What Camber Foundation does

Camber Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 2022 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. It distributes philanthropic grants to 501(c)(3) public charities operating in or serving a defined 41-county region of Eastern North Carolina, with funding priorities organized into three verticals: Health & Wellness, Education, and Economic Development. Standard program grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 per one-year term, and multi-year commitments up to $1 million are available for flagship initiatives.

The foundation operates three core offerings: an annual competitive Grant Program run through a Foundant-based online application portal with access codes (e.g., Camber2026), the Community Schools Initiative anchored by a $1 million two-year partnership with the North Carolina Community Schools Coalition, and the Storytelling Program, a six-month cohort-based capacity-building program that pairs grantees with virtual training, coaching, and professional video production. The 2026 cycle disbursed over $1,155,000 to 29 nonprofits out of 250 applications, and the foundation's announced annual funding commitment rose from $3.5 million in 2025 to $5 million in 2026.

The operating model is community-led: a small staff of approximately nine (President & CEO Leslie Ann Jackson, Director of Community Investment Christopher Fipps, Finance & Administration Officer Matt McDowell, two Network Officers, and a Special Assistant to the CEO) is complemented by a Board of Directors and an inaugural five-member Advisory Council. Camber has no proprietary technology stack or commercial product; its distribution channels are the website, email newsletter, LinkedIn, grantseeker webinars, and direct relationship work by Network Officers. Cumulative grants distributed from 2023 through 2026 exceed $5.7 million across roughly 115 Eastern NC nonprofit organizations.

Name

Camber Foundation

Legal name

Camber Foundation

Website

https://camberfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Camber Foundation is a Raleigh-based private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that distributes $25K-$1M grants to 501(c)(3) organizations serving a 41-county region of Eastern North Carolina across Health & Wellness, Education, and Economic Development verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Nonprofit foundation
• Community grants
• Capacity building programs
• Regional philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grantmaking: Camber Foundation is a philanthropy that makes grants to nonprofit organizations serving Eastern North Carolina. The foundation operates with philanthropic roots in the region, distributing grant funding to support community-driven solutions in health, education, and economic development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Camber Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation that makes grants to 501(c)(3) public charities serving Eastern North Carolina's 41 counties. Its core offerings consist of annual grant programs ($25,000 to $50,000 per grant, with multi-year grants available) targeting Health & Wellness, Education, and Economic Development, supplemented by capacity-building programs such as the Storytelling Program and large multi-year initiatives like the Community Schools partnership ($1 million two-year grant to NCCSC). Distribution is administered through an online application portal, with Network Officers supporting grantee relationships and Community Conversations engaging local communities.

Product overview

Camber Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropic organization that offers grant programs and capacity-building initiatives to support Eastern North Carolina nonprofits. The Foundation's primary offerings include an annual Grant Program providing funding to 501(c)(3) organizations in 41 Eastern NC counties focused on health & wellness, education, and economic development; the Storytelling Program, a capacity-building initiative that provides training and professional video production to help nonprofits communicate their missions; and the Community Schools Initiative, a major multi-year partnership supporting community-led school transformation. The Foundation does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Programs Annual grant programs offering $25,000 to $50,000 grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Eastern North Carolina's 41 counties, with multi-year grants available. Grant cycles focus on Health & Wellness, Education, and Economic Development, with applications submitted through the Foundant online grant management system using access codes (e.g., Camber2026).
• Storytelling Program A six-month cohort-based capacity-building program designed for nonprofit grantees to develop narrative voice and strategic communications through virtual training, coaching, and professionally produced videos. Open to Camber Foundation grantees in Eastern North Carolina.
• Community Schools Initiative A multi-year flagship initiative providing $1 million over two years to support the North Carolina Community Schools Coalition (NCCSC) in expanding the Community Schools model across Eastern North Carolina, with funding directed to School Advisory Boards and supporting cross-sector collaboration in community-led school transformation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29 nonprofits received $1,155,000 in 2026 grants from 250 applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 flagship, core and minor.

• North Carolina Community Schools Coalition (NCCSC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner$1 million two-year grant to support expansion of Community Schools model from 13 schools across 6 counties to 25 schools across 15 counties. Camber's funding focuses directly on School Advisory Boards at Community Schools across Eastern NC. This is the foundation's largest single investment to date, supporting cross-sector collaboration and community voice in education transformation.
• UNC-Pembroke Thomas Entrepreneurship HUBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$125,000 grant to develop small business lending program and loan fund for entrepreneurs in Robeson County, with potential expansion to surrounding counties. Partnership with BEFCOR (Business Expansion Funding Corporation) establishing a community development financial institution (CDFI) to support small businesses, startups, and early-stage businesses.
• Kramden Institute for Digital SkillscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$46,000 grant for Train-the-Trainer Program serving Wilson and Wayne counties, with planning for expansion to other Eastern NC communities. Program enables community members to become Community Technology Instructors who bring digital literacy curriculum to their communities.
• Carolina Across 100 (UNC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$100,000 grant to support 'Our State, Our Homes' initiative addressing housing affordability and accessibility. Initiative engages local communities to develop locally-led visions into action plans for affordable housing across the state.
• East Carolina Community Development (ECCDI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner$25,000 grant as part of $75,000 regional housing solutions investment. ECCDI develops and preserves affordable housing while addressing social and economic challenges in Eastern NC.
• Eden VillageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$25,000 grant as part of regional housing solutions. Based in Wilmington, Eden Village provides stable, permanent housing in a supportive community for people with disabilities.
• Rebuilding Together Pitt CountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$25,000 grant as part of regional housing solutions. Provides critical home repair, accessibility modifications, and safety upgrades for low-income homeowners in Pitt and Greene counties.
• NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 750 contacts representing over 600 agencies working to ensure communities have support during disasters. Camber's funding supports organizations dealing with disaster response in Eastern NC's vulnerable coastal plain.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• The Winston-Salem Foundation: Community foundation serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, NC with a focus on education, health, arts, and economic mobility. Comparable to Camber as a NC community foundation with similar focus areas, though concentrated in a different sub-region of NC.
• Foundation For The Carolinas: Charlotte, NC-based community foundation serving the Carolinas through donor-advised funds and competitive grant programs. Comparable to Camber as a NC community foundation deploying philanthropic capital to nonprofits, though serving a different (more urban) region of the state.
• Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina: Regional community foundation serving coastal South Carolina with grantmaking across education, health, and economic mobility. Comparable to Camber because of its community-led grantmaking approach and focus on underserved coastal/rural communities, though operating in a different state.

Broad incumbents

• The Duke Endowment: One of the largest private foundations in the Southeast, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, funding child and family well-being, health care, higher education, and rural church-related programs across NC and SC. Comparable to Camber as a NC-anchored grantmaker with overlapping focus areas, though operating at much greater scale and with a broader geographic remit.

Direct peers

• Dogwood Health Trust: Private foundation based in Asheville, NC created from the sale of Mission Health, funding health, education, economic opportunity, and housing across 18 Western NC counties. Comparable to Camber in its NC-based regional place-based grantmaking model and overlapping focus areas including health, education, and economic development.
• Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust: North Carolina-based private foundation focused on improving health and well-being in rural NC and across the state. Comparable to Camber in its geographic concentration on underserved NC regions and focus areas spanning health, education, and economic opportunity.
• Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation: Private foundation based in Winston-Salem, NC funding social justice, education, and community development across North Carolina. Comparable to Camber in NC-specific grantmaking, focus on community-led solutions, and program-related investments beyond traditional grants.
• Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation: Southeast-focused private foundation based in Winston-Salem, NC funding rural community development and economic mobility in the Appalachian South and across the region. Comparable to Camber in its place-based, rural-focused grantmaking philosophy and commitment to community-driven solutions in underserved geographies.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation: Health-focused philanthropic foundation based in North Carolina funding community health, nutrition, and early childhood initiatives across the state. Comparable to Camber in its NC-specific grantmaking, focus on health access (one of Camber's three pillars), and rural community emphasis.
• NC Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation serving North Carolina through regional grantmaking and donor-advised funds. Directly comparable to Camber because of overlapping NC geographic focus, community-driven grantmaking model, and prior employer relationship (Camber's President & CEO and Director of Community Investment both came from this organization).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camber-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camber Foundation