(September 2021) The Highlands Community Fund awarded twelve grants totaling $75,380 to local nonprofits in its recent grant cycle. The Fund, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded grants totaling $1,042,226. The Mildred Miller Fort Charitable Fund also supports grantmaking in Highlands.
“These awards are possible because people who care about this community built a fund over time,” said Advisory Board Chair George Manning. “Nonprofits have faced so many challenges over the past year. We are pleased to award these grants to help important community organizations address the needs of those continuing to suffer from the pandemic and to aid in our community’s recovery.”
The 2021 grants are:
$3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support Big and Little recruiting efforts, programming and enrichment activities, and the program director’s salary.
$6,750 to Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project to increase access to free preventive dental services and dental education through a Dental Hygienist and educational materials for students at Highlands School.
$9,000 to Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers to support the cost of employing additional mid-level providers, either Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants, to reduce patient wait times.
$4,500 to Counseling and Psychotherapy Center of Highlands to supplement fees of individuals, families, and couples who cannot afford to pay.
$4,500 to Gordon Center for Children to offset supervision costs, snacks, and supplies for this free afterschool program.
$9,000 to Highlands Community Child Development Center to assist with the costs of replacing educational toys, cots, student instructional supplies, and new library books.
$4,500 to Hospice House Foundation of WNC to remodel a residential home built into the SECU Hospice House of WNC.
$9,000 to International Friendship Center to increase its visibility and enhance its support of the underserved population through food boxes and social services.
$9,000 to Literacy Council of Highlands to offset the costs of its free, educational community programs.
$6,000 to Pisgah Legal Services to support free civil legal assistance and advocacy for low-income people who live and work in and around Highlands.
$9,000 to REACH of Macon County to assist shelter residents who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in obtaining permanent housing.
$1,130 to The Bascom to support program, instruction, and materials costs for its Highlands Community Outreach and Education Initiative.
The Highlands Community Fund, a CFWNC affiliate, is a permanently endowed fund designed to meet local needs. Tax-deductible gifts are added to the principal, which is preserved and invested. The returns are used to make grants to support nonprofits in Highlands. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail to Highlands Community Fund, P.O. Box 1150, Highlands, NC 28741-1150. Checks should be made payable to CFWNC, noting Highlands Community Fund in the memo line. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local volunteer Advisory Board works to raise awareness of the Highlands Community Fund and to build assets for the future. These board members are: Lisa Armstrong, Anne Bailey, Melissa Delany, Gerry Doubleday, Florence Holmes, Ann Klamon, Jim Landon, Libby Lanier, George Manning (Chair), Jeff Nixon, Amanda Reames, Diane Riddle, Jim Stokes, Cindy Trevathan and Jeff Weller.
CFWNC works with families, businesses and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, CFWNC manages over 1,200 funds and has facilitated more than $305 million in philanthropy since its founding in 1978.
CFWNC supports the growth of its affiliate funds to extend the benefits of philanthropy across the region. For additional information about the Highlands Community Fund, visit HighlandsCommunityFund.org.