North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3,000,000
• Total Grants Awarded Since 1986: $96,200,000
• Decision Time: Up to 26 weeks (180 days from Stage 2 application)
• Grant Range: $25,000 - $50,000+ (multi-year grants available)
• Geographic Focus: Statewide North Carolina
• Assets: Approximately $82,949,220

Contact Details

Address: 410 Blackwell Street, Durham, NC 27701

Website: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/

Note: As of December 2025, the Foundation has paused its grant application portal while developing a new strategic plan. The revised strategy and grantmaking approach will be announced by mid-2026.

Overview

Founded in 1986 by the late Joseph J. Ruvane, Jr., chairman and chief executive of Glaxo, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting science, health, and education across North Carolina. The Foundation operates with an independent endowment and has distributed $96.2 million in grants since its inception, currently awarding approximately $3 million annually to North Carolina nonprofit organizations. The Foundation works to build coalitions of individuals and organizations to combine resources and focus efforts to meet the critical educational needs of the state. According to the Foundation's leadership, "We embrace programs that have a creative spark that makes a true difference in people's lives." The Foundation is currently undergoing a strategic planning process and has temporarily paused new grant applications until the new strategy is finalized in 2026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Traditional Grants: $25,000 and above

• Purpose: Seed or pilot funds to advance science, health, and education in North Carolina
• Duration: One year or multi-year funding with a maximum of five years
• Focus: Educational programs with potential statewide impact
• Application Method: Two-stage process with quarterly deadlines (January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1)
• Status: Paused as of December 2025

Ribbon of Hope Grants: $50,000

• Purpose: Establish or expand community-based educational programs
• Focus: County-specific science, health, and education initiatives with emphasis on STEM, literacy, and at-risk youth
• Application Method: Online application portal (when open)
• Status: Paused as of December 2025

Women in Science Scholars Program

• Provides scholarships at 30 North Carolina colleges and universities
• Typically two scholarship recipients named annually by each institution
• Includes mentorship and conference opportunities
• Funded through previously established endowments

Child Health Recognition Awards

• Honors innovative North Carolina public health professionals
• Recognizes work improving child health outcomes
• Shares best practices across the state

Priority Areas

• Science Education: Programs advancing STEM education and workforce development
• Health: Public health initiatives, health education, and health-related career pathways
• Education: Educational programs addressing critical needs with statewide impact or replication potential
• Geographic Reach: Programs benefiting large geographical regions or with statewide impact; pilot programs with potential to transcend community geographic boundaries
• Innovation: Creative programs with potential for broad impact and replication

What They Don't Fund

• Individuals (only 501(c)(3) organizations eligible)
• Medical assistance or direct healthcare services
• Programs that do not advance science, health, or educational attainment
• Core mission support, including current staff salaries and benefits
• Indirect or overhead costs
• Fringe benefits for new hires
• Programs benefiting limited geographical regions (with exceptions for pilot programs demonstrating replication potential)
• Organizations with less than two years of operating history (documented through 990s)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Executive Leadership:

• Margaret B. Dardess, Chair
• George B. Abercrombie, President
• Paul A. Holcombe Jr., Secretary
• Melissa Chappell, Executive Director

Board Members:

• S. Mark Werner
• Janice M. Whitaker
• Adrianna L. Carter
• Ran Coble
• Ann B. Goodnight
• Shirley T. Frye
• Thomas R. Haber
• John F.A.V. Cecil
• Charles A. Sanders

The Board is comprised of community leaders and meets quarterly (four times per year) to consider and award grants. The Foundation recently expressed gratitude to Robert A. Ingram for leading the organization for three decades.

Staff

• Melissa Chappell, Executive Director
• Emily Moseley, Legal Counsel
• Alicia Penny, Fiscal Analyst
• Dawn Lloyd, Program Officer
• JaNel Moore, Administrative Assistant

Leadership Philosophy

The Foundation's approach to grantmaking emphasizes creativity and impact. As stated by the Foundation: "We embrace programs that have a creative spark that makes a true difference in people's lives."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The North Carolina GSK Foundation closed its online grant application portal beginning December 1, 2025, as the organization develops a new strategic plan. The Foundation's revised strategy and grantmaking approach will be announced on or before July 1, 2026. No applications are currently being accepted.

Previous Application Process (when portal reopens):

Traditional Grants (two-stage process):

1. Stage 1 - Grant Inquiry: Submit initial inquiry by quarterly deadlines (January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1, or next business day if weekend/holiday)
2. Stage 2 - Full Application: If inquiry falls within guidelines, applicant receives access to second-stage application via online software

Required Components:

• Organization Capacity statement (including organization history and how project relates to past accomplishments)
• If partnering with other organizations, letters of commitment from up to two partner organizations detailing their commitment and contribution
• Demonstration that organization has at least two years of operating history (documented through 990s)
• Clear articulation of how program advances science, health, or educational attainment
• Evidence of potential statewide impact or large geographical benefit

Eligibility:

• Must be a nonprofit, charitable organization or institution exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• At least two years of operating history

Decision Timeline

• Board Meetings: Quarterly (four times per year)
• Notification Timeline: All second-stage applicants receive notification within 180 days (approximately 26 weeks) after the second-stage application is submitted
• Example Timeline: Inquiries submitted in November are evaluated with decisions made by the end of March (approximately 4 months)

Success Rates

Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed. However, grant award data shows:

• 2023: 16 awards totaling $3,422,749
• 2022: 16 awards
• 2021: 37 awards
• 2020: 19 awards
• 2019: 23 awards

The number of awards varies significantly year to year, suggesting competitive selection processes and varying applicant pools.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation does not provide critiques of unsuccessful applications. No specific restrictions on reapplication are mentioned in publicly available materials, suggesting unsuccessful applicants may reapply in subsequent funding cycles. However, applicants should carefully review guidelines to ensure strong alignment before resubmitting.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities

Statewide Impact: The Foundation emphasizes that "ordinarily, the board does not provide funds to programs that benefit a limited geographical region," though exceptions are made for pilot programs with potential to transcend community geographic boundaries or be replicated on a larger scale. Applicants should clearly articulate how their program will achieve broad impact.

Seed/Pilot Focus: Traditional grants are specifically designed to "provide seed funds for new and worthwhile educational programs in North Carolina." The Foundation prioritizes innovation and new initiatives over ongoing operational support.

Coalition Building: The Foundation's mission emphasizes "building coalitions of individuals and organizations to combine resources." Applications demonstrating strong partnerships and collaborative approaches align with this philosophy.

Creative Spark: According to the Foundation's stated approach, they "embrace programs that have a creative spark that makes a true difference in people's lives." Applications should highlight innovative approaches and demonstrate transformative potential.

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

• NC State University C3 Program: $1,064,000 over three years for Community College Collaboration program
• Prevent Blindness North Carolina: $25,000 Ribbon of Hope grant for Star Pupils Program improvements serving 18 central NC counties with early vision screening
• ECU Graduate Pathways Program: Multi-year funding for graduate pathways program growing diverse public health workforce for rural North Carolina, including summer research immersion for undergraduates from minority-serving institutions

Common Application Pitfalls

• Proposals focused on limited geographic areas without clear replication or scaling potential
• Requests for core operating expenses or staff salaries rather than new program development
• Applications that do not clearly advance science, health, or educational attainment
• Programs providing direct medical assistance rather than education or prevention
• Inclusion of indirect costs or overhead expenses

Strategic Advice

1. Emphasize Educational Component: Even health-focused programs should emphasize educational outcomes and workforce development
2. Demonstrate Scalability: Clearly articulate how the program could be replicated or scaled statewide
3. Build Partnerships: Strong letters of commitment from partner organizations strengthen applications
4. Show Innovation: Highlight what makes your approach creative and different
5. Connect to Past Success: Demonstrate organizational capacity through past accomplishments and track record
6. Think Long-Term: Multi-year funding is available for programs demonstrating sustained impact potential

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Currently on pause: The Foundation is not accepting applications until mid-2026 while developing a new strategic plan; monitor their website for updates on the revised grantmaking approach
• Statewide impact is critical: Unless proposing a pilot with clear replication potential, demonstrate how your program will benefit large geographical regions or the entire state
• Focus on seed funding: The Foundation funds new programs and innovations, not operational support or existing staff costs
• Creative approaches win: Applications should emphasize the "creative spark" that makes programs transformative
• Coalition-building matters: Partnerships and collaborative approaches align with the Foundation's mission
• Science, health, education nexus: Strongest applications connect to multiple priority areas, particularly educational workforce development in science and health fields
• No feedback provided: The Foundation does not critique unsuccessful applications, so ensure strong alignment before applying

References

• North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation official website: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/ (Accessed January 2026)
• Traditional Grants page: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/traditional-grants.html (Accessed January 2026)
• About Us page: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/about-us.html (Accessed January 2026)
• Ribbon of Hope Grants page: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/ribbon-grants.html (Accessed January 2026)
• Application portal page: https://www.ncgskfoundation.org/apply.html (Accessed January 2026)
• Grantable Foundation Profile: https://www.grantable.co/search/funders/profile/north-carolina-glaxosmithkline-us-foundation-581698610 (Accessed January 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/581698610 (Accessed January 2026)
• Prevent Blindness North Carolina grant announcement: https://nc.preventblindness.org/glaxosmithkline-foundation-grant/ (Accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581698610 (Accessed January 2026)