The Dickson Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation states a priority for the Charlotte area, and the filing says its giving is primarily local, so an organisation based there whose work sits in healthcare or education matches its stated themes most clearly.
- Most of its grants are small: about 8 in 10 of its 519 grants to organisations fall between $1,000 and $75,000, the median grant is $1,500, and half its grants are $1,500 or less, so a modest request is the realistic starting point, though the largest grant was $625,000 and that typical band is not a ceiling.
- About three-quarters of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, so it leans towards groups it already knows; a new applicant can still write, but should be clear about fit with its priorities.
- Applications are made by letter, and the filing gives no deadlines, so it sets no timing for when a letter should be sent, though the foundation does accept applications.
- Individuals should not apply because the foundation does not fund them.
Overview
The Dickson Foundation 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 web pages about the foundation (blogs.cpcc.edu), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation describes healthcare and education as priorities and as longstanding areas of support in the Charlotte area. Its filing says it primarily focuses on local giving, and its reported grants are classified as general support. The grants shown went to colleges and universities, schools and healthcare providers, alongside social-service organisations, churches, libraries and cultural institutions. The records therefore show broad operating support to a varied group of charitable organisations, with a stated emphasis on local giving and on healthcare and education. The evidence does not set out a more detailed organisational eligibility test.
Themes
- Education
- Healthcare
Geographic Focus
Priority: Charlotte area. (as reported in other published sources)
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
How to apply
Applications should be submitted in the form of a letter.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 76% 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 519 grants to organisations were $1,500 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 76% of grant dollars went to organisations The Dickson 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 165 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $2,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation · General support$301,0002024 tax year
- Lees-McRae College · General support$201,0002024 tax year
- Samaritan's Purse · General support$200,0002024 tax year
- NC State University · General support$127,5002024 tax year
- Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region · General support$127,0002024 tax year
- Coalition for Liberty · General support$125,0002024 tax year
- Wing Haven Foundation · General support$121,0002024 tax year
- Elon University · General support$106,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Alison M Scott — Director
- Jane W Marley — Director
- Susan W Patterson — Officer,Sec & Treasurer
- Thomas W Dickson — Director, Vice President
- John A Dickson — Director
- Harrison H Williamson JR — Director
- Chase A Wood — Director
- Christian O Avery — Director
- Rush S Dickson III — Director, Vice President
- R Stuart Dickson — Director, Chairman & President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,481,332 | $3,640,050 | $75,549,703 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,174,242 | $3,416,530 | $81,684,725 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,693,302 | $3,756,830 | $89,184,081 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Dickson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (704) 372-5404
- Charlotte, NC
Applying to The Dickson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (704) 372-5404
- Charlotte, NC