(September 2023) The Highlands Community Fund awarded fifteen grants totaling $88,770 to local nonprofits in its recent grant cycle. The Fund, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded 195 grants totaling $1,214,526. The Mildred Miller Fort Charitable Fund also supports grantmaking in Highlands.
“Through the support of friends and neighbors, we are able to fund worthwhile projects and nonprofits doing good work in Highlands,” said Advisory Board Chair George Manning. “Permanent charitable resources devoted to our community mean that the Fund can be responsive as needs change over time. We are grateful to everyone who has pooled their gifts with those of their neighbors. It really is generosity multiplied.”
The 2023 grants are:
$2,500 to The Bascom for scholarships, instructors and supplies for Highlands arts programs.
$3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support recruiting, programming and staff costs.
$8,500 to Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau for academic programming for youth in grades K-12 at a new location in Highlands.
$8,500 to Child Medical Collaborative to provide services for child victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
$8,500 to Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers to purchase prescription medications.
$4,000 to Four Seasons to address unfunded care needs of people living with life-limiting or terminal illnesses in Macon County.
$8,500 to Gordon Center for Children to continue a free afterschool program for elementary school students in the Highlands community.
$4,000 to Highlands Community Child Development Center for technology equipment.
$8,500 to Highlands Emergency Council to augment its fuel fund.
$1,770 to Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust to support its education programs.
$8,500 to International Friendship Center for its Highlands food pantry program.
$8,500 to The Literacy & Learning Center to expand and enhance its afterschool programs.
$2,500 to ML Performing Arts Center for the educational theatre program during the 2023-2024 school year.
$8,500 to Pisgah Legal Services to support free civil legal assistance to, and advocacy for, low-income people who live and work in and around Highlands.
$3,000 to REACH of Macon County for outreach efforts during Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking awareness months.
In 1996, local residents established the Highlands Community Fund as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Fund’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Fund support nonprofits serving the Highlands region. 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, Gerry Doubleday, Florence Holmes, Colleen Kerrigan, Jim Landon, Libby Lanier, George Manning (Chair), John Mitchener, Jeff Nixon, Amanda Reames, Diane Riddle (Secretary), Cindy Trevathan (Vice Chair), and Jeff Weller.
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.