The Watauga County Community Foundation is a growing family of philanthropic funds, source of grants for local causes and partner for donors. WCCF was founded in 1993 and is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Watauga County.
Watauga County Community Foundation
Officers
Ryan Postlethwait
John Ritter
Board members:
Mindy Coatney
Scott Elliott
Joe Furman
Dave Harman
Jake Hutchison
Stephen Poulos
Lane Robinson
Apply for grants
The Watauga County Community Foundation will accept grant applications from March 1, 2024, to NOON on April 2, 2024. 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 between $500 and $5,000. In 2023, WCCF awarded $30,000 in grants through this competitive process. Learn more about past grant recipients.
Grants will be awarded from the community grantmaking fund and the:
- Armfield and Rachel Rivers Coffey Memorial Fund, which supports charitable causes in Watauga County as advised by WCCF.
- Dr. Don Saunders Endowment, which supports general charitable, educational, religious, and scientific purposes.
How to apply
WCCF is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Organizations must apply for grants using NCCF’s online application system.
- Read the guidelines before you apply. Failure to adhere to the guidelines will result in your application being declined.
- 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.
- Follow the instructions in Training Module II to add a grant application. Once registered, you can access more information about the application process.
Grants Awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded $39,480 to the following local nonprofit organizations from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:
- $1,500 to Appalachian Theatre of the High Country for AppTheatre: Our Community’s Theatre
- $3,000 to Back 2 School Festival for general operating support
- $3,000 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture for general operating support
- $500 to Carolina Cross Section for CCC access in Watauga County
- $1,000 to Casting Bread to support feeding the high country
- $2,500 to Community Care Clinic (CCClinic, Inc.) to support clinical staff
- $2,500 to F.A.R.M. Café, Inc. for F.A.R.M. Café pay-what-you-can community kitchen
- $500 to High Country Caregiver Foundation for Kinship Navigation
- $2,000 to Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina for remote food lockers
- $3,000 to Hunger and Health Coalition for general operating support for food and medication provision services
- $2,500 to Immigrant Connection of the High Country for immigration legal services – Watauga
- $540 to Mediation & Restorative Justice Center for recovery support and supplies
- $3,000 to Mountain Alliance for School’s Out academic enrichment program in Watauga County
- $1,500 to New River Conservancy for building healthier and more engaged communities through water quality improvement on North America’s oldest river: the New River Watershed in Ashe, Alleghany and Watauga counties
- $3,000 to Oasis, Inc. for Emergency Shelter Program: accessible technology
- $2,000 to Quiet Givers for general operating support
- $1,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC for Watauga County partner agency rural delivery fees
- $2,000 to The Children’s Playhouse for creating an environment of support and learning at The Children’s Playhouse
- $1,000 to W.A.M.Y. Community Action for W.A.M.Y.’s housing repair program – Watauga County
- $1,000 to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity for a safe home for a family in need
- $1,940 to Watauga County Parks and Recreation for Special Olympics
- $500 to Watauga Housing Council for Getting to Know our Neighbor’s Housing Needs
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.
2023 grants awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $52,000 to the following local nonprofit organizations from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:
- $5,710 to Back 2 School Festival, Inc. for Back 2 School Festival
- $1,000 to Blowing Rock Art and History Museum for BRAHM & FOCUS
- $2,000 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, supporting High Country food producers through Blue Ridge CRAFT
- $1,000 to Casting Bread for Feeding Watauga
- $2,000 to Community Care Clinic (CCClinic, Inc.) for clinical staff support
- $1,000 to Friends of the Watauga County Library for an expansion project
- $500 to Hospital Hospitality House of Winston Salem (SECU Family House) for general operating support and family assistance fund
- $1,000 to Hunger and Health Coalition for beautification of main facility through garden refurbishing
- $2,500 to Mountain Alliance for their School’s Out academic enrichment program in Watauga County
- $3,000 to Oasis, Inc., for Emergency Shelter Program: Children’s Enrichment
- $500 to Quiet Givers for general operating support
- $1,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to support rural delivery fees for their Watauga partner agency
- $2,500 to The Children’s Playhouse for Building Community of Families
- $500 to The Salvation Army of Hickory, N.C., for Soup and Suds Program
- $500 to W.A.M.Y. Community Action for Weatherization Care Closet
- $1,500 to Watauga County Arts Council for Art for All Abilities
- $2,500 to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity for a place to call home for the Winebarger family
- $2,500 to Watauga County Historical Society for Digital Watauga Project main scanner
- $1,840 to Watauga County Parks and Recreation Department for bocce courts
- $19,500 to Watauga Humane Society to support general operations
2022 grants awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $48,000 to the following local nonprofit organizations from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:
- $3,450 to Back 2 School Festival for general operating support
- $500 to Blowing Rock Art and History Museum for senior center art classes
- $1,500 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture for supporting producer participation in new Healthy Food Box projects
- $1,000 to Boone United Methodist Church for a summer literacy program
- $2,500 to Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. for early childhood literacy – Dual School
- $4,000 to F.A.R.M. Café, Inc. for kitchen equipment upgrade
- $635 to Hunger and Health Coalition for general operating support
- $1,000 to LIFE Village Inc. for the LIFE House program
- $1,000 to Mountain Alliance for School’s Out academic enrichment program in Watauga County
- $500 to Mountain Home Music for general operating support for Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music
- $2,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC for partner agency rural delivery fee support
- $2,000 to Southern Appalachian Historical Association for Kings Mountain Day at Hickory Ridge History Museum
- $3,000 to The Children’s Playhouse for Creating Community at The Children’s Playhouse
- $1,500 to W.A.M.Y. Community Action for Healthy Homes
- $2,500 to Watauga Compassionate Community Initiative for
- $2,500 to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity for From No Walls to Four Walls: Building a Dream Home
- $19,175 to Watauga Humane Society for general operating support
2021 grants awarded
Through its community grantmaking fund and the Armfield and Rachel Rivers Coffey Memorial Fund, the Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $20,000 to local nonprofit organizations, including:
- $3,000 to Back 2 School Festival for general operating support
- $2,000 to Community Care Clinic (CCClinc, Inc.) to provide high quality healthacare to area adults who do not have health insurance
- $500 to Hospital Hospitality House of Winston Salem (SECU Family House) for Family House Family Financial Assistance Fund
- $4,000 to Hunger and Health Coalition for food assistance services
- $2,000 to Mountain Alliance for its after-school and academic support program
- $2,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC for Farm Fresh for Watauga County Pantries
- $3,000 to the Children’s Playhouse for Welcome Back to the Children’s Playhouse project
- $2,500 to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity for its affordable new home ownership program for a low-income family
- $3,000 to Watauga County Historical Society for a digital Watauga project book scanner
2020 grants awarded
Through its community grants program, the Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $23,000 to local nonprofit organizations, including
- $2,500 to the Foscoe Grandfather Community Center for continuing the work of the Foscoe Community Center and Park
- $12,000 to the Hunger and Health Coalition for COVID-19 food assistance support
- $1,000 to the Mountain Alliance for the Mountain Alliance’s School’s Out Academic Enrichment Program in Watauga County
- $3,000 to OASIS, Inc. for the emergency shelter program
- $2,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC for cold storage capacity building at the Hospitality House
- $3,000 to The Children’s Playhouse for program support
2019 grants awarded
Through its community grants program, the Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $21,000 to local nonprofit organizations, including:
- $1,250 to Spirit Ride, Inc. for scholarship funding
- $2,500 to Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. for the Family Literacy Program
- $3,000 to the Back 2 School Festival for the event
- $1,500 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture for their effort to increase equitable access to healthy local food
- $500 to Appalachian Regional Library for their 2019 Good Neighbor Project: Stories of Hope and Recovery
- $1,500 to the Hospitality House of the Boone area for the Hospitality House Garden Revitalization Project
- $1,500 to Mountain Alliance for the School’s Out Afterschool Academic Support Program
- $1,000 to the Children’s Playhouse for program support
- $1,025 to the Watauga County Habitat for Humanity for Financial Literacy for Homeowners
- $1,000 to Foscoe Grandfather Community Center for an upgraded playground area
- $500 to the Watauga County Arts Council for a space for the ARTS at ArtSpace
- $6,000 to the Hunger and Health Coalition for a fresh market and free pharmacy
2018 grants awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awards more than $22,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations, including:
- $2,000 to Back 2 School Festival
- $2,000 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture
- $1,500 to Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc.
- $3,000 to F.A.R.M. Cafe, Inc.
- $500 to In/Visible Arts
- $1,250 to Mountain Alliance
- $500 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina
- $1,250 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
- $2,250 to Spirit Ride Inc.
- $500 to Two Rivers Community School
- $2,000 to WAMY Community Action, Inc.
- $1,600 to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity
- $2,500 to Watauga County Historical Society
- $1,250 to Western Youth Network
2017 grants awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded $20,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations. Recipients were:
- $2,000 to Appalachian Regional Library
- $4,000 to Hospitality House
- $2,000 to Hunger and Health Coalition
- $2,000 to Mountain Alliance
- $1,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
- $2,500 to Spirit Ride Inc.
- $3,000 to The Children’s Playhouse
- $1,000 to Two Rivers Community School
- $2,000 to Western Youth Network
2016 grants awarded
The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded more than $20,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations. Recipients were:
- Western Youth Network
- Hospitality House
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
- The Blowing Rock Att and History Museum
- Mountain Alliance
- Hunger and Health Coalition
- Spirt Ride Inc.
- Valle Crucis Community Park
- Blue Ridge Conservancy
- The Children’s Playhouse
- High Country CSA (c/o Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture)
- Foscoe Grandfather Community Center
2015 grants awarded
- Blue Ridge Conservancy Public Educational Hikes
- Family Literacy Program
- Annual Equinie Wellcare Costs
- Lettuce Learn Project
- Winter Farmers Market
- Partner Agency Support-Rural Delivery Fees
- Scholarship Memberships to The Children’s Playhouse
- Valle Crucis Community Park Welcome and Environmental Education Center
- Healthy Homes
- Coat Drive/Basci Buckets
2014 grants awarded
- Appalachian Regional Library
- Blue Ridge Conservancy
- F. A. R. M. Cafe, Inc.
- High Country Pathways
- Hospitality House of the Boone Area
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina
- The Hunger and Health Coalition, Inc.
- The Mountain Alliance
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of South Carolina – Columbia
- Valle Crucis Community Park, Inc.
- Watauga Humane Society
- Western Youth Network, Inc.
- Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge
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