OVERVIEW: This community foundation has a statewide women’s fund and supports nine additional women’s giving groups in the state.
IP TAKE: Each of these giving circles has a common affiliation but different regional focuses and grantmaking processes. Pick the region you work in and reach out to the contact person listed below for more information about grant opportunities.
PROFILE: The North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF) manages a statewide Women’s Fund and also works with nine additional women’s giving groups. NCCF offers 10 women’s giving groups.
The Women's Fund of North Carolina is a statewide fund held at NCCF to establish a permanent endowment to improve lives of women and girls in the state. Grantmaking prioritizes groups that focus on women’s health issues and strategies to boost leadership skills of girls and women.
The Bertie-Hertford Women's Fund focuses on health, education, and human services for programs that support the needs of women and children in Bertie and Hertford Counties. Members of this giving fund contribute at least $300 each year and vote for programs that receive annual grants.
The Cary Women's Giving Network has an annual competitive grants process and targets the Cary community through collective giving. It assesses local critical needs on a regular basis to guide its grantmaking. Members commit $600 per year for three years to be part of this network.
The Currituck-Dare Women's Fund is a program of the Currituck-Dare Community Foundation and has made annual grants in the past to local nonprofits. Past grantees include Beach Food Pantry, Albemarle Hopeline, Food Bank of the Albemarle, and the Girl Scout Council of Colonia Coast. This group dates to 2009, working to meet the needs and improve the lives of women and children, and to increase women’s involvement in philanthropy. These members contribute $200 annually and award grants at an annual celebration.
Moore Women - A Giving Circle focuses on women and children living in Moore County. It has an annual competitive grants process. Members pay at least $600 annually to be part of it. Grants range from $500 to $2,500, and the annual grant cycle typically runs from July to August. Unlike some other giving groups listed here, Moore Women shares grant guidelines and an online application.
The Women Givers of Nash-Rocky Mount usually has about 25 members in the giving circle that contribute $250 annually to the fund. This fund began in 2008 and supports local service and programs that target critical needs. Grants are awarded annually, and there is an online portal to submit application information.
Women Givers of Northeast North Carolina focuses on health, mentoring, economic opportunities, childcare, older adult care, education, entrepreneurship, and community relations in Camden, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties. Members of this group give $150 or more annually.
Women's Giving Network of Wake County has been around since 2006 and supports critical needs of women and children in Wake County. This group has given out over $1 million in grants, with most grants between $25,000 and $50,000 each. It is one of the largest women’s giving groups in the state.
There has been recent discussion around developing even more women’s giving groups in North Carolina, and some efforts are in the planning stages. Check NCCF’s page about women’s giving for updates about new groups that are emerging. Some of these groups may accept unsolicited grant applications, but many do not.
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