What Healthcare Foundation of Wilson does

The Healthcare Foundation of Wilson is a public grantmaking foundation established in February 2014 from the sale of Wilson Medical Center to Duke LifePoint Healthcare. The foundation's mission is to invest in collaborative efforts that measurably improve the health and wellness of the greater Wilson community in North Carolina, with grantmaking structured around four focus areas derived from a triennial Community Health Needs Assessment: Access to Healthcare, Active Living/Healthy Eating, Alcohol/Substance Misuse, and Behavioral/Mental Health. Since issuing its first grants in 2016, the foundation has expended over $70 million across Wilson County nonprofits, government agencies, and schools, with notable 2024-2025 commitments including a $6 million strategic grant to Barton College, a $933,000 responsive-grant cycle spread across 21 organizations, and the scaling of Wilson Area School-Based Health (WASH) Clinics to six sites by May 2026.

The foundation's "products" are programmatic funding instruments rather than commercial offerings. Three concurrent grant mechanisms serve different capital needs: Responsive Grants provide annual competitive funding ranging from $15,000 to $150,000 with a combined cap of $150,000 per organization; Strategic Grants are larger, board-driven, and issued by invitation (2024 commitments totaled $6.5M across two recipients); and CAREs Flexible Funding offers quarterly unrestricted operating support of up to $15,000 to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Adjacent programs include Healthcare Career Scholarships at 10 Wilson County high schools ($1,000 each) and at Barton College and Wilson Community College ($2,500 per student), the Interns for Impact paid-summer-internship pipeline placing 15 college students at $15/hour with local nonprofits, nonprofit capacity-building workshops, the Annual Nonprofit Summit co-hosted with United Way of Wilson and Wilson Forward, and the Ripe for Revival Mobile Food Market partnership for food insecurity. There is no proprietary technology; grant applications are processed through Grant Interface and Foundant, events through Neon CRM, and email outreach through Constant Contact.

As a non-profit foundation, the organization does not generate revenue from commercial operations. Its capital base comprises the original 2014 hospital sale proceeds, prior hospital reserves, and returns on the resulting endowment; in August 2024 the board exercised its put option to sell its 20% minority interest in Wilson Medical Center back to Duke LifePoint, with proceeds earmarked for community health investment. Geographic scope is strictly Wilson County, NC. The seven-person staff — led by President/CEO Paula Benson (joined 2024, previously Executive Director of Wilson Forward) — is supported by a Board of Directors. There are no outside investors, no venture capital exposure, and no plans for IPO, acquisition, or geographic expansion beyond the county; the entity is structurally a perpetual community foundation.

Name

Healthcare Foundation of Wilson

Legal name

Healthcare Foundation of Wilson

Website

https://healthcarefoundationofwilson.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Healthcare Foundation of Wilson is a public grantmaking foundation in Wilson County, NC, created from the 2014 sale of Wilson Medical Center. It funds local nonprofits, schools, and agencies across four health focus areas, with over $70 million in cumulative grants since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chronic Disease & Health Promotion Program Funding (HLAJALAJ), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI), Workforce Development & Training Grants (Public Health) (HLAJALAM)

Keywords

• Community health grants
• Healthcare philanthropy
• Grantmaking foundation
• Nonprofit health funding
• Community wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Grant Disbursements: The foundation distributes grants to eligible nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools to fund health and wellness programs aligned with its four focus areas. Funding originates from the 2014 sale of Wilson Medical Center to Duke LifePoint Healthcare and prior hospital reserves. In August 2024, the board voted to exercise its put option to sell its 20% minority interest in Wilson Medical Center back to Duke LifePoint, with proceeds earmarked to further improve community health and wellness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Healthcare Foundation of Wilson is a public grantmaking foundation that awards health and wellness grants, scholarships, and programmatic support to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits, government agencies, and schools in Wilson County, NC. Its core offerings include Responsive Grants ($15,000–$150,000), Strategic Grants (by invitation), CAREs Flexible Funding (up to $15,000), Healthcare Career Scholarships, the Interns for Impact paid internship program, and Nonprofit Capacity Building resources, all directed at four CHNA-derived focus areas: Access to Healthcare, Active Living/Healthy Eating, Alcohol/Substance Misuse, and Behavioral/Mental Health.

Product overview

Healthcare Foundation of Wilson is a public foundation established in 2014 that provides grant funding and scholarships to improve community health in Wilson County, NC. The organization operates three main grant programs: Responsive Grants (annual competitive funding from $15,000-$150,000), Strategic Grants (large-scale invitation-only funding), and CAREs Flexible Funding (up to $15,000 for operating support). Scholarship offerings include High School Healthcare Career Scholarships ($1,000 per school) and College Healthcare Career Scholarships ($2,500 at Barton College or Wilson Community College). Supporting programs include Interns for Impact (paid summer internships), Nonprofit Capacity Building (training and resources), NC Center for Nonprofits Membership Scholarship, and the Ripe for Revival Mobile Market Partnership. The foundation also provides grant resources including forms, training modules, and community health assessments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAREs Flexible Funding: A funding opportunity providing general operating support to nonprofits delivering programs aligned with HFW's health-related focus areas, reflecting Compassion, Assistance, Responsiveness, and Engagement.
• Responsive Grants
• Strategic Grants
• Healthcare Career Scholarship Program
• Interns for Impact
• Ripe for Revival Partnership

Products and services

• Responsive Grants Annual competitive grant cycle awarding $15,000 to $150,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits, government agencies, and schools in Wilson County for health and wellness programs addressing one or more of the four focus areas. One-year grant term; organizations can submit up to three applications per cycle with a combined cap of $150,000.
• Strategic Grants Invitation-only large-scale grants for organizations with innovative, high-impact ideas to improve health and wellness in the Wilson community. Multi-year contract structure. The board co-funds with other sources rather than fully funding projects.
• CAREs Flexible Funding Quarterly grant program providing general operating support up to $15,000 per award to 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Wilson County for programs aligned with the foundation's health focus areas (Compassion, Assistance, Responsiveness, and Engagement). Government entities and schools are not eligible. Up to $50,000 issued per quarter.
• High School Healthcare Career Scholarship $1,000 scholarship awarded to one graduating senior per Wilson County high school who has been accepted into a North Carolina college or community college for a healthcare-related major. Recipients selected by each school's scholarship committee; presented at school awards ceremonies.
• College Healthcare Career Scholarship $2,500 scholarship awarded to students enrolled in healthcare-related programs at Barton College or Wilson Community College with at least one year remaining. Each school may award two scholarships per year ($5,000 per school).
• Interns for Impact Paid summer internship program placing 15 college students annually with Wilson County nonprofits. Interns work 20–40 hours per week at $15/hour, receiving professional development on Mondays while deployed to nonprofits Tuesday–Friday.
• Nonprofit Capacity Building Training and resources for Wilson County nonprofits including the Nonprofit Fundraising Course, Annual Nonprofit Summit, meeting space provision, grant listserv membership, and education on grant writing and nonprofit leadership.
• NC Center for Nonprofits Membership Scholarship Scholarship covering the cost of annual organizational membership in the NC Center for Nonprofits for eligible Wilson County 501(c)(3) nonprofits, providing access to pro bono consulting, training, webinars, and the resource library.
• Ripe for Revival Mobile Food Market Partnership Partnership with Ripe for Revival to operate a Mobile Food Market in Wilson County, providing fresh, affordable produce on a pay-what-you-can model twice monthly at the Wilson County DSS, serving up to 50 families per session and reducing food insecurity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $70 million in grants expended since 2016 across Wilson County nonprofits, government agencies, and schools.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Wilson County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Ongoing partnership to establish Wilson Area School-Based Health (WASH) Clinics within Wilson County Schools. By May 2026, six WASH clinics had been established. The foundation works with Wilson County Health Department and Wilson Forward on this initiative, supporting student health and wellness through on-campus healthcare access.
• Wilson County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Key partner in the WASH clinic initiative, providing clinical oversight and staffing for school-based health centers. Also a recipient of responsive grants ($60,000 annually) to reduce financial barriers for uninsured patients by covering transportation, lab fees, and medical supplies.
• Wilson ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Wilson Forward is a key community partner in the WASH clinic initiative and broader community health efforts. The organization connects leaders across sectors to drive measurable improvements in health and wellness, education, and workforce development. The foundation's President/CEO (Paula Benson) previously served as Executive Director of Wilson Forward.
• NC Center for NonprofitsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026The foundation offers a scholarship program covering the cost of annual organizational membership for the NC Center for Nonprofits for eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Wilson County. The NC Center for Nonprofits provides pro bono consulting, training, webinars, and other resources to strengthen nonprofit effectiveness.
• Ripe for RevivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Partnership to bring a Mobile Food Market to Wilson, providing fresh, affordable produce to Wilson County residents. The mobile market operates under a pay-what-you-can/pay-it-forward model. Markets are held twice monthly at the Wilson County Department of Social Services, serving up to 50 families per session. The foundation hosts a Community Resource Fair alongside the market launch. Ripe for Revival sources produce from local farms within two hours of Wilson, redistributing surplus food that might otherwise go to waste.
• United Way of WilsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Co-host of the Annual Nonprofit Summit, along with Wilson Forward. The 2nd Annual Nonprofit Summit in June 2025 was themed 'Leading through Change' and provided networking and learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders from over 30 organizations.
• Barton CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2024Strategic grant of $6 million awarded to Barton College to support expansion of the Health Sciences program, including renovations of the Moye Science Building and creation of a simulation hospital in the Nixon Nursing Building. This investment is intended to educate and graduate healthcare workers who will serve the Wilson community workforce.
• Wilson Arts CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2024Strategic grant of $500,000 awarded to support Phase Two of Wilson Arts Center's construction project, adding a makerspace and multiple art studio classrooms. The foundation views creative programming as contributing to mental health and well-being in the community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina: Regional community foundation serving coastal South Carolina through grantmaking across health, education, and economic mobility. Comparable in multi-program grantmaking model and regional community foundation structure.
• Winston-Salem Foundation: NC community foundation serving the Forsyth County region with grantmaking across health, education, arts, and human services. Comparable as a regional community foundation with health as one of multiple focus areas.

Direct peers

• Cone Health Foundation: Greensboro, NC-based health conversion foundation established from the sale of a regional hospital system, focusing on community health grantmaking across multiple counties in NC. Directly comparable in origin, mission focus, and grantmaking model.
• Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust: One of North Carolina's largest health-focused foundations, funding access to healthcare, behavioral health, and community wellness across the state. Comparable in mission scope and public health grantmaking focus, though operating at much larger scale.
• Foundation for a Healthy High Point: High Point, NC-based independent health foundation focused on access to care, behavioral health, and chronic disease prevention through grants to local nonprofits. Closest geographic and mission peer to HFW with comparable four-pillar focus areas.
• Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis: Indianapolis-based health conversion foundation established from health system restructuring, funding community health through grants, convening, and capacity building. Closely analogous model to HFW in origin, grantmaking approach, and geographic concentration.

Broad incumbents

• The Duke Endowment: Major Charlotte-based private foundation (established 1924) funding healthcare, education, and rural life across the Carolinas. As the historical funder of Duke LifePoint hospital acquisitions, it shares an indirect connection and overlap in NC health philanthropy with HFW.
• Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation: Winston-Salem-based statewide foundation funding social justice, education, and health equity across NC. Comparable as a NC-based grantmaking foundation with health-related funding lines, though broader in mission.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation: Statewide NC health-focused foundation funding community health, behavioral health, and healthcare workforce development. Comparable in mission focus but operates at a substantially larger scale across NC.

Others

• NC Center for Nonprofits: Statewide nonprofit support and capacity-building organization with whom HFW partners to provide NC Center for Nonprofits membership scholarships for Wilson County nonprofits. Comparable as an ecosystem-level capacity builder rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healthcare-foundation-of-wilson

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Healthcare Foundation of Wilson