Charles A Cannon Trust No 1
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This Trust funds only its named beneficiaries, which can apply to the Trust each year, and it does not accept unsolicited requests, so unless your organisation is already one of its designated beneficiaries, this is not a realistic prospect.
- Its priority area is North Carolina, and within that Alamance, Cabarrus, Rowan and Stanly counties, plus Pickens and York; its named beneficiaries include church denominations, higher-education institutions, healthcare institutions, community organisations and a public cultural agency.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $300,000, with a median grant of $50,000, so a request in that range is typical for those eligible to apply, though the largest grant was around $6,800,000.
- Almost half of its grant dollars to organisations in its latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, suggesting it favours continuing relationships with its existing named beneficiaries.
- Named beneficiaries should plan to apply to the Trust each year; organisations that are not among its named beneficiaries should not approach it directly, as it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Overview
Charles A Cannon Trust No 1 is a US private foundation based in Concord, 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 Trusts were established to carry on the works Charles A. Cannon was interested in during his lifetime. They make grants only to named beneficiaries, which can apply to the Trust each year. The designated beneficiaries include church denominations, higher-education institutions, healthcare institutions and community organisations. The Trust supports 17 church denominations in Alamance, Cabarrus, Rowan and Stanly counties in North Carolina, and Pickens and York counties in South Carolina. Its beneficiary lists also include colleges, hospitals, community organisations and a public cultural agency.
Themes
- Churches
- Higher education
- Healthcare
- Community
Geographic Focus
Priority: North Carolina; Alamance; Cabarrus; Rowan; Stanly; Pickens; York.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 48% 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 321 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
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 28% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 48% of grant dollars went to organisations Charles A Cannon Trust No 1 had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 85 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $65,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority · Required 40% distribution - atrium cabarrus$6,233,8022024 tax year
- Wingate University · Campus building renovations; bostic scholarship fund; annual fund; campus safety$932,5002024 tax year
- Rowan-Cabarrus Young Men's Christian Association · New harrisburg ymca (capital project); kannapolis branch pool renovations$560,0002024 tax year
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare System · Hurricane helene disaster relief; radiation oncology new linear accelerator$550,0002024 tax year
- Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation · Aseptic educational suite$485,9932024 tax year
- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority · 2025 faith community nurses - atrium cabarrus$479,7322024 tax year
- Lees-McRae College · Hurricane helene disaster relief; maintenance$410,0482024 tax year
- Brevard College · Hvac; hurricane helene disaster relief$400,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Britt Leatherman — Trustee
- Joseph C Hunter — Trustee / Secretary
- Edwin S Outen — Trustee / Vice-President
- William C Cannon Jr — Trustee / President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $19,886,939 | $17,391,064 | $325,223,661 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $17,800,102 | $14,773,362 | $393,117,716 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $20,943,911 | $17,660,502 | $401,470,276 | 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 Charles A Cannon Trust No 1?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Concord, NC
- cannonfoundation.org
Applying to Charles A Cannon Trust No 1?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Concord, NC
- cannonfoundation.org