Grant funders / North Carolina / Sports & Recreation
Sports & Recreation Grant Funders in North Carolina
121 foundations with a documented sports & recreation focus have made grants to North Carolina nonprofits in recent years, together directing $206.5M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 121 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
121
Sports & recreation funders
$206.5M
Given to North Carolina nonprofits
713
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active sports & recreation funders in North Carolina
| # | Funder | Based in | Total North Carolina giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian State University | North Carolina | $57.5M | 7 | 2025 |
| 2 | Nc State Student Aid Association | North Carolina | $53.1M | 4 | 2022 |
| 3 | American Athletic Conference | Texas | $32.7M | 6 | 2023 |
| 4 | Gator Bowl Sports Inc | Florida | $15.5M | 7 | 2025 |
| 5 | Athletic Foundation of the University | North Carolina | $13.9M | 6 | 2024 |
| 6 | Western Carolina University | North Carolina | $7.8M | 4 | 2025 |
| 7 | Wilson County Partnership for Children Inc | North Carolina | $4.6M | 43 | 2023 |
| 8 | United States Fund for Unicef | New York | $2.5M | 2 | 2018 |
| 9 | The Harold H Bate Foundation Inc | North Carolina | $2.1M | 10 | 2024 |
| 10 | The Fox Family Charitable Trust | Arkansas | $1.2M | 7 | 2025 |
| 11 | Brinkley Family Foundation | North Carolina | $885K | 10 | 2020 |
| 12 | Orange County Partnership for Young | North Carolina | $762K | 5 | 2020 |
| 13 | Dogwood Health Trust | North Carolina | $661K | 8 | 2024 |
| 14 | Broyhill Family Foundation Inc | North Carolina | $603K | 11 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest sports & recreation funders in North Carolina — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 121 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 →Sports & Recreation 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 sports & recreation 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.