NCHSAA Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's education-based grants go to NCHSAA member schools in North Carolina, so a request should be a school athletics project in that state, in one of its four themes: student-centric initiatives, coach and administrator education, health, safety and wellness, or small equipment.
- Typical grants fall between about $1,550 and $2,200, with a median of about $1,850, so a request near that size fits the usual pattern, though the largest grant was $5,000.
- Applications are rolling, each school may submit only one per grant cycle, and a school awarded a grant in one year cannot receive one the following year.
- Priority goes to projects that meet a viable unmet need for student-athletes or school athletic staff and that the school pairs with other funding, and only 3% of grant dollars in the filing went to organisations the foundation had also funded before, so repeat relationships are not the main route in.
- The programme does not fund political activities, salaries, conference registration or travel, activities for personal gain, or NCCA and NCADA conference fees, and grantees must report on how funds were used and how many student-athletes were reached.
Overview
NCHSAA Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chapel Hill, 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 Foundation supports high-school sport and related activities in North Carolina through education-based grants, scholarships and coach and administrator awards for students, coaches, administrators and officials. Its education-based grants are for NCHSAA member schools and focus on student-centric initiatives, coach and athletic-administrator education, health, safety and wellness, and small equipment. It prioritises projects addressing unmet needs for student-athletes or school athletic staff, with priority for schools seeking multiple funding sources. Proposals are assessed for their impact on the school’s athletic programme and student-athletes, whether they meet a viable unmet need, and efforts to secure other funds. Grantees report on use of funds and the number of student-athletes reached.
Themes
- Student-centric initiatives
- Coach and administrator education
- Health, safety and wellness
- Small equipment
Geographic Focus
North Carolina.
What They Don't Fund
- Education-Based Grant Program only: Political activities or attempts to influence legislation; Salaries or supplemental income; Conference registration/travel expenses; Any activities that serve for the personal gain of an individual; Ancillary activities such as programs, advertising or special events not related to the purpose(s) of the NCHSAA Foundation as outlined within its Articles of Incorporation; registration fees and travel expenses associated with attending NCCA or NCADA conferences; Schools awarded a grant in one year are not eligible to receive a grant the following year
How to apply
Organisations can apply to the Education-Based Grant Program; only one application per school is allowed in each grant cycle. Awardees submit a post-project evaluation form and budget.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 3% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 482 grants to organisations were about $1,850 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It gives priority to projects for which the school seeks multiple funding sources.
- It assesses proposals for their impact on school athletics and student-athletes, whether they address a viable unmet need, and efforts to secure multiple funding sources.
- It expects grantees to report on fund usage, the number of student-athletes impacted and possible future expansion of the focus area.
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 <1% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 3% of grant dollars went to organisations NCHSAA Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 462 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1,849 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Rocky Mount Preparatory · Health, safety & wellness initiatives$5,0002024 tax year
- Alexander Central High School · Student-athlete focused program$5,0002024 tax year
- West Rowan High School · Equipment$5,0002024 tax year
- Tuscola High School · Health, safety & wellness initiatives$5,0002024 tax year
- Starmount High School · Equipment$5,0002024 tax year
- Clover Garden School · Health, safety & wellness initiatives$5,0002024 tax year
- Southern Wayne High School · Health, safety & wellness initiatives$5,0002024 tax year
- GLHS Booster Club · Student-athlete focused program$5,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kathy Spencer — Trustee
- Mark Mansfield — Vice Chair
- Dr William Steed — Chair
- William Miller — Trustee
- Anna Hipps — Trustee
- Neil Blankenship — Secretary
- Andre Lassiter — Treasurer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $0 | $0 | $18,409,479 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $321,258 | $135,550 | $24,378,602 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,206,028 | $967,173 | $25,858,716 | 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 NCHSAA Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- kdehart@nchsaafoundation.org
- Chapel Hill, NC
- nchsaafoundation.org
Applying to NCHSAA Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- kdehart@nchsaafoundation.org
- Chapel Hill, NC
- nchsaafoundation.org