Search Through Diversity Grants for Nonprofits in North Carolina in the U.S.

Strengthening communities

The Foundation, established in 1990, is an integral component of Amgen's commitment to dramatically improve people's lives and the principal channel for Amgen’s corporate philanthropy.  In addition to its primary focus on science education, the Foundation has committed an additional $180 million to local, regional and international nonprofit organizations that reflect Amgen’s core values and complement the company’s dedication to impacting lives in inspiring and innovative ways. 

Philanthropic Focus

In support of our mission, the Amgen Foundation seeks to improve access and advance excellence in science education to inspire the next generation of innovators, as well as invest in strengthening communities where Amgen staff members live and work. We support diverse organizations whose philosophies, objectives, and approaches align with the Foundation's mission and strategic goals.

Each year, the Foundation awards grants to local, regional, and international nonprofit organizations whose programs are replicable, scalable and designed to have a lasting and meaningful effect in Amgen communities. These grants reflect Amgen's dedication to impacting lives in inspiring and innovative ways.

Funding Priorities

Through our focus on science education, we are especially interested in the combined use of educational technology and hands-on science experiences to support learning outcomes. The Foundation prioritizes these areas:

• Teacher quality and professional development in science: We support comprehensive programs that enhance the quality of science teachers entering the classroom, and support teachers with meaningful professional-development opportunities that have a positive impact on student achievement.
• Pivotal science experience: We support programs that provide students and teachers with opportunities for authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences that significantly impact students' excitement about science and scientific careers and make the use of the latest educational technology.

Additionally, the Foundation supports programs that enhance civic engagement and align with our overall mission and priority-giving areas in the communities where Amgen has a presence.

Amgen Communities

Currently, the Amgen Foundation makes local grants in and around the following U.S. and Puerto Rico communities:

• Ventura County, CA
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Greater Boston Area, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties, MA
• Juncos, Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• Tampa, FL
• Louisville, KY
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Deerfield, IL
• Rockville, MD

Go Outside (GO) Grants

Go Outside 'GO' Grants provide North Carolina's students opportunities for outdoor experiences and to learn by doing. North Carolina educators are encouraged to apply for grant funding for outdoor field trips, visiting programs, and educational structures.

Applications are considered for structures/field trips/visiting programs that further outdoor education and recreation opportunities for North Carolina’s youth.

Standard On-Campus Structures

Up to $15,000 is available for the construction of standard outdoor learning facilities, to include outdoor classrooms, greenhouses, pollinator gardens, and vegetable gardens.

Program Area: Child & Family Well-being

We fund implementation support for public and private child- and family-serving agencies to adopt and sustain evidence-based and evidence-informed programs shown to prevent or treat child maltreatment.

Challenge

Several programs in the United States regularly gather and share evidence of their positive impact and outcomes for children. Historically, replication of these evidence-based programs in communities has failed to reproduce the outcomes or local capacity to sustain the programs. We believe that failure often can be traced to inadequate implementation support and inattention to continuous improvement.

Approach

Child and Family Well-Being has adopted the implementation framework developed by the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) to sustain and scale evidence-based programs for preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. Implementation support consists of activities designed to help put defined programs into practice.

Strategies

Support Implementation for Tested Programs: We fund implementation support for projects that adopt and sustain evidence-based or ‑informed models shown to prevent or treat child abuse and neglect and enhance well-being. ​“Implementation” refers to activities that are designed to put defined programs into practice. An active implementation framework answers the questions of what needs to be done (effective interventions), how to establish what needs to be done in practice, who will do the work to accomplish positive outcomes and where will effective interventions and implementation thrive. Rather than letting change happen, we work with organizations and agencies to make change happen for children and families of all races and ethnicities.

Commit to Innovation: We recognize the lack of evidence-based or ‑informed models for the range of issues children and families face and the diverse populations served. If we did not commit to innovation, we would miss opportunities to identify programs that improve outcomes. We support grantees in developing and testing innovative, tailored, data-driven approaches. We encourage models that specifically look at risks and solutions through the lens of race.

Advocate for Improvement: Many dedicated, knowledgeable professionals work in the child welfare system, but systemic challenges can inhibit their effectiveness. We use our resources and relationships to support advocacy and communications strategies that speed improvement of the prevention, early intervention and foster care systems. We believe that by working closely with government agencies and nonprofit organizations that reflect the communities served, we can enhance the spread of information and facilitate conversations within communities.

Vision

The vision of the Polk County Community Foundation is to advance philanthropy and improve the quality of life for all citizens in Polk County, North Carolina and the surrounding area.

Mission

The mission of the Polk County Community Foundation is to:

• Support charitable and beneficial activities in the community
• Provide and administer a variety of planned giving programs
• Serve as a responsible steward of all funds entrusted to it
• Provide initiative in recognizing areas of community needs and supporting solutions.

Free Community Events

The Community Foundation is pleased to offer grants for free community events, an initiative of the Foundation's Board of Directors to support face to face social interactions that build community in ways small and large. Gatherings funded by these grants are intended to benefit residents who have chosen to make this community their home, to give people an excuse to strike up a conversation and get to know your neighbors. Past grants have funded free entertainment at the Upstairs Artspace, heart-healthy banquets in Green Creek, programs for children and Shakespeare fans at the Polk County Public Library, and a Play Day for children and families in Saluda. All events are 100% free.

Grants of up to $3,000 shall be awarded for small, single events.

Grants of up to $8,000 shall be awarded for a series of events or a large single event likely to attract a hundred or more local people.

Grant funds must be spent within 12 months of the time of the award notification. You may request a longer grant period by indicating the need for an extension of time on the cover page.

Project Examples

Past Free Community Event grants have funded a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, the Do-It- Yourself Messiah, a New Year’s Eve celebration, free concerts in Columbus, Landrum, Saluda, and Tryon, heart-healthy banquets in Green Creek, programs for children and Shakespeare fans at the Polk County Public Library, and a Play Day for children and families in Saluda.

Additional ideas for free gatherings could include:

• A yoga series at a library
• Community nights at schools
• Recreational and sporting activities
• Dances
• Gardening classes
• Community grill nights at public parks
• Arts and music workshops and performances
• Extraordinary learning opportunities for community members young and old
• Festivals and celebrations for local residents
• Grant funds may be used to help keep schools open outside normal school hours as gathering places for community building activities

Foundation Mission & Philosophy

“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.

John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.

With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure future generations have the same opportunities as John William Pope: the freedom to live, work, pursue individual interests, sustain family, and prosper.

From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope’s son, Art, shares his father’s passion for our free-market system. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.

Education

Too many students graduate — whether from high schools, colleges, or universities — without the job skills needed to compete in our knowledge-based economy. Worse, many students lack basic information on the foundations of our free and civil society, the very concepts that allow our republican form of government to function and our nation to flourish.

The John William Pope Foundation believes that Americans have a duty to teach the next generation about the West’s rich tradition of liberty. We support Carolinas-focused educational institutions, academic centers, student groups, and national organizations that achieve those ends including programs at private schools and independent nonprofits.

But ensuring that future generations are taught about the blessings of freedom isn’t enough. The Pope Foundation also believes in impacting education for the current generation — creating educational excellence for today. That’s why we support student societies and policy groups that research education issues.

A key way that the Foundation meets its goal of impacting current students, and future generations of learners, is through academic centers at UNC-Chapel Hill; N.C. State University; Duke University; Clemson University, College of Charleston, and Wake Forest University.

These centers provide a needed freedom-centric perspective that is often overlooked in the classrooms of higher learning.

Principles

• The primary goal of educational institutions is to encourage critical thinking, scholarly inquiry, and responsible teaching, not to indoctrinate students in a particular worldview.
• Schools, colleges, and universities should be strongholds of intellectual diversity, including the philosophies of economic freedom and prosperity.
• Educational institutions have a duty to provide value to their customers, the students.
• Philanthropists and alumni ought to be keenly interested in supporting our nation’s academic institutions.

Annual Grants

The John William Pope Foundation’s philanthropic vision is rooted in improving the well-being of North Carolinians through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. To achieve this the Foundation’s giving is directed to four grant priorities:

• Public policy – The foundation prioritizes organizations that advance free-market principles and organizations that are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina public policy.
• Education – The foundation prioritizes institutions that encourage intellectual diversity and critical thinking and are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina higher education and K-12 education.
• Human Services – The foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.
• The Arts – The foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.

The Foundation accepts requests for general operating and project-specific grants in all of the four priority areas on a rolling basis. However grants are issued only twice a year — in the spring (public policy and higher education) and the fall (K-12 education, human services, and the arts). Urgent needs and projects that fall between meeting times may be considered at the discretion of the board.

Typical Request Amount

There is no magic number or ideal request. If you have a question regarding the suitability of your application, we highly encourage you to review our past year’s grantees. This will give you an idea of the types of organizations we typically fund.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Grants Overview

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation supports the vision and legacy of Mr. Van Every by making meaningful gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in North and South Carolina which strengthen our communities, demonstrate fiscal responsibility, exhibit strength in leadership and have a proven track record of success.

Human and Community Service, Education, Healthcare and Rehabilitation and Arts, Culture and History are the Foundation’s primary areas of focus. A very limited portion of our funding supports organizations that fall outside these perimeters.

Areas of Focus

Education

As Americans, we find ourselves living in an increasingly competitive global economy. Students are entering a highly competitive job market. The unemployed and underemployed are seeking new career opportunities that require enhanced skills.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is addressing these issues by supporting colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations that provide quality affordable education and job re-training programs for individuals seeking degrees or certificates. We believe that education is critical to the future success of our children, families, communities, state, and nation.

Healthcare/Rehabilitation

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving the health and quality of life for individuals residing in North and South Carolina.

We respond to our commitment by investing in programs and services that focus on medical innovation, research, education, rehabilitative care, prevention, wellness and substance abuse.

Human & Community Service

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving lives and strengthening communities in North and South Carolina.

We support organizations that address the underlying causes of a myriad of social issues, meet the critical needs of people in their service area and focus on creating financially stable and healthy families.

Arts, Culture, History

Arts, culture and history promote creativity, innovation, exploration and diversity while improving the quality of life for residents of our communities. Dynamic performances and museums as well as other cultural and historic venues engage and inspire audiences, building bridges throughout our region. Arts education plays a pivotal role in enriching the lives of children and provides them with a well-rounded education and the creativity they will need to lead in a global economy.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation recognizes the important role that arts, cultural and historic organizations play in our communities and supports select organizations that provide quality experiences for residents of North and South Carolina.

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

PreK-12 Education

We provide resources that empower nonprofit organizations to build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Through our PreK-12 grantmaking, we seek to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and access to arts experiences. In particular, we are focused on supporting organizations that:

• Work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Provide opportunities for students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

We only make grants to organizations located in and serving students in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina.

Our Grantmaking Goals

• Support PreK-12 organizations that work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Support arts education organizations that provide opportunities for under-resourced students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

Across both PreK-12 education interest areas, MDBF seeks to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and arts experiences.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

The Arts

The arts are essential to strong, vibrant communities. A dynamic cultural sector is a catalyst for growth, attracting and retaining businesses and visitors. They strengthen neighborhoods and communities by preserving the culture and memories of specific places and have a positive impact on health and well-being. The arts provide spaces to allow people from different backgrounds to engage with one another and opportunities to build community. Perhaps most importantly, they offer personal enjoyment to individuals, groups, and families, and give voice to the human condition.

We provide grants to:

• Support and strengthen cultural organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence and elevate the profile of the Triangle’s art scenes, both locally and nationally.
• Support new, emerging, or grassroots cultural organizations.
• Support arts-focused organizations that work directly with artists to deepen and expand talent, develop professional and business skills, and/or create new works.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

CWMTF receives a direct appropriation from the General Assembly in order to issue grants to local governments, state agencies and conservation non-profits to help finance projects that specifically address water pollution problems. The nine-member CWMTF Board of Trustees has responsibility over the allocation of moneys from the Fund.

To carry out the mandate set by legislation, CWMTF provides grant funds for the following purposes:

• enhance or restore degraded waters
• protect unpolluted waters
• contribute toward a network of riparian buffers and greenways for environmental, educational, and recreational benefits
• provide buffers around military bases
• acquire land that represents the ecological diversity of North Carolina
• acquire land that contributes to the development of a balanced State program of historic properties

It is clear that in order to maintain the level of water quality, ecological diversity, and historical values that North Carolinians deserve and expect, we must accomplish more than we would be able to do with traditional programs alone. The potential for this initiative is immense; but -- if North Carolina is to truly capitalize on the opportunity -- it ultimately depends upon local communities and organizations to develop creative proposals which will protect and restore our resources.

Type of Projects 

Land Acquisition

The Land Acquisition Program includes the acquisition of land in fee or conservation easements for the following purposes:

• protecting and conserving riparian buffers for the purpose of providing environmental protection for surface waters and urban drinking water supplies and establishing a network of riparian greenways for environmental, educational, and recreational uses
• protecting and conserving surface waters and enhancing drinking water supplies, including the development of water supply reservoirs
• providing buffers around military bases or for State matching funds for the REPI
• conserving land that represents the ecological diversity of NC
• preserving land that contributes to the development of a balanced State program of historic properties

Stream Restoration Projects

CWMTF funds restoration projects to enhance or restore degraded waters and to protect downstream natural resources such as drinking water supplies, fisheries and recreation opportunities. The intent is to restore previously degraded lands to re-establish their ability to protect water quality. To date, the majority of eligible applications have taken the form of stream restoration projects, particularly natural channel designs. However, other approaches to restoring impaired waters include riparian wetland enhancement, floodplain and streambank enhancements, and estuarine shoreline erosion control.

Innovative Stormwater Projects

CWMTF can consider funding innovative stormwater projects that demonstrate a novel and untried method to water quality at the project site and how it would contribute to achieving CWMTF’s goal of advancing stormwater-management practices for water quality. Any proposed innovative stormwater project application should contain a clear description of the methods to be tested and discuss how results from such a pilot test can be successfully transferred to other North Carolina sites with similar water issues or problems.

Planning Projects

CWMTF may fund planning efforts that develop potential projects that: 

• enhance or restore degraded waters,
• protect unpolluted waters, 
• contribute toward a network of riparian buffers and greenways for environmental, educational, and recreational benefits,
• provide buffers around military bases to protect the military mission,
• acquire land that represents the ecological diversity of North Carolina,
• acquire land that contributes to the development of a balanced State program of historic properties, or
• facilitate innovative efforts to improve stormwater treatment.

Any proposed planning application should contain a clear outline and vision of the plan to be produced and clearly define the purpose and goals for any work that would be implemented following the planning project. 

Presentation Grants Program

Presentation Grants are an opportunity for organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive fee support to present Southern guest film directors, visual and performing artists, or writers from outside of the presenter's state. Artist fee support is awarded for:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance),
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry),
• traditional arts, and
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media).

Projects must include both a public presentation (film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement component. These grants are limited and very competitive. Based on the artist fee, the maximum request is $9,500 for modern dance and contemporary ballet or $7,500 for other artistic disciplines. 

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

Sustaining Support for Arts Organizations

Sustaining Support provides flexible funding to arts organizations in North Carolina that consistently produce arts programs and services that engage audiences and reflect their communities. These organizations provide work opportunities for artists and arts professionals, are well managed and financially accountable, are committed to diverse and inclusive practices, and contribute to the state’s creative economy.

Funding

From $7,500 to $65,000

These grants support the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of arts organizations. Recipients may use them to fund salaries, artists’ fees, production, travel, promotion, office expenses, and facility operation. Grant amounts generally range from $7,500 to $65,000 and are based on the organization’s application rating and budget size. Grant awards may not exceed 10 percent of the organization’s cash operating expenses, averaged over the past three fiscal years. 

Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) Grants

The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) provides per capita-based funding for arts programming to all 100 counties across North Carolina ensuring opportunities for citizens to experience the arts in their own communities. Grassroots funds are typically awarded to local arts councils.

Grassroots funds are distributed in every county in North Carolina through the following types of partnerships:

Designated County Partners

In most counties, local arts councils have been nominated by their county governments and approved by the N.C. Arts Council as Designated County Partners (DCPs) to manage and program Grassroots Funds.

Grassroots arts program subgrant system overview

DCPs with county populations above 50,000 are required to subgrant at least 50 percent of their allocations to other organizations in their county to conduct arts programs. If the DCP is not required to subgrant, but chooses to, these same guidelines must be followed.

Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) Grants

The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) provides per capita-based funding for arts programming to all 100 counties across North Carolina ensuring opportunities for citizens to experience the arts in their own communities. Grassroots funds are typically awarded to local arts councils.

Grassroots funds are distributed in every county in North Carolina through the following types of partnerships:

Provisional County Partners

In counties without DCPs, the N.C. Arts Council has selected an organization to serve as the Provisional County Partner (PCP) to oversee the distribution and management of Grassroots funds on a temporary (year-to-year) basis.

N.C. Arts Council staff consults with each provisional partner to create a distribution plan that meets the requirements of the Grassroots Arts Program. Some PCPs subgrant Grassroots funds and others conduct arts programs with their county’s allocation.

Grassroots arts program subgrant system overview

PCPs with county populations above 50,000 are required to subgrant at least 50 percent of their allocations to other organizations in their county to conduct arts programs. If the PCP is not required to subgrant, but chooses to, these same guidelines must be followed.

Community Foundation of Burke County

Founded in 2000, the Community Foundation of Burke County (CFBC) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that receives gifts, endowments and bequests from individuals, families, businesses and organizations. The Foundation uses distributions from these funds to make grants to qualified charitable agencies and institutions primarily serving the residents of Burke County, North Carolina.

Mission

The mission of CFBC is to encourage, develop and participate in philanthropy by providing flexible giving opportunities, professional support and responsible stewardship for the benefit of donors and qualified recipients.

Burke Youth Organized Philanthropists 

Burke Youth Organized Philanthropists exists to engage and empower youth through learning and serving to strengthen our community.

Funding Priorities

BYOP funding priorities are:

• programs or projects impacting the lives of children, ages 0-18, and their families
• programs or projects that are geographically restricted to Burke County
• programs or projects that do not duplicate services
• programs or projects that respect diversity
• programs or projects that provide access to the arts for children, ages 0-18

Funding Amount

Grants will typically range up to $1,000.

Dogwood Health Trust

Dogwood Health Trust was created in 2018, but our ethos was inspired by a tradition of caring for a community that is more than a century old and rooted in our Appalachian culture. Our founding board established our purpose to dramatically improve health and wellness, grounded in a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Since our inception, the Dogwood board and staff have called on these traditions to shape how we work, across our Western North Carolina region, so that every generation can live, learn, earn and thrive – no exceptions.

Our Purpose

To dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of Western North Carolina.

Strategic Priorities

The best ideas for dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of the region come from the people who live and work in our local communities. 

Dogwood invests in aligned organizations that advance efforts in our four strategic priorities of:

• housing
• education
• economic opportunity
• health & wellness

As we look ahead and respond to the opportunities and challenges from Hurricane Helene, Dogwood’s grantmaking will focus on: 

• Capacity
  • We’ll strengthen strategically aligned organizations and the people that lead them day-to-day through multi-year, unrestricted general operating support and capacity-building grants.
• Collaboration
  • We’ll invest in innovative ideas and collaborative efforts led by organizations and communities responding to the challenges and opportunities in our post-Hurricane Helene environment.
• Connections
  • We’ll convene and connect the leaders and organizations doing work across our four strategic priorities and across our region so that dynamic networks of new relationships and ways of working together emerge.
• Capital Attraction
  • We’ll help our partners attract more financial resources from public and other philanthropic sources.

General Operating Support for Strategically Aligned Organizations

General operating support is funding for advancing an organization’s core mission, including building or growing programs, advocacy or policy efforts, or other uses. Organizations decide how to use funds and grant reporting is simplified. 

Grant sizes will range from $50,000-$350,000/year for two years

The Program

Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants are available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators, for strengthening program design or increasing organizational capacity. South Arts strongly believes professional development for presenters/programmers/curators is integral to success, including traveling to see new works and attending convenings. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary organizations.

This funding can support staff’s travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Funding also supports guest artists’ or guest curators’ travel expenses for onsite planning meetings with presenting organizations. These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and other related expenses. In addition, these grants support expenses for virtual professional development opportunities and staff training (for example, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training or technology training for virtual engagements).

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

Program Areas

We believe an auto company can also be a vehicle for change. That’s why Toyota is proud to partner with nonprofit organizations in the dozens of communities where we operate. Investing in and creating better opportunities for our communities and its citizens improves their quality of life, builds lasting relationships and helps enrich society.

Let’s make an impact – together. We work collaboratively to address some of society’s most pressing challenges – and fund programs tied to our strategic priorities.

About Our Program

Toyota seeks to expand access to opportunities that improve people’s lives and create a culture of inclusion—strengthening the communities where we live, work and play. To have meaningful, sustainable impact, we take a holistic approach to investing in our communities. Our efforts go beyond monetary support, amplifying our impact by engaging our team members as volunteers and sharing our Toyota know-how.

What We Fund

Nationally, Toyota focuses on:

• Community Sustainability
• Inclusive Mobility
• Workforce Readiness

Regionally, Toyota makes contributions to help support the specific needs of local communities. Please note that Toyota entities based in Plano, Texas (Toyota Motor North America, Toyota Financial Services and Toyota USA Foundation) as well as Production Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) have moved to an invite-only grant application process.

Our Mission

To promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive.

Grounded in our work in Connecticut and New York, we support visionary leaders and nonprofit organizations that serve historically marginalized populations, help individuals contribute to their communities, and champion advancements and experiences that make it possible for all people to live healthy and joyous lives.

Innovation Fund

The Tow Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity for nonprofit organizations innovatively expanding access to the care and support that youth need to thrive.

The Innovation Fund intends to make grants, ranging from $300,000 to $1 million over three years, to up to 10 organizations that are improving youth mental health and well-being and serving young people between the ages of 0-25.

Through the Innovation Fund, the Foundation hopes to inspire and invest in bold approaches, and to learn from exploring questions like: What are the most challenging barriers youth and their families face in accessing support for mental health and well-being? What emerging innovations exist to address these barriers? What is the resulting impact of these innovations on youth and their families?

The Innovation Fund takes a broad and inclusive approach when imagining the kinds of care and support that may have a positive impact on youth mental health and well-being. This includes interventions across the prevention to treatment continuum. We welcome submissions from a diverse array of organizations working in a variety of community, school, and clinical settings. For the purpose of this initiative, the word “innovation” could mean scaling proven efforts, attempting to apply existing efforts to new populations or geographies, or experimenting with a novel approach altogether. By not defining “innovation,” we hope to encourage creative thinking.

About The Award

The Student STEM Enrichment Program (SSEP) supports diverse programs with a common goal: to enable primary and secondary students to participate in creative, hands-on STEM activities for K-12 students and pursue inquiry-based exploration in BWF's home state of North Carolina. These awards provide up to $60,000 per year for three years. 

SSEP awards support career-oriented and practical programs intended to provide creative science enrichment activities for students in K-12 education who have shown exceptional skills and interest in STEM, as well as those perceived to have high potential. After school programs are demonstrating value in helping to close opportunity gaps for underserved and underrepresented students. These programs must enable students to participate in hands-on STEM activities and pursue inquiry-based avenues of exploration—an educational approach that BWF believes to be an effective way to increase students’ understanding and appreciation of the scientific process. To increase academic achievement, programs must provide a well-defined structure that aligns with the school-day curriculum, well-trained staff, and student follow up.

Program Goals

In line with the mission of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, projects that are funded under SSEP must seek to attain three goals:

• improving students’ competence in science and mathematics
• nurturing student enthusiasm for science and mathematics
• interesting students in pursuing careers in research or other science-related areas

The activities designed to lead to these goals must align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for science and mathematics pertinent to the grade levels of the student participants. Activities should involve active learning and be inquiry-based.

The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) is accepting project proposals for environmental projects that increase citizen stewardship, volunteerism, and environmental literacy within the Albemarle-Pamlico region. Up to a total of $40,000 in funds may be awarded to two or more projects, not to exceed $20,000 each. Projects will be funded for one year and may be funded for up to three years, contingent on availability of APNEP funds and current program priorities.

Goal:

Through targeted education, engagement, and communications efforts, APNEP and its partners will encourage citizens to reduce their environmental impacts and provide meaningful opportunities to protect and restore the ecosystem. APNEP is committed to educating both children and adults about the rich resources found throughout the Albemarle-Pamlico region, with the purpose of increasing knowledge about the ecosystem and equipping the region’s citizens with the skills to effectively approach environmental issues. The Partnership is committed to addressing environmental inequities by viewing our funding processes through the lens of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the region.

Grant Program

The Brown Family Foundation was established to embrace and advance the philanthropic vision of The Brown Family. Through Grantmaking, we seek to advocate for many causes while concentrating on aiding those in need.

Our Mission

The Brown Family Foundation’s mission is to create positive change by leveraging the power of philanthropy to improve the lives of individuals and communities in need. We work to support small nonprofits committed to serving people’s physical, educational, and spiritual needs.

Our Vision

The Brown Family Foundation’s vision is to be a financial resource to organizations that support humanitarian needs and value the power of education. By working closely with our partners and grantees, we seek to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

Bring independent documentary filmmakers to your community for screenings and conversations around powerful stories and the art of filmmaking. Screening Partners are partner organizations that present Southern Circuit screenings, Q&As, and other filmmaker engagements with the community. Screening Partners develop screening audiences through strategic marketing and partnerships. As a group, they participate in the film selection process and discuss programming/marketing strategies for each film. Screening Partners act as hosts to touring filmmakers, providing recommendations for travel, lodging, and dining.

South Arts coordinates filmmaker tours and provides marketing materials for each film. South Arts recognizes the value of filmmaker participation by providing an honorarium for each filmmaker’s tour, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Screening Partners must be nonprofit, educational, or governmental organizations residing in the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Southern Circuit Screening Partners have included schools, churches, arts centers, municipalities, and other organizations, serving audiences of all ages.

Southern Circuit is invested in partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the South Arts region.

What films are presented?

Southern Circuit prioritizes featuring Southern filmmakers and stories. We are committed to presenting films by filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and filmmakers with disabilities. Selected filmmakers should have an ethical relationship with the topics and individuals/communities represented in their work. We are invested in including emerging and first-time filmmakers.

Screening Partners are provided a Southern Circuit Film Guide with potential selections for the season. Screening Partners work together to select six films that will tour to all Screening Partners. The Southern Circuit Film Selection Meeting will be held in June. At least one representative from your organization will be required to participate.

Detailed Program Description

Grants of up to $2,500 for organizations to make arts programs accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Southeast is home to some of the world’s more diverse and vibrant artistic communities. At South Arts, we believe that the arts are for everyone. The arts enrich the lives of people of all abilities and backgrounds. In our commitment to amplifying the success of the Southeast’s arts ecology, South Arts offers micro-funding to supplement the efforts of arts organizations throughout our service area.

Art making is for everyone too! South Arts encourages arts organizations to hire artistic personnel of all abilities at all levels; for these grants in particular, we encourage arts organizations to work directly with artists who identify as disabled. 

Through our partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts offers small grants that compliment existing efforts by arts organizations to include audiences and artists with disabilities. Accessibility micro-grants are available to support Nonprofit, 501c3, arts organizations located within the South Arts Service region states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This funding program is open to a wide variety of organizations, including community cultural organizations, museums, performing arts presenters, theatre companies, visual arts and music organizations. Priority funding will be given to new applicants to South Arts.

South Arts has prioritized the following:

• South Arts prioritizes applications from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ identifying organizations.
• South Arts prioritizes applications from organizations led by persons with disabilities or organizations that provide significant programming to artists or audiences with disabilities.
• South Arts is committed to funding artists organizations in rural communities (with populations under 50,000).
• Primary consideration will be given to new applicants.

Usage of Funds

Grants awards may reimburse the applicant for any combination of qualifying expenses incurred during the grant period. Projects may include but are not limited to the following:

Programs

• Usage of large print or braille program materials for patrons/audiences with low vision
• Artist/consultant fees to provide accessibility training or audits
• Transportation of constituents or performers with disabilities
• Preparation for special exhibitions (i.e. space modifications or accessibility audit)
• Audio description
• Sign language interpretation
• Website accessibility
• Docent training for visual or audio enhancement
• Consultant fee to develop an overall accessibility plan for your organization
• Inclusive programming
• Staff training to learn about accessibility as it relates to programming, operations, or facilities modifications (i.e. travel to a workshop and/or training)
• Other accommodations that make programs accessible

Facilities Enhancements

• Accessibility signage for exterior and/or interior space
• Modification of restroom(s) signage
• Modification to drinking fountain(s) signage
• Installation of Braille plaques

About Women's Fund of North Carolina

The Women's Fund of North Carolina is a program of the North Carolina Community Foundation. The Fund was founded to establish a permanent endowment dedicated to improving the quality of lives of women and girls in North Carolina, encourage philanthropic giving among women and to encourage funding sources to assign a higher priority to issues and concerns of women and girls.

The Women's Fund of North Carolina

The Women’s Fund of North Carolina is committed to supporting changing and diverse issues, needs and challenges facing women throughout North Carolina. Grants support nonprofit organizations and programs that serve women and girls in any county within the North Carolina Community Foundation network.

Funding

Grants typically range from $2,500 to $5,000. Grant decisions are made by a committee of representatives of NCCF’s women’s giving circles, and applicants will be notified of the outcome within 90 days of the application deadline.

Winston-Salem Foundation - What We Do

• Community Investment: We offer proactive and responsive grantmaking and we build deep community partnerships to strengthen Forsyth County.
• Philanthropic Services: We partner with generous community members to make impactful and lasting gifts, both locally and beyond.
• Student Aid: We provide scholarships to local students in their quest for higher education.
• Strategic Initiatives: We amplify the voices and collective impact of local youth, women and girls, and Black communities.

Capital Improvement Grants

Capital Improvement Grants support time-limited projects for nonprofits in Forsyth County, North Carolina to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets (such as property, buildings, technology, or equipment). This program provides grants of up to $25,000.

Organizations may have only one funded Capital Improvement Grant open at a time. (However, they may have concurrent funding open for Capacity-Building Grants, Small Grants, Focus Area Investments, and/or Strategic Initiative Grants.)

Organizations that have received Capital funding are asked to wait three years before submitting an additional request.

What We Fund

• New and existing facilities (renovations, upgrades, repairs, and ADA accessibility)
• Major material goods (equipment, vehicles, and furniture)
• Technology and software
• Beautification (green spaces, landscaping, gardens, lighting, fencing, etc.)
• Equipment, furniture, and supplies (lower priority)

A strong application will demonstrate:

• Two years of organizational operation
• Proven track record of service in Forsyth County
• Diverse leadership representative of the community it serves
• How the organization gains insights from people with lived experience in the area(s) of service(s) provided
• Financial statements demonstrating revenue and expenses over two years (current year and previous year) – an audit is helpful, but not required
• Clear project plans
• Description of project need
• Organizational capacity to manage the scale of the project
• Ability to sustain any ongoing maintenance costs

Regional Child Care Health Consultative Services

Purpose

The purpose of this request for applications is to establish a statewide network of Child Care Health Consultants (CCHC) to provide technical assistance and training for early educators with the goal of creating a safe and healthy child care environment. Child Care Health Consultants have been actively providing health consultation services for more than 25 years. In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) provided more resources to support child care health initiatives to ensure children grow and learn in safe and healthy environments. Through this Request for Applications, the Division is seeking an entity to create and execute a plan for a sustainable model of CCHC provisions across North Carolina.

Description

The successful applicant will propose a detailed plan, including a timeline and budget, to establish and manage a system of practice-based and culturally inclusive technical assistance, and trainings for creating safer and healthier child care environments.

Funding

This RFA will be for a 2-year funding cycle.  Approximately $1,500,000 will be available to support the 2-year funding cycle [$500,000 year one and $1,000,000 year 2]. One award will be funded through this announcement.

DCDEE will determine the actual funding amount based on the proposed execution of the project and the utilization of funds as outlined in the successful applicant’s proposal, pending funding availability.