Update on the Outer Banks Center for Nonprofits

The Community Foundation office building on Roanoke Island is buzzing with activity, and some of that vibrant energy is coming from two smart and dedicated summer interns who will work through the coming weeks to help imagine a new chapter for our 40-year-old and still-evolving organization. Maggie McNinch and Laney Waughtel will assist the Community Foundation underpin a range of possibilities and establish baseline plans and reports toward creating a new hub for nonprofit organizations.

Part of the plan to relocate the Community Foundation from a 1,500 square-foot flat top in Southern Shores to a 3,300 square-foot, two-story office building on Roanoke Island includes the establishment of an Outer Banks Center for Nonprofits. The new Center will serve as a fully-furnished meeting, working, and collaborative office space.

“We’re researching what’s going on with collaborative spaces in other communities,” said Maggie. “It’s still early in the process, and there is plenty of great information out there.”

“The space might lend itself to board meetings, small, private offices, and shared spaces where office resources are available,” said Laney.

One outcome of the internship will be the completion of a Facilities Use Plan for the space. Laney and Maggie will survey nonprofits to learn about what needs exist.

“We’ve heard enthusiastic responses from several groups already,” said Nandy Stuart, Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer. “The new Center promises to be a game-changer, particularly for smaller nonprofits and those just starting out. Renting or leasing commercial space on the Outer Banks is out of reach for many smaller local nonprofit agencies.”

Laney is a rising junior at Meredith College, where she majors in Business, with a focus on Human Resources. She supports Strong Missions, a Costa Rican charity, and is serving the working poor in that country through the Laney’s Food For Families project. “The nonprofit world changes a lot,” she said. “If I want to work in the field, I need to know how to communicate effectively with nonprofit executives and others.”

Maggie graduated from First Flight High School in 2022; she spent this past year volunteering and traveling abroad through UNC-Chapel Hill’s Global Gap Year Fellowship. She will attend UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall and will major in Journalism. “I want to write about things I’m passionate about, like nonprofits and environmental science,” she said.

We couldn’t be more pleased to have the assistance of these two bright and vital young women as we enter into a new phase of our rich history of giving back to a community we are all passionate about.