Best Cary Grants for Nonprofits in North Carolina

LeBlanc/Baker Scholarship for Change

LeBlanc/Baker Scholarship for Change provides a renewable need-based scholarship to male students attending an accredited, four-year Historically Black College or University (“HBCU”).

LeBlanc/Baker Scholarship for Change award recipients will receive a 2026-2027 academic year award of up to $4,000 based on need. UNCF will send electronic notification to the eligible recipients in April 2026; and scholarship funds will be disbursed to the eligible recipients’ enrolled institutions in the fall 2026.

Scholarship Renewal

If funds are available, recipients may be eligible for awards for up to four (4) additional years within a five (5) year period.

Previously awarded students shall be notified and must meet the following criteria:

• Maintain academic standing consistent with the student’s institution standards for continued enrollment.
• Annually complete FAFSA and continue to have a demonstrated unmet financial need, as verified by their college or university.

A student who transfers from an HBCU to any accredited four-year college or university after successfully completing at least one (1) academic term remains eligible for recurring awards for attendance at their new institution if they otherwise meet the renewal eligibility criteria.

A student who withdraws or takes a leave of absence, after completing at least one (1) academic year, has the equivalent of a full academic year to reenroll at any accredited four-year college or university.

What We Do

At the North Carolina Community Foundation, we bring together generous people and connect them to causes and organizations they care about.

Our mission is to inspire North Carolinians to make lasting and meaningful contributions to their communities.

Our Philanthropic Network

We believe in the power of permanent philanthropy to strengthen our communities and people. By stewarding and growing donors’ gifts, our philanthropic network makes a powerful impact through robust grants and scholarships programs.

William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment

About Dr. William “Bill” Pretty Jr.

The family of Dr. William “Bill” Pretty Jr. established the William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment in memory of their beloved husband and father after he passed away on September 28, 2003, at the age of 59. Through this fund, his family wants to continue Pretty’s commitment to assist and inspire youth.

Dr. Pretty believed that with determination, perseverance, and a strong belief in God, anything was possible. He graduated from Shaw University and began his career in the federal government helping disadvantaged youth. After ten years, and with knowledge gained from helping in his father’s restaurant, Pretty became the first African American McDonald’s operator in North Carolina. Along with his wife Mildred, he operated three McDonald’s locations for 27 years in Sanford, NC.

Pretty had a special rapport with young people and always went out of his way to nurture them. His motto was, “the work experience, no matter how short, is very valuable.” To support his motto, even when overstaffed, he always hired young people at his McDonald’s.

With Mildred, Bill served his community in multiple ways. He was a trustee of Shaw University and First Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford and served on many other boards and committees. Mildred was a board member of the Ronald McDonald House in Durham.

His family created the William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment at NCCF after the Black McDonald’s Operators Association approached them about the idea.

Dr. Pretty was a true humanitarian. His love for people and his outreaching personality created valuable and long-lasting relationships. The Pretty family is proud to support students like him.

About

The mission of the Snapdragon Fund is to support community-centered, artist organized projects of high artist merit. The fund seeks proposals with visual arts at the root which engage and explore a wide variety of media, including but not limited to: performance, new + digital media (photo, film, sound, games), publishing, craft work, archives, and installation.

Snapdragon projects are ideally critical of art, its relationship to gentrification, displacement, and the state, and thoughtfully approach racial, disability, and queer justice. Additionally, the Snapdragon Team will be pushing for an increase in proposals from collaborative teams.

The Snapdragon Fund believes in North Carolinian artists’ abilities to cultivate collective, forward moving, radical creative practices. We believe the South has always been a site of transformative artistic development and leadership and the Snapdragon Fund seeks to support work that demonstrates this historic capacity. 

Our Impact | Responsive Grantmaking

Complex organizational change continues to be a challenge for many Triangle nonprofits and the sector more broadly. Therefore, we’re building on learnings from the first call for proposals and nonprofit support activities in the last year to launch another Responsive Grantmaking call for proposals.

This cycle will provide a cohort-based scenario-planning initiative to help nonprofit leaders navigate uncertainty with greater clarity and confidence. This opportunity includes virtual cohort-based workshops, individualized coaching, and the opportunity to receive a general operating grant of up to $10,000 to support participation and/or implementation of scenario-planning next steps.

Cohort Overview

We anticipate awarding 20-30 nonprofits the opportunity to participate in scenario planning in partnership with Community Wealth Partners, a trusted consultant. Building on 20+ years of experience supporting nonprofit leaders through complex challenges, Community Wealth Partners designed this program to meet nonprofits where they are, accounting for shifting conditions, limited capacity, and the need for practical tools that build long-term resilience.

Scenario planning supports nonprofits by helping manage uncertainty, envisioning new opportunities, identifying unexpected threats, and building organizational resilience.

Program Goals

Support established Triangle nonprofits to maintain their capacity through a period of organizational change so they can continue providing core services and strategize how to best remain agile, innovative, and responsive to community needs moving forward. 

Understand and promote promising tools and practices to support nonprofits through a period of significant organizational change. 

Scenario Planning Activities: (Anticipated to occur over a +/- 3-month period)

Virtual Workshops: Three 90-minute sessions guiding participants through a five-step process, with real-time application to their organization’s challenges and space to complete their own scenario plan.

Coaching: Up to 3 hours of individualized coaching support to help leaders work through the steps of the scenario planning process with hands-on guidance in decision-making.

Grantmaking

Opportunities for a general operating grant up to $10,000 will be based on participation in the scenario planning cohort.

The Foundation hopes funding to support participation and/or activities to implement scenario plans.

This initiative is designed to foster long-term financial resilience and sustainability. By going “beyond the grant,” the Foundation aims to provide comprehensive support and invest in strong, resilient, sustainable nonprofits.

Amount

TBD, based on participation in scenario planning cohort

NBA Foundation San Francisco Bay Area Scholarship

The NBA Foundation has partnered with UNCF to provide a grant opportunity for eligible residents of the San Francisco Bay Area for up to an amount of $5,000. 

Joe Williams Music Scholarship Program

The Joe Williams Music Scholarship Program was created to help provide funding to students who desire to major in the study of music.

Individual Award

• Up to $6,000

This scholarship will be disbursed for the current 2025-2026 school year.