North Carolina Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This community funder works through many affiliate offices to address local needs in North Carolina. Funding priorities include education, human services, basic needs, arts, historical preservation, health, recreation, youth development, environment and animal welfare.
IP TAKE: This foundation is the gateway to many highly focused local funders. NCCF awards some grants itself, but the real value is its county-specific connections throughout the state. Most programs accept applications for funding, but eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary significantly by program. It might take time and research to figure out which grant fits your organization’s specific needs. Overall, this in accessible and approachable funder with many opportunities for North Carolina nonprofits.
PROFILE: The North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF) is based in Raleigh and funds nonprofits in 67 counties in its statewide affiliate network. Founded in 1988, this funder eeks to “inspire North Carolinians to make lasting and meaningful contributions to their communities.” These affiliates are unincorporated charitable entities with local advisory boards to address community needs. This type arrangement has worked well in North Carolina to balance an on-the-ground local focus with the expertise of a large community foundation.
Charitable funds administered by NCCF include donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds, designated funds, agency funds, scholarship funds, community unrestricted funds and gift funds. Community grantmaking program funds support broad interests including education, human services, basic needs, arts, historical preservation, health, recreation, youth development, environment, and animal welfare.
Most of NCCF’s funding is connected to its affiliate foundations across the state. However, NCCF offers direct grants for some programs and to its women’s grantmaking circles.
Affiliate offices address needs in different counties, as follows:
Western Office - Cherokee, Clay, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, and Swain
Northwest Office - Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Catawba Valley, which includes Alexander, Caldwell and Catawba counties; Mount Airy, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin
Northern Piedmont Office - Cary, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Person, Vance, and Wake
Sandhills Office - Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, and Rockingham
Southeastern Office - Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, and Sampson
Coastal Plain North - Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, Rocky Mount, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson
Coastal Plain South - Carteret, Craven, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Pamlico, and Pitt
Northeastern Office - Beaufort-Hyde, Bertie-Hertford, Chowan, Currituck-Dare, Martin and Northern Albemarle, which includes Camden, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans
Only nonprofits in NCCF’s affiliate network are considered for grants. Faith-based organizations cannot apply for general support but may request funding for social outreach and charitable services programs.
The foundation’s women’s grantmaking programs seek to serve women, children and families. There are nine such programs, and each has its own grant methods and guidelines. NCCF also works with several corporate grants programs, including the Biogen Foundation: Ignite the Power of STEM, Biogen: Adventures in Biotechnology, Duke Energy Community College Apprenticeship Grant Program, Duke Energy Water Resources Fund and the Dan River Basin Grant Program for Rockingham County.
Information about competitive grants open to unsolicited applications is posted on the funder’s website. However, many other funds do not accept applications. The community grantmaking calendar can be viewed here. In addition to grants, NCCF also awards hundreds of scholarships every year.
In a past year, the foundation had total assets of over $270 million. Current financial data can be viewed here.
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