential for replication in other North Carolina communities.
- Projects should be tangible and permanent in nature.
- Projects should improve the social and economic conditions of North Carolina residents and public employees.
- Projects should strengthen partnerships across the non-profit and philanthropic community.
- Capital Grants require facilities to provide direct services in their region or community, not administrative functions.
- Capital Grant requests must not exceed 30% of the total project budget.
- Capital projects must include prominent naming or recognition of Foundation support.
- Programmatic projects need an established proof of concept or evidence-based model.
- Programmatic projects should include clear objectives, a detailed implementation strategy, and plans for sustainability and evaluation.
- Programmatic projects should demonstrate regional reach, with statewide impact preferred.
- Programmatic grant requests must not exceed 30% of the total project budget.
- Mission Development Grants prioritise non-profits in Tier 1 counties, rural communities or underfunded regions.
- Mission Development Grants prioritise non-profits providing direct services in housing, healthcare, education or human services.
- Mission Development Grants prioritise non-profits with annual budgets between $100,000 and $1.5 million.
- Mission Development Grants prioritise organisations operating for three to ten years or navigating a leadership transition.
- Mission Development Grants prioritise non-profits in counties with limited prior SECU Foundation grant support.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations SECU Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 109 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Dorothea Dix Park · Capital grant$1,000,0002024 tax year
- SECU Bridge to Career · Scholarship program$939,9372024 tax year
- Crittenton · Capital grant$600,0002024 tax year
- Charlotte Rescue Mission · Capital grant$500,0002024 tax year
- NC Museum Of Natural Science · Capital grant$500,0002024 tax year
- One Place · Capital grant$500,0002024 tax year
- Partners in Learning · Facility construction$500,0002024 tax year
- The NC Zoo Society · Capital grant$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
- Michael Clements — Director
- McKinley Wooten Jr — Director
- Mark Fleming — Director
- Jennifer Haygood — Director
- J Lee Brown III — Director
- Chuck Stone — Director
- Brad McMillen — Director
- Bob Brinson — Director
- Ben McLawhorn — Director
- Barbara Perkins — Director
- Stelfanie Williams — Secretary / Treasurer
- Mona Moon — Vice Chair
- Chris Ayers — Chair
- Jama Campbell — Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $21,784,040 | $14,855,073 | $65,685,078 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $17,181,311 | $17,312,231 | $68,813,720 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $26,174,704 | $17,397,231 | $61,007,668 | 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 SECU Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (919) 839-5000
- secufoundation@ncsecu.org
- Raleigh, NC
- ncsecufoundation.org
Applying to SECU Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (919) 839-5000
- secufoundation@ncsecu.org
- Raleigh, NC
- ncsecufoundation.org