The North Carolina Community Foundation

The North Carolina Community Foundation is dedicated to transforming donor generosity into lasting community support across the state.

Based in Raleigh, NCCF serves communities throughout North Carolina, with a strong focus on rural areas. Through its work with donors and affiliate community foundations in 60 counties, NCCF helps steward more than 1,300 endowments totaling over $600 million.

Donors establish endowment funds through NCCF, where their gifts are invested to grow over time. These funds allow fundholders and affiliate foundations to direct grants and scholarships that support communities across North Carolina and beyond, creating a lasting legacy of giving for future generations.

Since 1988, NCCF has awarded more than $360 million in grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students, helping build stronger and more resilient communities.

Guided by the values of community, partnership, and stewardship, NCCF remains rooted in its founding vision of supporting rural philanthropy. Its grants and scholarships are made through endowment funds, with criteria established by donors to reflect their commitment to nonprofit causes and student success.

While many grants are directed by fundholders, NCCF also operates more than 60 community grantmaking programs across the state through affiliate foundations, giving circles, and other funds. These include the Wake County Community Foundation and the Women’s Giving Network of Wake County. Through application-based grant programs, NCCF supports local needs in areas such as human services, education, youth development, health, food and nutrition, the arts, and more.

In 2025, NCCF awarded over $3 million in scholarships to more than 500 students. This included $1.3 million awarded to 110 students in western North Carolina through its Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarship. Scholarship applications open annually from mid-December through early March, with more information available at nccommunityfoundation.org/scholarships.

NCCF is also supporting long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene through the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund. The fund has received more than $33 million in contributions, with nearly $22 million already awarded to support recovery efforts in western North Carolina. Grantmaking will continue in the months and years ahead, with an added focus on helping communities prepare for future disasters.