Eleven nonprofit organizations awarded Community Enrichment Grants

The Outer Banks Community Foundation awarded $124,000 in Community Enrichment Grants to 11 local nonprofits this quarter.

“Although it’s a competitive process, we were so excited to be able to make an award to every applicant this quarter,” said Outer Banks Community Foundation Grants Manager Scout Schillings. “These are truly some amazing projects.”

Carolina Cross Connection received a grant for their “Access in Dare” project, which empowers students from across the state to spend a week of their summer vacation serving neighbors in Dare County by building safe-access projects, such as wheelchair ramps.

The Chicamacomico Historical Association was awarded a grant for the restoration of the 1874 Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe.

“Restoring and maintaining the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is certainly a daunting task that requires many partners,” said Chicamacomico Historical Association Executive Director John Griffin. “The Community Foundation has been a good friend in both providing funding and expertise in discovering other funding sources. The Community Enrichment Grant that we recently received will help us to complete phase one of restoration of the 150-year-old station in time for our Commemoration Ceremony honoring the creation of the United States Life-Saving Service in October of this year.”

To help address the mental health of our local Veterans, The Creative SPOT received a grant to provide arts programming that will enable Veterans to heal and connect with their community.

The First Flight Society was awarded a grant for a media project that will capture the life, career, and aviation contributions of inventor Francis Rogallo, whose flexible wing invention led to the development of aerial sports, including hang gliding, paragliding, and kiteboarding.

Hatteras Island Meals received a grant to continue their effort in providing hot and nutritious meals Monday through Friday to indigent, shut-in, or immobile Hatteras Island residents.

A multi-year grant has been awarded to the Sound Minds program, a collaboration between Interfaith Community Outreach, Outer Banks Relief Foundation, and Dare County Social Services to provide counseling and treatment for individuals experiencing mental health and substance abuse challenges, with the aim of alleviating their pain and improving their well-being.

“The Sound Minds grant has helped countless individuals and families receive access to mental health and substance abuse services,” said Interfaith Community Outreach Director Jenniffer Albanese. “Last year’s grant has allowed us to help 45 deserving families with a wide variety of services from psychological testing to allow parents to identify their child’s specific needs to trauma therapy for adults and children alike. These services can be price prohibitive to some of the very families with the greatest need. The Sound Minds grant has lifted that financial burden so the family can focus on healing. Our community, schools and workplaces have all been touched by this grant through helping the most vulnerable access the mental health services they need. The renewal of the Sound Minds grant by the Outer Banks Community Foundation for two years will allow this program to reach further into our community and schools to provide individuals with the access they desperately need. Each of our recipients are asked to attend a closing interview at the end of their funding. The phrase most used is “it was life changing” to finally get help. Thank you to the Outer Banks Community Foundation and their donors for changing lives.”

The Kitty Hawk Rotary Club was awarded a grant to provide financial assistance to youth in Dare County who would like to attend overnight camps for personal skill development and scouting advancement.

To adopt a beach access in Kitty Hawk through the Surfrider Foundation Outer Banks Chapter, The Morgan Duke Conservation Society was awarded a grant.

The Nature Conservancy North Carolina Chapter was awarded a grant to enhance the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve by supporting improvements to preserve trail signage, including signage on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Trail.

“Nags Head Woods is The Nature Conservancy’s premiere destination in North Carolina,” said Katherine Skinner, Director of TNC’s North Carolina Chapter. “It welcomes 60,000 visitors annually, some of which are local families, outdoor enthusiasts, and tourists who enjoy our eight nature trails. We’re thankful that the Outer Banks Community Foundation is helping to improve that visitor experience.”

The Outer Banks SPCA was awarded a grant to upgrade their animal care vehicle to a 2024 Ford F150 truck equipped with a bed mount unit specifically designed for holding animals.

The YMCA of South Hampton Roads plans to improve aquatics health and wellness equipment and expand their aquatics programming at the Outer Banks YMCA with their recent grant award.
Community Enrichment Grants are awarded four times a year. The next application deadline is Friday, July 26. Nonprofits must submit an online application in order to be considered for a Community Enrichment Grant.

About the Outer Banks Community Foundation:

The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.