Ramble Charitable Fund

Horizons at Carolina Day was awarded $10,000 to advance educational equity through a six-week summer enrichment program. RCF board members Bob Washel and Shad Waters with Horizons at Carolina Day Executive Director Jenny Tracy and Board Members and founders Himanshu Karvir and Swati Patel; photo courtesy CFWNC

The Ramble Charitable Fund was created to improve the quality of life in designated Buncombe County communities by supporting education, economic development, health care and other projects that promote community development. Grants range from $2,500 to $10,000 for nonprofit organizations and public agencies for programmatic needs, capital needs and operating expenses. Projects should benefit the designated Buncombe County communities and not primarily the Ramble community and its residents.

Requests that exhibit the greatest community benefit, including education, economic development, health care and projects promoting community development, such as the arts and quality of life issues, will be given the highest consideration. Routine annual requests for operating funds may be considered a lower priority.

  • If an organization other than the applicant will benefit from the grant, e.g., an organization applying to run a program in public schools, then the applicant should include a letter of endorsement from that other organization.
  • Grant funds will be available by the end of May and in most cases should be spent within 10 months of the award.

Deadlines and Dates

The grant application deadline is April 1 at 5 p.m. If the deadline date is on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is 5 p.m. the next business day.

Eligibility

  • Grants may be awarded to qualified 501(c)(3), governmental, educational, and religious organizations serving the Shiloh and South Buncombe communities, which is the following area of Buncombe County: Northern Boundary: Swannanoa and French Broad River; Eastern Boundary: Blue Ridge Parkway from I-40 to Sweeten Creek Road, then Sweeten Creek Road to Mills Gap Road to Henderson County Boundary; Southern Boundary: Henderson County Line from Mills Gap Road to Blue Ridge Parkway; Western Boundary: I-26 to Blue Ridge Parkway, then Blue Ridge Parkway to Henderson County Line.
  • Organizations must already be established in or serving the Shiloh and South Buncombe communities.
  • Eligible organizations, including organizations acting as a fiscal sponsor, may only submit one application per year.
  • Eligible organizations will have submitted End of Grant Reports for all prior Ramble Charitable Fund awards.

What We Do Not Fund

Grants generally do not support: scholarships; sectarian religious purposes; partisan political purposes; endowment funds; deficit funding or debt retirement; festivals or one-time events such as exhibits, performances or fundraisers; or activities taking place or expenses incurred before grant decisions are made.

How to Apply

1. Access Community Foundation Staff Assistance

If you would like to discuss your proposal or have questions regarding eligibility, contact Virginia Dollar, Senior Program Officer, by email or at 828-367-9907.

2. Submit a Grant Application

Begin the online application process to submit a grant application. For technical assistance with the online grant system, please contact Diane Crisp, Senior Grants Manager, by email or at 828-367-9904. The online system notifies applicants by email upon receipt of their application.

3. The Review Process

Staff screens applications for completeness, clarity, and compliance with eligibility requirements. The Fund’s advisory committee evaluates grant applications, taking into consideration the Fund’s priorities, availability of funds for the stated purposes, applicants’ capabilities, and potential benefits to the community.

CFWNC distributes grant payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT). Each grantee must have current banking information on file at CFWNC to receive payment.

Reporting Requirements

Applicants must submit an online end-of-grant report verifying use of grant funds and results. Instructions will be included in the grant award letter sent by email to the head of the awarded organization, and report deadlines can be found in CFWNC’s online grant system. We may also require additional reports or site visits.

Guideline Modifications

The Fund’s advisory committee may modify these guidelines, or make exceptions to them, in consultation with the staff of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

For additional information, download Recent Grants.

Return to Grants Directory