Community Foundation Announces $35,000 in Grants
The Outer Banks Community Foundation announced more than $35,000 in grants to over 15 local nonprofits earlier this month. The grants will assist with a wide range of charitable needs, from veterans groups to arts programs, health care to environmental education, tutoring programs to food assistance.
The Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) and NC MedAssist each received grants through the Community Enrichment Program, which is the Community Foundation’s broadest grant-making program. Community Enrichment Funds are contributed from individuals, businesses, families, and other groups across the Outer Banks.
RIHA was awarded $10,000 for lighting upgrades for the Waterside Theatre, which is the main stage for the Lost Colony production. The new lights will replace old, inefficient spotlights and also provide stronger lighting for the daylight conditions of the play’s new, earlier curtain time.
NC MedAssist was awarded $5,000 for their Free Pharmacy Program to provide life-saving medications to uninsured, low-income Dare County patients. Last year, NC MedAssist dispensed over 1,300 free prescriptions to over 175 Dare County neighbors in need, in addition to helping more than 220 locals with no-cost over-the-counter drugs. This grant will sustain and grow that program in 2016 to better meet community need.
In addition, the Community Foundation also awarded grants from four donor-advised funds, which are funds managed on behalf of businesses and families who recommend the grants that are awarded. The William and JoAnn Small Family Fund awarded a grant to Food for Thought this month, in honor of that organization’s 10th anniversary, and the Francis W. & Virginia H. Meekins Family Fund awarded a grant to GEM Adult Day Services for the Arts in the Park program, helping people with dementia and their caregivers.
The Hester Family Legacy Fund awarded three grants this month: to the Monday Night Alive tutoring program, to the American Legion for veterans at risk, and to the Coastal Family Church for the Dare County Bike Drive.
The Kelly Family Fund, which is the Community Foundation’s oldest and largest donor-advised fund, awarded over $19,000 in grants this month. Recipients included the NC Aquarium Society, the Community Care Clinic of Dare, the Outer Banks Hospital, Outer Banks Sporting Events, Charity Plus of Dare, the North Banks Rotary Foundation, N.E.S.T, and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, among several others.
The Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Community Enrichment Grants Program. The next application deadline is Friday, April 29. Eligible projects must directly benefit all or a portion of the Community Foundation’s service area, which includes all of Dare County, and all Outer Banks communities, from Corolla to Ocracoke Island.
Community Enrichment Grants support all charitable categories, including arts and culture, animal welfare, children/youth, disaster relief and prevention, education, the environment, health, historic interpretation and preservation, and other human services.
The Community Foundation also has dedicated funds to award this spring for aviation education programs and for nonprofits and government agencies in Dare and/or Currituck helping people with disabilities. For more information, and to submit an application online, visit the Community Foundation grants pages at www.obcf.org/grants.
