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Foundation for the Carolinas

Foundation for the carolinas is a non-profit community foundation serving donors and a broad range of charitable purposes in north and south carolina through grantmaking and civic leadership.

Advocacy & Civil Rights Charlotte, NC EIN: 566047886 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Foundation for the Carolinas

Foundation For The Carolinas inspires philanthropy, creates conversations and empowers clients to strengthen our vibrant region.

Founded
Headquarters
Charlotte, NC
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
T310
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
major

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1962

Mission

Foundation for the carolinas is a non-profit community foundation serving donors and a broad range of charitable purposes in north and south carolina through grantmaking and civic leadership.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar advocacy & civil rights in United States
Program spending This charity: 99%
Peer average: 85%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 0.12%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 80
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.99
Program$0.99
99% to programs beats the peer average (85%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Foundation for the Carolinas has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 6 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 6 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
  • GiveRadar holds 15 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024 - a deeper filing history than 99% of the 86,572 advocacy & civil rights charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 80 places it in the top 2% of the 128,026 advocacy & civil rights charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (15 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Foundation for the Carolinas is a registered advocacy & civil rights nonprofit based in Charlotte, NC, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1958 and has been operating for 68 years. Its EIN is 566047886. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $761M in annual revenue. 157 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Foundation for the Carolinas's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 566047886. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Foundation for the Carolinas has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 99% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for advocacy & civil rights charities in United States is 90/100.

Foundation for the Carolinas is located in Charlotte, NC, United States. The organization was established in 1958 and has been active for 68 years.

Based on official tax filings, Foundation for the Carolinas has $761M in annual revenue. It allocates 99% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 85% for advocacy & civil rights charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $4M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Foundation for the Carolinas is classified as an Advocacy & Civil Rights organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a major organization. It has $761M in annual revenue. The organization has 157 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Foundation for the Carolinas. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Foundation for the Carolinas holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 99% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 85%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Foundation For The Carolinas inspires philanthropy, creates conversations and empowers clients to strengthen our vibrant region. Foundation for the Carolinas is classified as an advocacy & civil rights organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1958.

Among advocacy & civil rights charities registered in United States: It allocates 99% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 85%. Its annual revenue of $761M is well above the peer average of $4M.

Yes, donations to Foundation for the Carolinas are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 566047886, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$100M-$1B
99% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020, FY2019, FY2018, FY2017, FY2016, FY2015.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
123

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

AL
Alyssa F•••••••
CFO

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Leadership change at Foundation for the Carolinas - thecharlotteledger.com
Apr 2026
www.thecharlotteledger.com
Cathy Bessant retires as Foundation for the Carolinas CEO. New leader named - AOL.com
Apr 2026
www.aol.com
Cathy Bessant steps down as head of Foundation for the Carolinas - WFAE
Apr 2026
www.wfae.org
Clark succeeds Bessant to oversee Foundation for the Carolinas - Business North Carolina
Apr 2026
businessnc.com
New CEO named for Foundation For The Carolinas as Cathy Bessant retires - The Business Journals
Apr 2026
www.bizjournals.com
Laura Clark Named CEO at Foundation For The Carolinas - Hoodline
Apr 2026
hoodline.com
Drought persists in Carolinas
Mar 2026
wsoctv.com
Carolinas reach record - highs 2 days in a row
Mar 2026
wbtv.com
Duke Energy reaches agreements with North Carolina customer advocates , NC Attorney General office and others on propose
Mar 2026
prnewswire.com
Gas prices surge in the Carolinas amid Iran conflict , near $3 . 25
Mar 2026
wbtv.com
Form filed
$761.4M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$538.0M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$953.5M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$770.3M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$548.7M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990
Form filed
$289.7M revenue
FY2019
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$449.7M revenue
FY2018
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$662.5M revenue
FY2017
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$445.4M revenue
FY2016
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$382.5M revenue
FY2015
IRS/ProPublica

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights this charity 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 157 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Supplementary verification
Wikidata structured data
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 157 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1958
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Foundation for the Carolinas

What is Foundation for the Carolinas?
Foundation for the Carolinas is a advocacy & civil rights publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Charlotte, United States. Foundation For The Carolinas inspires philanthropy, creates conversations and empowers clients to strengthen our vibrant region.
When was Foundation for the Carolinas founded?
Foundation for the Carolinas was founded in 1958.
Who leads Foundation for the Carolinas?
Alyssa Federico serves as CFO.
Where is Foundation for the Carolinas located?
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, United States.
What is Foundation for the Carolinas's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100M-$1B. 99% of expenses go to program services.
Is Foundation for the Carolinas trustworthy?
Foundation for the Carolinas has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Foundation for the Carolinas's registration number?
IRS EIN: 566047886.
What is Foundation for the Carolinas's website?
http://www.fftc.org