The Columbus County Community Foundation, a North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate, has awarded $120,588 in grants to 26 organizations supporting the local community.

The board of advisors granted:

• $7,500 to Annie Catherine Pridgen Community Development Foundation for Building a Connected Community: Expanding Access to Food, Resources, and Opportunity
• $3,500 to Carver Community Center for Youth Readiness Enrichment
• $2,200 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 IT Equipment Upgrades
• $5,000 to Columbus County Committee for Preservation of African American Culture for Come to the Front Porch
• $2,000 to Columbus County Honors Inc for Autism Speak sensory support
• $10,000 to Columbus County Partnership for Children for Resilience Navigator for Families and Communities
• $9,503 to Community CPR for general operating support
• $7,500 to Facts of Life Outreach for Nourish Hope
• $5,000 to Families First, Inc. for General Operating Support
• $1,800 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library for Attendance Matters – Every Minute Counts!
• $5,000 to Grace Episcopal Church for Little Food Pantry, Protein Pantry, and Produce Garden
• $11,000 to HEARTS for Community Events
• $2,500 to Horne Bay Farm Inc for Youth Football and Youth Basketball Program Needs
• $11,000 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
• $3,000 to Lifesavers Outreach Services, Inc. for general operating support
• $5,000 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for Car Seats and Pack ’n Plays for Children
• $1,025 to LOVE Connection Foundation for Youth Development & Empowerment Program
• $2,000 to Mount Olive High School Multipurpose Center, Inc. for Technology Program
• $2,160 to The News Reporter for On the Record: A Free Community Information Video Series
• $4,500 to Raising the Barr for General Operating Support
• $10,000 to Ransom Activity Center Inc for HVAC replacements
• $2,375 to Reuben Brown House Preservation Society Inc for Visiting Poet Workshop and 2027 A.R. Ammons Poetry Contest
• $1,025 to Safe Harbor Baptist Church for Say Grace Food Pantry
• $2,000 to Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics Columbus County

“Strengthening communities starts with supporting the organizations doing the work on the ground,” said Randolph Keaton, advisory board president of the Columbus County Community Foundation. “We’re helping donors turn generosity into enduring support across our community.”

Funds for 2026 grants came from the community grantmaking fund and Columbus Anonymous Fund, which supports literacy, food insecurity, human services and the alleviation of poverty.

Each year, the Columbus County Community Foundation advisory board uses dollars from its endowment funds to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches.

Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Columbus to learn more about the Columbus County Community Foundation and its work or to make a tax-deductible donation.

Columbus County Community Foundation Advisory Board Members
Founded in 1999, the Columbus County Community Foundation is led by a local volunteer advisory board that understands community needs. In addition to Keaton, board members include Rosemary Dorsey (vice president), Jason Elleby, Larry Everette, Lashoney Frink, Tara Gore, Lamont Grate, Becky High, Jess Hill, Christopher Russell, Vickie Sasser, Terray F. Suggs and Pamela Young-Jacobs.

About the North Carolina Community Foundation
The North Carolina Community Foundation transforms the collective generosity of our donors into a permanent source of community support, with a focus on the state’s rural areas.

NCCF partners with donors and a network of affiliates to sustain over 1,300 endowments totaling over $600 million in assets. Nearly $360 million has been awarded as grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students, creating stronger communities for generations to come.