Community Foundation Awards $37,500 in Rapid Response Grants
The Outer Banks Community Foundation board of directors recently approved $37,500 for COVID-related projects in its eighth round of Rapid Response Grants funding, supporting the work of area nonprofits who serve vulnerable community members. The grants will help Dare County families afford childcare and tutoring while students are learning remotely. To date, the Community Foundation has awarded nearly $350,000 in Rapid Response grants related to COVID.
“Donors who established funds decades ago are joined by contributors giving generously today to help their neighbors,” said Community Foundation Executive Director Lorelei Costa. “Current grants are being made thanks to community supporters, past and present, and we could not be more grateful.”
The YMCA E-Learning Academy was awarded funding to extend student scholarships and give families in need safe, productive opportunities for their pre-school and school-aged children. The YMCA offers daytime child care and remote learning services, enabling parents to keep their jobs and ensure their children’s educational needs are being met while schools are closed. To find out more about the YMCA E-Learning Academy, programs, please call 252-449-8897.
The Community Foundation is also supporting families through a grant to Interfaith Community Outreach. Through Community Foundation funding, Interfaith will offer monetary assistance to families with financial need to help pay for any type of childcare and/or tutoring the family may need. “Whether it’s a babysitter, a childcare facility, a special needs educator, or an afterschool tutor helping a child learn English, this grant to Interfaith will help families give their children with the support and care they need to be safe and succeed in remote learning,” said Ms. Costa. Families can apply for assistance at www.interfaithoutreach.com/assistance, or by calling 252-480-0070.
You can help more families in our community get the support they need. To contribute to the Community Fund, visit www.obcf.org/donate or call 252-261-8839 for more information.
In addition to COVID-related projects, the Community Foundation is also accepting applications for any charitable project benefiting the Outer Banks through the Community Enrichment Grants Program. Community Enrichment Grants are offered on a competitive basis for any kind of nonprofit program, including: arts & culture; animal welfare; children & youth; education; the environment; disaster relief & mitigation; health; historic interpretation & preservation; and other human services. Applications for Community Enrichment Grants are due by January 29 and must be submitted via the Community Foundation’s online system. Community Enrichment Grants will be awarded on March 11. All applicants for any grant program are urged to call the Community Foundation at 252-261-8839 before starting an application. More information about all grant programs can be found at www.obcf.org/grants.
