Community Grantmaking Programs is a grant from the North Carolina Community Foundation that funds charitable organizations across North Carolina through affiliate foundations, giving circles, and application-based grantmaking programs. NCCF's grantmaking supports the work of nonprofits serving communities statewide, with geographic priorities set by local affiliate foundations and fund advisors.

Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving North Carolina communities who meet the criteria of the specific grantmaking fund to which they apply. Prospective applicants are encouraged to watch the recorded Grantseeker Workshop before applying. Awards vary by program and fund, covering arts, education, human services, environment, and civic initiatives throughout North Carolina's diverse communities.

NC Nonprofit Grants | Community Grantmaking Programs What you need to know before applying for a community grant from NCCF. Recorded Grantseeker Workshop Our affiliate foundations, giving circles and other application-based grantmaking programs support the work of charitable organizations serving communities within our statewide network .

Our community grantmaking funds a broad range of purposes to meet local needs that include human services, education, youth development, health, food/nutrition, arts, and more. Organizations can apply for grants from our affiliate foundations, giving circles and community funds. Grant decisions are made by community members who bring knowledge and expertise of local needs.

Affiliate foundations: NCCF has 53 local affiliates that each offer an annual application-based grant program that supports a wide range of community needs. Our affiliates are organized by region, and each region has a program officer who supports the affiliates’ community grantmaking programs.

Giving circles: Our women’s giving circles provide grants through an application-based process to organizations supporting local women, children and families. Each giving circle has a donor engagement officer who supports their work. Other programs: NCCF has about a dozen other funds that support communities by making grants through an application-based process.

Some of these programs may have additional eligibility requirements, restrictions or a unique application process. NCCF staff who support grantmaking can answer questions about these programs. The information on eligibility and restrictions below applies to all application-based community grantmaking.

Organizations can find grant opportunities in their community by filtering for the county they serve below. An organization must meet the following criteria to apply: 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit organizations registered with the IRS. For more information, check out the FAQs .

Organizations with fiscal sponsor that are 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit organizations registered with the IRS. For more information, check out the FAQs . Local governments (including public schools) Fire and rescue departments Religious entities, including churches, congregations and other houses of worship.

For more information, check out the FAQs . Only those organizations that serve the counties within our affiliate network will be considered. If an organization serves multiple counties within our network, that organization may complete a separate application for each of those affiliates.

Organizations must offer programs and services without discrimination based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

Grants are not awarded for the following: Annual fund or capital campaigns Political purposes or lobbying Activities that are restricted to members of a particular faith community Activities that promote a specific religious doctrine General operating support for religious entities General operating support for registered 501(c)(3) public charities who are faith-based organizations and whose core functions/operations promote religious doctrine or are restricted to members of a particular faith Reimbursements: This program does not support reimbursement of costs incurred prior to the deadline for submission of your application.

Your request may only include costs that will occur in the future, after the submission deadline of the application. For the direct benefit of named individuals Re-granting by the applicant organization. For more information, check out the FAQs.

Applications for specific programs and projects or for general operating support are accepted, unless otherwise specified. Prior to completing an application, it is important for interested applicants to learn about the grantmaking of the community program to which they are applying.

Different community grantmaking programs may also seek applications for certain target areas, capacity building, organizations with operating budgets within a specified range, or for other permissions and restrictions. The amounts of grant awards also vary widely across programs. View the dates for 2026 NCCF application-based cycles, either chronologically or in alphabetical order below.

Please note that all cycles end at 12 p. m. Eastern Time on the closing date.

View all program deadlines In most cases, grants decisions are announced a little over two months after the close of the application cycle. If you have questions about a specific timeline, contact the appropriate NCCF program officer . Our organization serves multiple counties.

Are we eligible to apply to individual programs? Yes. If your organization serves multiple counties, we recommend you submit a program/project application, instead of a general operating support application.

Local boards are more likely to fund your proposal if you include specifics about how funds will be used in the local area. While the application may vary slightly depending on the grant program, you can download a sample to preview . This sample may be updated if changes are made to the application.

Please check back for updates. Frequently asked questions & more resources We’ve published answers to frequently asked questions about the community grantmaking program. Join us for weekly office hours on Zoom beginning March 18.

NCCF staff will be available to answer your questions about our community grantmaking process. You can attend any session and as many as you’d like. We hosted an optional workshop for organizations interested in applying to the North Carolina Community Foundation’s 2026 community grantmaking programs in March.

This virtual workshop provided participants with an overview of NCCF’s grant programs, shared tips for grant proposals and answered questions about the application process. Access recorded workshop and slides Any organization that is eligible to apply and has a grant request that would meet these criteria is invited to apply.

A digital signature at the end of the application confirms that applicant has read and understood the information in these guidelines and attached. Failure to adhere to any of these guidelines may result in the application being excluded from consideration. NCCF offers publicity tools for grant recipients to raise community awareness.

We recommend every grantee take advantage of this valuable opportunity to tell the story of their work. Learn more about our publicity tools . Apply for Grants by County Recorded Workshop for Grantseekers We hosted an optional workshop for organizations interested in applying to the North Carolina Community Foundation’s 2026 community grantmaking programs on March 11, 2026.

For answers to questions and more information