The North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh behind a flowering crape myrtle

Form 990-PFTax year 2024EIN 36-4749289

Laughing Gull Foundation

A private foundation in Durham, NC. Its return for tax year 2024 lists 129 grants and $6.1 million paid in grants.

Tax year 2024 (period ending Dec 31, 2024), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

How to apply

Preselected only

The return checks the box saying the foundation gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets and giving by year

7 returns on file
Grants paid by tax year. The latest year is in blue.
  • Tax year 2024

    $6,146,285

    Grants listed
    129
    Assets, end of year
    $53,381,249
  • Tax year 2023

    $5,979,331

    Grants listed
    123
    Assets, end of year
    $59,203,248
  • Tax year 2022

    $5,658,500

    Grants listed
    109
    Assets, end of year
    $63,881,583
  • Tax year 2021

    $4,721,880

    Grants listed
    123
    Assets, end of year
    $29,174,242
  • Tax year 2020

    $4,350,000

    Grants listed
    80
    Assets, end of year
    $25,825,634
  • Tax year 2019

    $3,530,569

    Grants listed
    83
    Assets, end of year
    $23,210,490
  • Tax year 2018

    $3,136,232

    Grants listed
    66
    Assets, end of year
    $21,840,112

Grants paid in 2024

129 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Campaign for Southern EqualityAsheville, NC

    General operating support

    $160,000
  2. Neighborhood Funders GroupSan Francisco, CA

    Amplify fund

    $150,000
  3. Partnership for Southern EquityAtlanta, GA

    Project supp justice40 accelerator

    $150,000
  4. Equality NC FoundationDurham, NC

    General operating support

    $125,000
  5. Equality VirginiaRichmond, VA

    General operating support

    $125,000
  6. University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL

    General operating support

    $105,000
  7. Appalachian VoicesBoone, NC

    General operating support

    $100,000
  8. Center for Heirs' Prop PreservatioNorth Carolina, SC

    General operating support

    $100,000
  9. Freedom Center for Social JusticeCharlotte, NC

    General operating support

    $100,000
  10. Operation RestorationNew Orleans, LA

    Operation restoration

    $100,000
  11. Partnership for Southern EquityAtlanta, GA

    General operating support

    $100,000
  12. Taproot EarthTulsa, OK

    Gulf south for a green new deal

    $100,000
  13. Alliance for Higher Ed in PrisonDenver, CO

    General operating support

    $90,000
  14. Funders for LGBTQ IssuesNew York, NY

    General operating support

    $90,000
  15. Time Out YouthCharlotte, NC

    General operating support

    $90,000
  16. Auburn University FoundationAuburn, AL

    Al prison arts & education project

    $80,000
  17. Tennessee Higher Education InitiativeNashville, TN

    General operating support

    $80,000
  18. Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance FundEast Point, GA

    General operating support

    $75,000
  19. Georgia Conservation Voters Ed FundAtlanta, GA

    General operating support

    $75,000
  20. Nationz FoundationRichmond, VA

    General operating support

    $75,000
  21. New Virginia Majority Ed FundAlexandria, VA

    General operating support

    $75,000
  22. North Carolina Environmental Justice NetworkRaleigh, NC

    General operating support

    $75,000
  23. Power Coalition for Equity & JusticeNew Orleans, LA

    Power coalition for equity & justice

    $75,000
  24. Rural Investment to Protect Our EnvironmentSt Paul, MN

    General operating support

    $75,000
  25. Southeast Climate & Energy NetworkSunrise, FL

    General operating support

    $75,000
  26. Georgia Coalition for Highed EdOxford, GA

    General operating support

    $70,000
  27. LGBTQ Center of DurhamDurham, NC

    General operating support

    $70,000
  28. Life UniversityMarietta, GA

    Program support for chilon proj

    $70,000
  29. Piedmont Virginia Community CollegeCharlottesvle, VA

    Higher education in prison program

    $70,000
  30. Stetson Community Education ProjectDeland, FL

    Community education project

    $70,000
  31. Claflin UniversityOrangeburg, SC

    Pathways from prison

    $65,000
  32. Warren Wilson College Inside Out ProgramSwannanoa, NC

    Program support

    $65,000
  33. A-B Tech Community College FundAsheville, NC

    Support prison education program

    $60,000
  34. ACLU Foundation of NCRaleigh, NC

    General operating support

    $60,000
  35. Advocates for Trans Equality EducationNew York, NY

    General operating support

    $60,000
  36. Benedict CollegeColumbia, SC

    Best lives center prison edu program

    $60,000
  37. Common Good AtlantaAtlanta, GA

    General operating support

    $60,000
  38. Jamii SisterhoodWindsor, CT

    Project freedom

    $60,000
  39. Miami Dade College FoundationMiami, FL

    Higher edu in prison programming

    $60,000
  40. Mississippi Valley State UniversityItta Bena, MS

    Prison ed partnership program

    $60,000
  41. Side by SideRichmond, VA

    General operating support

    $60,000
  42. Simmons College of KentuckyLouisville, KY

    Second chance program

    $60,000
  43. Southern Vision AllianceDurham, NC

    Queer mobilization fund

    $60,000
  44. University of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GA

    Hep programs

    $60,000
  45. LGBT Center of RaleighRaleigh, NC

    General operaratin/triangle ed supp

    $55,000
  46. Resilience EducationCharlottesvle, VA

    General operating support

    $55,000
  47. Tides FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    General operating support

    $55,000
  48. Black Family Land TrustRaleigh, NC

    General operating support

    $50,000
  49. City DibsLos Angeles, CA

    Black sovereignty fund fellowship

    $50,000
  50. Climate Advocacy LabWashington, DC

    Climate justice microgrants

    $50,000
  51. Community Climate CollaborativeCharlottesvle, VA

    General operating support

    $50,000
  52. Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates NetworkDurham, NC

    Project suport

    $50,000
  53. Land Loss Prevention ProjectDurham, NC

    General operating support

    $50,000
  54. Louisiana Bucket BriageNew Orleans, LA

    General operating support

    $50,000
  55. NC Climate Justice CollectiveDurham, NC

    General operating support for NCJC

    $50,000
  56. NC Prison Education ConsortiumRaleigh, NC

    Capacity builidng/project support

    $50,000
  57. New World FoundationNew York, NY

    The eclipse fund

    $50,000
  58. Offender Alumni AssociationBirmingham, AL

    General operating support

    $50,000
  59. Redi DBA the Roanoke CenterRich Square, NC

    General operating support

    $50,000
  60. Rural Empowerment Association of Community HelpWarsaw, NC

    General operating support

    $50,000
  61. Southern Vision AllianceDurham, NC

    Redtailed hawk collection

    $50,000
  62. Sowega RisingAlbany, GA

    General operating support

    $50,000
  63. Take BirminghamBirmingham, AL

    General operating support

    $50,000
  64. The Descendants ProjectVacherie, LA

    General operating support

    $50,000
  65. The Education TrustWashington, DC

    Justice-impacted policy fellows prog

    $50,000
  66. The Embodiment InstituteDurham, NC

    General operating support

    $50,000
  67. The Trustees of Columbia UniversityNew York, NY

    Project support prison program

    $50,000
  68. Una Restorative Justice LabFlorence, AL

    General operating support

    $50,000
  69. UNC Asheville FoundationAshville, NC

    Prison education program

    $50,000
  70. Virginia OrganizingCharlottesvle, VA

    General operating support

    $50,000
  71. Woodward Hines EducationJackson, MS

    MS consortium for hep/hep programs

    $50,000
  72. Alliance for Full AcceptanceN Charleston, SC

    General operating support

    $45,000
  73. Campaign for Southern EqualityAsheville, NC

    SC united for justice & equality

    $45,000
  74. El Centro HispanaDurham, NC

    LGBTQ program support

    $45,000
  75. Tennessee Higher Education InitiativeNashville, TN

    TN prison college coalition

    $45,000
  76. We Are FamilyNorth Charleston, SC

    General operating support

    $45,000
  77. Abfe Rapid ResponseNew York, NY

    To support re initiatives

    $40,000
  78. Health BrigadeRichmond, VA

    General operating support

    $40,000
  79. Orange County Rape Crisis CenterChapel Hill, NC

    Qtbipoc survivor advocates institute

    $40,000
  80. Upstream Works CollaborativeChapel Hill, NC

    General operating support

    $40,000
  81. Virginia Foundation for Community College EducationN Chesterfld, VA

    Incarcerated students consortium

    $40,000
  82. Youth Outright WNC IncAsheville, NC

    General operating support

    $40,000
  83. Allied Media ProjectDetroit, MI

    General operating support

    $35,000
  84. National LGBTQ Task ForceWashington, DC

    Support creating change conference

    $35,000
  85. Tennessee Higher Education InitiativeNashville, TN

    Southern hep collective

    $35,000
  86. The Knights & Orchids SocietySelma, AL

    General operating support

    $35,000
  87. University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY

    Care initiative

    $35,000
  88. Western NC Community Health ServiceAsheville, NC

    General operating support

    $35,000
  89. Equality Federation InstitutePortland, OR

    General operating support

    $30,000
  90. Jesuit Social Research InstituteNew Orleans, LA

    Program support loyola @ rayburn

    $30,000
  91. Vera Institute of JusticeBrooklyn, NY

    Support for unlocking potential

    $30,000
  92. BVM Capacity Building InstituteAtlanta, GA

    General operating support

    $25,000
  93. Center for Earth Based HealingLynchburg, VA

    Lavender lodge

    $25,000
  94. Healthy RoutinesColumbia, SC

    SC coalition higher edu in prison

    $25,000
  95. National Center for Lesbian RightsSacramento, CA

    Nat'l LGBTQ women's comm survey

    $25,000
  96. Outright Youth of Catawba Valley IncHickory, NC

    General operating support

    $25,000
  97. Somos SiembraRaleigh, NC

    LGBTQ program support

    $25,000
  98. Tides FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    Rapid response funding

    $25,000
  99. Vessel Project of LouisianaLake Charles, LA

    General operating support

    $25,000
  100. Equality NC FoundationDurham, NC

    Rapid response funding for conv

    $20,000
  101. Equality VirginiaRichmond, VA

    Rapid respond convenings security

    $20,000
  102. Virginia Anti-Violence ProjectRichmond, VA

    LGBTQ programming

    $20,000
  103. Diversity RichmondRichmond, VA

    General operating support

    $15,000
  104. TranzmissionAsheville, NC

    General operating support

    $15,000
  105. Campaign for Southern EqualityAsheville, NC

    Hurricane relief efforts

    $10,000
  106. Center for Heirs' Prop PreservatioNorth Carolina, SC

    Capacity building

    $10,000
  107. Eagle Market Streets DevelopmentAsheville, NC

    Hurricane helene relief

    $10,000
  108. Emergency Legal RespondersNew Orleans, LA

    Disaster relief

    $10,000
  109. Equality VirginiaRichmond, VA

    Capacity building

    $10,000
  110. Exodus FoundationHuntersville, NC

    Rapid response for reentry work

    $10,000
  111. Foundation for Appalachian KyHazard, KY

    Appalachian helene response fund

    $10,000
  112. Georgia Conservation Voters Ed FundAtlanta, GA

    Capacity building grant

    $10,000
  113. Southeast Climate & Energy NetworkSunrise, FL

    Rapid response relief efforts

    $10,000
  114. Southeast Climate & Energy NetworkSunrise, FL

    Capacity building

    $10,000
  115. Una Restorative Justice LabFlorence, AL

    Capacity building

    $10,000
  116. Youth Outright WNC IncAsheville, NC

    Capacity building fund grant

    $10,000
  117. Democracy North CarolinaMorrisville, NC

    Rapid response funds

    $6,500
  118. Emancipate NCDurham, NC

    Rapid response funds

    $6,500
  119. Forward JusticeMorrisville, NC

    Rapid response funds

    $6,500
  120. LGBT Center of RaleighRaleigh, NC

    CBF for ramp in renovation

    $5,000
  121. Southern Vision AllianceDurham, NC

    Pride liberation

    $5,000
  122. Western NC Community Health ServiceAsheville, NC

    Capacity building grant

    $5,000
  123. Advocates for Trans Equality EducationNew York, NY

    Travel/honorarium gif conf presentat

    $3,800
  124. Campaign for Southern EqualityAsheville, NC

    Travel/honorarium conf panelist

    $3,800
  125. Nationz FoundationRichmond, VA

    Abfe travel for panelist

    $3,075
  126. NC Climate Justice CollectiveDurham, NC

    Travel funds hefn conference

    $1,070
  127. Campaign for Southern EqualityAsheville, NC

    Stipend inside philanth interview

    $125
  128. UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC

    Refund of unspent grant funds

    -$933
  129. Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA

    Return of unspent grant funds

    -$84,152

Where the money goes

By cause: grants to organizations we matched to the IRS list of exempt organizations, by their category.

  1. Education19 grants $938,92327% of the total
  2. Civil rights21 grants $814,22523% of the total
  3. Human services6 grants $345,00010% of the total
  4. Religion3 grants $340,00010% of the total
  5. Environment7 grants $330,0009% of the total
  6. Community development5 grants $240,0007% of the total
  7. 6 other causes15 grants $498,00014% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. North Carolina46 grants $1,928,562
  2. Virginia16 grants $733,075
  3. Georgia12 grants $660,848
  4. South Carolina7 grants $350,000
  5. Louisiana7 grants $340,000
  6. Florida6 grants $330,000
  7. New York7 grants $323,800
  8. California5 grants $305,000
  9. Alabama6 grants $275,000
  10. Tennessee3 grants $160,000

Officers, directors and trustees

4 people as filed

As filed on the return, with average hours per week and pay from the foundation.

  • Marjorie Owen BaesmithPRESIDENT Hours 15Pay $0
  • Emily CowardSECRETARY Hours 5Pay $0
  • Marjorie Williams CowardCHAIR Hours 5Pay $0
  • Sarah Schwartz BaesmithTREASURER Hours 5Pay $0

The return

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