I admit it … I don’t watch football.  I know a lot of you will probably stop reading this blog right now. 

The country has been buzzing with excitement for the new football season. Mailbox covers and decorative flags adorn houses, people break out entirely new wardrobes in their team colors … the excitement is EVERYWHERE! Social media has exploded with pictures of “game food,” from tailgates and viewing parties. 

But the season is grantmaking in the Coastal Plains North region!  We have our own parties (complete with bagels and coffee) to check out this year’s players!  Applications have increased in our region this year, and the needs are great. Our own super fan base (our grants committees) are meeting to pick out their fantasy leagues: the best of the best nonprofit programs to provide much needed services in our communities. 

Our affiliate boards wear the team colors and wave the flags of our local communities each and every day. They spend hours reviewing the many wonderful applications that we receive, and they are the biggest cheerleaders for our nonprofit organizations. That is one of the key strengths of our affiliate structure: our boards have local expertise so know their communities’ needs and the organizations that can best serve them.

Coastal Plains North region affiliates will announce their grant recipients in late September. Nearly $100,000 in grants from community grantmaking funds will be awarded.  In small towns, these dollars can be transformational for a nonprofit.

Later in the year, we will gather for various awards events for our own “Super Bowl” of grantmaking. That is when we really get to see those grant dollars in action, celebrate the “touchdowns” and share some really good food!

I hope your favorite teams have a great season this year … I know my teams in Eastern NC will!