Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is a US private foundation based in Winstonsalem, NC.

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 foundation makes grants to charitable, tax-exempt organisations, colleges and universities, religious entities and government units for work serving North Carolina’s people; out-of-state organisations may apply for projects operating in and benefiting the state. Its State-Level Systemic Change grants support nonprofit organisations working to change policies, power structures and root causes across democracy, environment, public education, and social and economic justice. It gives particular emphasis to populations historically marginalised or excluded from full participation, and supports work that strengthens directly impacted communities’ influence over decisions and systems. Through the Community Progress Fund, it offers flexible, short-term support to local organisations to meet immediate needs, test ideas and expand promising efforts, with special emphasis on rural counties. Its other programmes include public art sharing under-told stories and paid sabbaticals for experienced nonprofit leaders.

Themes

• Democracy
• Environment
• Public Education
• Social and Economic Justice
• Local Community Progress
• Inclusive Public Art
• Nonprofit Leadership Sabbaticals

Geographic Focus

North Carolina. Priority: NC’s 78 rural counties.

What They Don't Fund

• Voter registration
• Work that supports or opposes individual candidates or influences election outcomes
• Activities that promote or endorse violence
• State-Level Systemic Change only: Academic and medical research; Animal species preservation or rehabilitation; Building projects or renovations; Capital campaigns; Conferences, seminars, or symposiums; Civic clubs; Endowment funds; Equipment, furniture or computer purchases; Environmental education centers and programs for children; Fraternal organizations; Fundraising events; Greenways; Individual schools or projects that support a limited number of schools within a school district, or a limited number of schools in multiple school districts; Individual early childhood centers or out-of-school time programs; Teacher professional development; Pre-K through 12th grade public school curriculum development and/or implementation; Initiatives promoting religious education or doctrine; Land purchases; Overhead and indirect costs for colleges and universities; Projects that focus exclusively on direct services (e.g., child abuse treatment and prevention services, homeless shelters, health care services); Payment of debts; Plant species preservation; Preservation of historic properties; Private business ventures; Scholarships; Supplemental educational programs such as summer camps, athletic teams, drop-out prevention programs, and youth vocational and character development programs

For State-Level Systemic Change, an eligible organisation creates or logs into an account in ZSR’s grant portal, selects Apply for Funding, completes the application and submits it through the portal.

Deadlines: Applications open in early June and close in late July or early August.

• Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 83% 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 1,025 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

• ZSR places particular emphasis on populations that have been historically marginalized or excluded from full participation in society.
• State-Level Systemic Change partners should be willing to complement and amplify each other’s work.
• The requested amount should align with the scope of work presented.
• Selected applicants may have a site visit with ZSR staff.
• Applicants whose work crosses priority areas should briefly explain the nature of that cross-cutting work in the application.