Columbus County Community Foundation

The Columbus County Community Foundation is a growing family of philanthropic funds, source of grants for local causes and partner for donors. CCCF was founded in 1999 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 Columbus County.

Give today Family of funds Start a fund

Officers

Randolph Keaton

President

Rosemary Dorsey

Vice President

Board Members

Jason Elleby

Larry Everette

Lashoney Frink

Tara Gore

Lamont Grate

Becky High

Jess Hill

Christopher Russell

Vickie Sasser

Terray F. Suggs

Pamela Young-Jacobs

Directors Emeriti

Henry J. Edmund

NCCF Columbus County Affiliate Board Member Randolph Keaton speaks to other affiliate board members at the 2023 NCCF affiliate forum

Randolph Keaton, member of the Columbus County Community Foundation board, explains the importance of generosity and shares what he believes is the highlight of CCCF’s work.

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $110,000 to the following local nonprofits from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:

$5,000 to Annie Catherine Pridgen Community Development Foundation for Expanding Our Impact on Food Insecurity: A Foundation for Growth
$5,000 to Border Belt Reporting Center, Inc. for Data Point
$4,000 to Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. for Carolyn’s Kaleidoscope Child Advocacy Center to benefit Columbus County residents
$7,500 to Building Bridges After School Program for Sow and Grow Together
$2,200 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas for Columbus County Childhood Cancer Safety Net
$2,500 to Columbus Baptist Association for Columbus Baptist Association toy store
$2,000 to Columbus County Arts Council for Story Makers Camp
$5,000 to Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc. for DREAM Builders: Investing in the Next Generation
$7,500 to Facts of Life Outreach for Nourish Hope
$9,250 to Families First, Inc. for general operating support
$2,000 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library for general operating support
$9,250 to Grace Episcopal Church including the Lutherans of Christ the King for Grace Church little food pantry, protein pantry and produce garden
$9,250 to HEARTS for Community Fun Day and Back to School Drive
$2,000 to Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum for Be Our Guest: Furnishing history for enhanced community learning and engagement
$9,250 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$5,000 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for car seats and pack ‘n plays for children
$9,250 for North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Disaster Ministries for Columbus County Disaster Recovery Center
$1,000 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina for Columbus County vision screening program
$2,500 to Reuben Brown House Preservation Society, Inc. for visiting poet workshop and 2026 A.R. Ammons Poetry Contest for students and adults
$7,500 to Safe Harbor Baptist Church for Say Grace Food Pantry
$2,000 to Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics Columbus County
$1,200 to Town of Tabor City for Tabor City Community Library literacy books

2024 grants awarded

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded nearly $110,000 to the following local nonprofits from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:

$7,500 to Annie Catherine Pridgen Community Development Foundation for Mount Olive Head Start and kitchen recovery and health forward initiative
$1,250 to Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina, Inc. for equine psychotherapy program expansion
$995 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas for Columbus County childhood cancer safety net
$2,500 to Columbus Baptist Association for toy store
$1,500 to Columbus County Arts Council for “raising the roof”
$7,000 to Community CPR to continue their mission of collaborating to connect those in need with critical resources
$15,000 to Families First, Inc. for general operating support
$2,500 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library to support nature-based learning program for children
$11,000 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$1,000 to Lake Waccamaw State Park Friends for Lake Waccamaw State Park Visitor’s Center – auditorium equipment modernization
$1,875 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services to purchase car seats and Pack ‘n’ Plays for children
$5,000 to Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum for artist in education residency
$15,000 to Men & Women United for Youth & Families to support Youth Ambassadors for a Better Community: 2024 community engagement
$4,100 to the Museum of Southeast American Indian for Life by the River project
$3,000 to New Beginnings a New Way of Life for Re-Entry Project
$15,000 to Ransom Activity Center, Inc. for air conditioner replacements
$2,500 to Welcome Home Angel to support Rooms for Relief: functional home modifications for caregivers and their children with special healthcare needs
$12,000 to West Columbus Youth Sports Club, Inc. for Chadbourn Complex restoration project
$1,000 to Whiteville Rotary Club for Keeps Hearts Beating

2023 grants awarded

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded $87,210 to the following local nonprofits from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:

$5,000 to Boy & Girls Homes of NC, Inc. for its identity leadership program
$2,986 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas for County Childhood Cancer Safety Net
$2,500 to Columbus Baptist Association for toy store
$2,000 to Columbus County Arts Council for Heritage Project “Lessons from a Small Town”
$5,000 to Columbus County Literacy Council for Each One Teach One – Adult Literacy
$1,724 to Columbus County Sheriff’s Office for expansion of an animal services shelter for large animals
$3,250 to Diaper Bank of NC for Distributing Dignity: Meeting Diaper Need in Columbus County
$15,000 to Families First for general operating support
$1,000 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library for meeting room technology update
$14,000 to Grace Episcopal Church with Lutherans of Christ the King for Grace Church Little Food Pantry & Garden
$12,000 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$5,000 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for car seats and pack ‘n’ plays for children
$10,000 to Men & Women United for Youth & Families for Youth Ambassadors for a Better Community
$1,000 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina for Star Pupils Columbus County
$3,250 to Reuben Brown House Preservation Society, Inc. for youth poet laureate visit
$500 to Salvation Army of Cape Fear for Columbus County food distribution/pantry

2022 grants awarded

Through its community grants program, the Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $73,620 to local nonprofit organizations, including:

$500 to A Safe Place (The Centre of Redemption) for education and prevention programs
$4,918.66 to Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina for Success Coach: Change for a Lifetime
$6,744 to Building Bridges After School Program for targeting students’ learning gaps
$1,500 to Columbus Baptist Association for the Columbus Baptist Association Toy Store
$1,000 to Columbus County Arts Council for Bright Star Theatre Project II
$1,000 to Columbus County Beekeepers Association for Bee City USA Pollinator Gardens and educational outreach
$11,000 to Columbus County Literacy Council for the Each One Teach One adult literacy program
$15,000 to Community CPR for a Resilient Recovery program
$4,918.67 to Diaper Bank of North Carolina for Distributing Dignity: Meeting Diaper Need in Columbus County
$4,918.67 to Families First for vehicle purchase
$1,620 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library for the local author collection and showcase project
$10,000 to Grace Episcopal Church, including the Lutherans of Christ the King, for the Grace Church Little Food Pantry
$1,000 to Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum for The Reading Caboose
$5,000 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$2,000 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for car seats for children
$2,500 to Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry Inc. for the Restore Home and Hope – Rebuild and Strengthen Neighborhoods program

2021 grants awarded

Through its community grants program, the Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $7,800 to local nonprofit organizations, including:

Columbus Baptist Association for Toy Store 2021
Columbus County Arts Council for Bright Star Theatre Project
Columbus County Community Farmers Market for High-Speed Connection to Better Nutrition
Columbus County Literacy Council for Each One Teach One – Adult Literacy
Families First for Families First Children’s Program
Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry supporting its Food Ministry
Living Hope Pregnancy Support for its Prenatal Vitamins Project

2020 grants awarded

Through its community grants program, the Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $7,600 to local nonprofit organizations, including:

the Columbus Baptist Association for the toy store
the Columbus County Arts Council for COVID-19 general operating support
the Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc. for NETworX for Hope Columbus County
the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville for Saturday Science
Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for prenatal vitamins for expectant mothers
Lower Cape Fear LifeCare for capacity building and program enhancements for Lower Cape Fear LifeCare’s Begin the Conversation, an advance care planning education program
Prevent Blindness North Carolina for Star Pupils Columbus County
Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics North Carolina – Columbus County

2019 grants awarded

Through its community grants program, the Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $7,000 to local nonprofit organizations, including:

$1,000 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina for Star Pupils Columbus County
$582 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for Earn While You Learn Incentive Program
$1,000 to Wilmington Family YMCA for Girls on the Run program expansion
$1,000 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$1,000 to Columbus Baptist Association for Toy Store 2019
$582 to Columbus County Sheriff’s Office for 2019 Project Lifesaver
$582 to Matthew 25 at Tabor City, Inc. for support for families staying at the facility
$1,000 to Columbus County Literacy Council for each One Teach One
$582 to Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc. for Six Weeks of STEAM!

Disaster Relief and Recovery Grants

Through its community grants program, the Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $118,000 to local nonprofit organizations, including:

Community CPR
Families First, Domestic Violence Shelter
the Columbus Baptist Association
the Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry
the Columbus County Arts Council
the Columbus Chamber of Commerce (for their Small Business Grant Program)
Men and Women United for Youth and Families
the Columbus County Farmers Market
the Whiteville Improvement Association and
the Columbus County Disaster Response Team

2018 grants awarded

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $7,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations, including:

$500 to Lump to Laughter
$1,000 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina
$1,254 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services
$500 to The HELP Mission Inc.
$1,298 to the American Heart Association
$1,254 to the Columbus County Literacy Council
$1,254 to the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville

2017 grants awarded

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $6,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations. Recipients were

$800 to Columbus Baptist Association
$800 to Columbus County Literacy Council
$800 to Columbus County Sheriff’s Office
$800 to Families First, Inc.
$1,000 to Kelly Youth Focus Center
$800 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry
$800 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services
$500 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina
$510 to Tabor City Elementary School

2016 grants awarded

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $6,000 through its community grants program to local nonprofit organizations. Recipients were:

Columbus County Literacy Council
Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc.
Columbus Baptist Association
Families First, Inc.
Prevent Blindness North Carolina|
Columbus County Partnership for Children
Columbus County Sheriff’s Office

The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded more than $10,900 through its NCCF Disaster Relief Fund allocation to:

Columbus Baptist Assosication

2015 grants awarded

Building Bridges After School Program
Columbus Baptist Association
Columbus County Community Farmers Market
Columbus County Literacy Council
Families, First, Inc.
Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry
Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services
Prevent Blindness North Carolina

2014 grants awarded

American Red Cross – Cape Fear Chapter
Columbus County Arts Council
Columbus County DREAM Center
Columbus County Literacy Council
Families First, Inc.
Prevent Blindness North Carolina
Wildlife Action of North Carolina

Columbus County News

View all news

News

$575,000 awarded to eastern North Carolina nonprofit programs by NCCF

October 30, 2025

This is the eighth annual application-based cycle from the endowment, which supports nonprofit programs focusing on education, health, and human services in 41 eastern North Carolina counties.

News