Watauga County Community Foundation

The Watauga County Community Foundation awarded $40,405 to the following local nonprofit organizations from its community grantmaking fund and other board-advised funds:

• $2,000 to Back 2 School Festival for general operating support 
• $3,000 to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture for empowering local food producers post Hurricane Helene 
• $2,500 to Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. for D.U.A.L. School scholarship and outdoor resource replacement project 
• $3,000 to Community Care Clinic (CCClinic, Inc.) for support for clinical staff 
• $2,500 to Daniel Boone Native Gardens for deer fence construction and installation of rain garden plants 
• $1,000 to Foscoe Grandfather Community Center for disaster relief 
• $2,000 to Freedom Farm Ministries for Freedom Farm Addiction Treatment Center’s purchase of commercial hydraulic dump trailer to serve Watauga County residents 
• $1,500 to Hunger and Health Coalition for program and general operating support 
• $1,500 to Immigrant Connection of the High Country for general operating support 
• $3,000 to Mountain Alliance for School’s Out academic enrichment program in Watauga County 
• $2,000 to New River Conservancy for New River cleanup coordinator for Watauga County 
• $1,500 to Quiet Givers for general operating support 
• $2,500 to The Children’s Playhouse for connection, curiosity and joy for families with young children at The Children’s Playhouse 
• $1,000 to Valle Crucis School PTSO for enrichment program 
• $2,955 to W.A.M.Y. Community Action for housing repair program 
• $2,500 to Watauga Community Housing Trust for home repairs for families living in the Junaluska neighborhood 
• $3,000 to Watauga County Arts Council for general operating support 
• $2,000 to Watauga County Immigrant Justice Coalition for expansion of a community ID card program in Watauga County 
• $950 to Watauga County Parks and recreation for general operating support 

2026 Grants Awarded

In February 2026, NCCF awarded a total of $9 million in grants from the Disaster Relief Fund to 108 charitable organizations focused on long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene. Review the full list of grants, including those serving Watauga County.

2025 Grants Awarded

In conjunction with the Watauga County Community Foundation, NCCF awarded $180,000 in grants from our Disaster Relief Fund to the following local organizations to support long-term recovery, resiliency and unmet needs related to Hurricane Helene.

• $26,000 to Hospitality House
• $26,000 to the Hunger & Health Coalition
• $26,000 to Immigrant Connection of the High Country
• $26,000 to Mountain True
• $25,000 to State Line Resource Center
• $25,000 to Quiet Givers
• $26,000 to WAMY Community Action

If an organization is unable to receive a grant, the affiliate will choose another charitable or government organization to receive the award.

2024 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