Cary Community Foundation

The Cary Community Foundation transforms collective generosity into a permanent source of community support.

Founded in 2006, CCF works to increase philanthropic giving and establish endowments in the community. CCF 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.

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Officers

Prity Shah

President

Dipak Prasad

Vice President

Board Members

Manoj Bhatia

Jessamine Buck

Jeffrey Kramer

Catherine Pham

Mike Stellpflug

Jennifer Wrenn

The Cary Community Foundation will accept grant applications from July 3, 2026, to NOON eastern time on August 4, 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 critical needs in the Cary community.

Grants typically range from $500 to $1,250. In 2024, CCF awarded $10,000 in grants through this competitive process. Learn more about past grant recipients.

Grants will be awarded from the community grantmaking fund.

How to apply

CCF is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Organizations must apply for grants using NCCF’s Grant Application Portal. Please note, the focus of the CCF is to help improve the lives of economically disadvantaged families and individuals residing in Cary. CCF seeks to fund organizations that support this population and preference will be given to organizations with annual budgets under $500,000.

Read the guidelines before you apply. Your application may not be considered if you fail to follow any of these guidelines. Applications that do not adhere to guidelines will be ineligible for funding.
If this is your first time applying, follow the instructions in Training Module I to create a profile. If your organization already has an account, use your information to log in.
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.

More information

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.

Apply online

2024 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded nearly $10,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations:

$2,000 to Esteamed Coffee, Inc. for general operating support
$2,000 to Hopeline, Inc. for Connections for Cary
$1,000 to Kiran, Inc. for Strength in Unity: Kiran’s empowerment circle
$1,000 to Diaper Train for Diaper Train mobile distribution project
$1,000 to The Center for Volunteer Giving for in-home connections program
$1,000 to Triangle Area Parenting Support for mental health for moms
$1,000 to Wheels4Hope for free books and meet-the-author event for first-grade students at Kingswood Magnet Elementary School
$800 to Zola Sudania, Inc. for rental, utilities and food support for Cary Women

2023 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $5,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations:

$1,250 to Gigi’s Playhouse for Down Syndrome Achievement Center: educational, therapeutic and career-training programs
$1,000 to Kiran, Inc. for client support
$750 to The Center for Volunteer Caregiving for the In-Home Connections program
$1,000 to Wake Monarch Academy for helping teens find recovery from substance use disorder through the Triangle’s first and only recovery high school
$1,000 to Wheels4Hope for providing reliable and affordable vehicles to empower the working poor

2022 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $4,500 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

$500 to Gigi’s Playhouse Raleigh for the Down Syndrome Achievement Center: educational, therapeutic and career-training programs
$1,500 to Kiran, Inc. for client support
$500 to Made4Me, Inc. for the Making Abilities Possible project
$750 to NAMI Wake County for support for mental health outreach
$750 to The Center for Volunteer Caregiving for the In-Home Connections program
$500 to Wake Monarch Academy for supporting adolescents in recovery from substance abuse disorder through the Triangle’s first and only recovery high school

2021 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded more than $4,200 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

$1,000 to Made4Me, Inc. for Making Abilities Possible
$1,000 to The Center for Volunteer Caregiving for General Operating Support
$1,000 to Family Promise of Wake County for general Operating Support
$1,270 to NAMI Wake County for Improving Community Mental Wellness

2020 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $5,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

$2,000.00 to Kiran
$1,500.00 to Dorcas Ministries
$1,500.00 to Small Hands, Big Hearts

2019 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $4,500 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

Kiran, Inc
Life Experiences
NAMI Wake County
The Center for Volunteer Caregiving
Wheels4Hope

2018 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $10,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

$3,000 to The Carying Place, Inc. for the life and fiscal management skills and transitional housing for homeless, working families with children program
$1,000 to The Family Violence Prevention Center, Inc. (InterAct) for InterAct’s Lethality Assessment program
$1,000 to the CatchMUp Foundation for the 2018 Housing program
$3,000 to Kiran, Inc. for the Kiran Client Services Initiative
$700 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for the MDA Summer Camp program
$1,300 to the Assistance League of the Triangle Area for Operation School Bell

2017 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation awarded $10,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations, including:

$1,100 to Donate Life NC
$1,800 to Kiran, Inc.
$1,500 to the Lighthouse Foundation of Wake County
$2,100 to The Carying Place, Inc.
$1,500 to the Family Violence Prevention Center, Inc.
$2,000 to Triangle Family Services

2016 grants awarded

The Cary Community Foundation has awarded more than $9,000 through its community grants program to the following local nonprofit organizations. Recipients were:

Assistance League of the Triangle Area
Kiran, Inc.
The Carying Place, Inc.
The Family Violence Prevention Center, Inc., dba InterAct
Triangle Family Services

2015 grants awarded

Assistance League of the Triangle Area
Kiran
Life Experiences, Inc.
Triangle Wind Ensemble

2014 grants awarded

Activate Good
Assistance League of the Triangle Area
Cary Town Band
Chabad of Cary
Life Experiences
Read and Feed
InterAct
Triangle Family Services

2013 grants awarded

Activate Good
Assistance League of the Triangle Area
Cary Creative Center, Inc.
Corral Riding Academy
Hospice of Wake County
STOMP the Monster NC
Triangle Family Services
Wake Robotics

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