Community Grantmaking Fund

Community Grantmaking Fund is sponsored by Cherokee County Community Foundation (North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate). Supports local nonprofit organizations through annual competitive grants to address changing community needs in Cherokee County, NC. Funds are available for qualified charitable organizations serving the local community.

Cherokee County Community Foundation | North Carolina Community Foundation Cherokee County Community Foundation Cherokee County Community Foundation The Cherokee County Community Foundation transforms collective generosity into a permanent source of community support. Founded in 1991, CCCF works to increase philanthropic giving and establish endowments in the community.

CCCF is part of the North Carolina Community Foundation network and is led by a local volunteer advisory board that understands community needs. Grants are made annually to local organizations. The Cherokee County Community Foundation will accept grant applications from July 31, 2026, to NOON eastern time on Sept.

1, 2026 . Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted, including late submissions due to technology issues. Funds are available for qualified charitable organizations serving the local community.

Grants typically range from $500 to $1,000. In 2025, CCCF awarded $2,300 in grants through this competitive process. Learn more about past grant recipients.

Grants will be awarded from the community grantmaking fund. CCCF is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Organizations must apply for grants using NCCF’s Grant Application Portal .

Read the guidelines before you apply. Applications that do not adhere to guidelines will be ineligible for funding. New and existing users should follow the instructions in Training Module II to add a grant application.

Once logged in, you can access more information about the application process. In most cases, grant decisions are announced about two months after the close of the application cycle. One tool board members use to guide grant decisions is an annual Community Needs Assessment.

Scroll to the end of this page to review the Community Needs Assessment for this community. For answers to specific questions, contact the Program Officer .

Community Leadership Officer – Western NC Program Officer – Western NC Donor Engagement Officer – Western NC Development Officer, West The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded $2,300 in grants to three organizations from its community grantmaking fund: $1,200 to Four Square Community Action, Inc. for Head Start $500 to HIGHTS for fuel for mediation services $600 to Valley River Arts Guild, Inc. for general operating support Disaster Relief Fund grants In February 2026, NCCF awarded a total of $9 million in grants from the Disaster Relief Fund to 108 charitable organizations focused on long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Review the full list of grants . In conjunction with the Cherokee County Community Foundation, NCCF awarded a $75,000 grant from our Disaster Relief Fund to Cherokee County Emergency Management to support long-term recovery, resiliency and unmet needs related to Hurricane Helene. If an organization is unable to receive a grant, the affiliate will choose another charitable or government organization to receive the award.

The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded $2,270 in grants to two organizations from its community grantmaking fund: $1,135 to Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics Cherokee County- Equestrian $1,135 to Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina for Foster Care Support In response to disruptions Hurricane Helene may have caused to their work, NCCF offered flexibility to 2024 grantees of western affiliate foundations to repurpose funding awarded for specific programs or projects to best support their current needs.

The programs and projects listed reflect the original awards.

The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $2,000 to the following local nonprofit organizations from its community grantmaking fund: $1,110 to the Craddock Center for Child and Family Enrichment for the Children’s Enrichment Program $1,110 to the High Lonesome Therapeutic Equestrian Center for general operating support The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $2,000 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization, including: $1,080 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina for its Harmful Substances Awareness Program $500 to HIGHTS for fuel for mediation services $500 to Hospice House Foundation of WNC for general operating expenses The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $2,200 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization, including: $1,000 to the Craddock Center for Child and Family Enrichment for Books to Children $750 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina for Re-igniting Youth Development $500 to North Carolina Symphony for North Carolina Symphony’s Virtual Interactive Stage for Cherokee County Students The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,000 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization, including: $500 to the Friends of Murphy Public Library for the Celebrating Diversity: Recognizing Contributions of Various Ethnic Groups program $500 to the North Carolina Symphony for virtual music education programs for Cherokee County students $760 to Serenity Family Services to support relief in response to COVID-19 The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,600 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization, including: Mainspring Conservation Trust, Inc. The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,500 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization, including: $795 to Mountain Projects $795 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,500 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization.

Recipients were: Heritage Partners of Cherokee County The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,000 through its community grants program to a local nonprofit organization. Recipients were: Appalachian Angels of the 30th Judicial District, Inc. The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded more than $1,200 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations.

Recipients were: REACH of Cherokee County, Inc. Misty Mountain Quilters Guild NC Community Foundation awards $9M in grants for long-term recovery from Helene The North Carolina Community Foundation has awarded 108 grants totaling $9 million from its Disaster Relief Fund to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

The… NCCF’s Disaster Relief Fund supports ongoing legal help after Helene More than a year after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, many of the challenges facing residents are very different.

Often it is… Supporting small businesses recovering from Hurricane Helene When Hurricane Helene hit Chimney Rock, Shari Cummings and her family were asleep in the building they had called their home and business for… North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Grant Fills Important Need The Unaka Volunteer Fire Department (pictured above) is in a small corner of western North Carolina in Cherokee County.

Serving 33 square miles and… Access the Community Needs Assessment