Grant funders / North Carolina / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in North Carolina
1354 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to North Carolina nonprofits in recent years, together directing $2.1B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 1354 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
1354
Higher education funders
$2.1B
Given to North Carolina nonprofits
19,728
Grants on record
2026
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in North Carolina
| # | Funder | Based in | Total North Carolina giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nc State Investment Fund Inc | North Carolina | $250.3M | 40 | 2024 |
| 2 | The Duke Endowment | North Carolina | $178.1M | 82 | 2024 |
| 3 | The Educational Foundation Inc | North Carolina | $139.5M | 3 | 2024 |
| 4 | Appalachian State University | North Carolina | $130.4M | 21 | 2025 |
| 5 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | $119.9M | 6 | 2025 |
| 6 | The Kenan-flagler Business School | North Carolina | $86.4M | 6 | 2025 |
| 7 | Educational Foundation | North Carolina | $86.0M | 7 | 2024 |
| 8 | Nc State Student Aid Association | North Carolina | $82.2M | 6 | 2024 |
| 9 | The North Carolina Agricultural | North Carolina | $50.4M | 6 | 2025 |
| 10 | The Robertson Scholars Leadership | New York | $39.3M | 10 | 2024 |
| 11 | The University of North Carolina at | North Carolina | $37.7M | 6 | 2025 |
| 12 | Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Inc | Georgia | $36.7M | 148 | 2024 |
| 13 | Nc State Engineering Foundation Inc | North Carolina | $29.6M | 6 | 2025 |
| 14 | The Morehead-cain Foundation | North Carolina | $29.6M | 1128 | 2024 |
| 15 | The Chicago Community Trust | Illinois | $29.5M | 12 | 2023 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in North Carolina — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 1354 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in North Carolina
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded North Carolina nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to North Carolina recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.