WNC Communities
WNC Communities is a public charity based in Asheville, North Carolina. It supports community development, agricultural opportunities, and forest health in Western North Carolina through community-center programs, farmer assistance, and forestry work.
WNC Communities at a glance
In short: WNC Communities gave $310K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $309,599
- +74.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +900.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $30,960
- -82.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,433
- Total assets
- $4,362,014
- +13.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to WNC Communities
- Contact
Mailing address: 594 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: (828) 252-4783
Website: https://wnccommunities.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from WNC Communities
Who WNC Communities funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cedar Mountain Community Center ($68K). Together the top 10 received $310K.
Grant Size Distribution
12 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 12 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WNC Communities’ Honors Program serves community centers in the 20 western-most counties of North Carolina. Its farm disaster-needs program covered farms with direct damage in a specified 20-county Western North Carolina service region. The 2025 grants reported on its filing all went to North Carolina recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14K (2021) to $310K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $310K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Mountain Community Center Cedar Mountain, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $68,165 |
| Big Ivy Community Center Barnardsville, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $49,000 |
| Buladean Community Foundation Bakersville, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $45,000 |
| Upper Laurel Community Organization Mars Hill, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $38,339 |
| Spring Mountain Community Club Fairview, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $32,545 |
| Fines Creek Community Association Lake Junaluska, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $22,320 |
| Mountaineer Ruritan Inc Sugar Grove, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $20,000 |
| Newfound Community Development Club Leicester, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $13,230 |
| Caney Fork Community Development Council Cullowhee, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $11,000 |
| Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Community Club Gerton, NC | Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,362,014 | $4,553,895 | $3,992,670 | $309,599 | 10 | $33,633 |
| 2024 | $3,828,084 | $2,021,113 | $2,121,140 | $177,818 | 1 | $54,056 |
| 2023 | $3,818,190 | $1,606,254 | $1,716,675 | $49,900 | Total only | $5,885 |
| 2022 | $3,870,797 | $2,495,883 | $1,956,526 | $43,250 | Total only | $9,703 |
| 2021 | $3,319,263 | $1,564,474 | $1,362,752 | $13,500 | 1 | $9,056 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
WNC Communities’ mission is to empower the people of Western North Carolina to cultivate the vitality and prosperity of mountain communities through collaboration and agricultural opportunities.
Its community work includes the WNC Honors Program, which supports community-center leaders through education, peer learning, training, and small annual awards. The organization also manages the WNC AgOptions cost-share grant program for farmers expanding or diversifying their operations. Its forestry work includes the Hemlock Restoration Initiative, which seeks to restore eastern and Carolina hemlocks and address damage from hemlock woolly adelgid.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, WNC Communities reported 10 grants totaling $309,599. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $68,165, with a median of $27,432. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The listed grants were for Hurricane Helene disaster recovery, including:
The WNC Honors Program provides annual cash awards to eligible community centers. Communities apply to participate and are evaluated across governance, leadership, financial stewardship, volunteer recruitment and retention, community programs and civic engagement, and collaboration. The listed 2026 deadline, August 6, 2026, has passed. The George H.V. Cecil Scholarship is for eligible high school seniors from participating Honors communities; applications for 2026 have closed. The Immediate Disaster Needs grant for farm businesses was closed to applications as of November 1, 2024.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include Jennifer L. Ferre, Executive Director; K. Ray Bailey, President Emeritus; Shelly White, Treasurer; Dean Kanipe, President; Jimmy Cowan, Vice President; Karen Hammett, Chair; Craig DeBrew, 1st Vice Chair; Jeffrey Owen, Secretary; Bill Yarborough, 2nd Vice Chair; and Randy Rogers, Member.
WNC Communities is led by Jennifer L Ferre, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 21 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer L Ferre
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$67K (2021) → $94K (2025)
Dean Kanipe
President
Chair → Past Chair, 2023
Past Chair → President, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Hammett
Chair
2nd Vice Chair → 1st Vice Chair, 2023
1st Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Yarborough
2nd Vice Chair
Member → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → 2nd Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chivous Bradley
Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Craig DeBrew
1st Vice Chair
Treasurer → 2nd Vice Chair, 2023
2nd Vice Chair → 1st Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Owen
Secretary
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jimmy Cowan
Vice President
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
K Ray Bailey
President Emeritus
President → President Emeritus, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Leatherwood
Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
LT Ward
Member
Vice President → Member, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lumpy Lambert
Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Rogers
Member
Immediate Past Chair → Member, 2022
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ross Young
Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shelly White
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zeb Smathers
Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kaleb Rathbone
Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edie Cecil
Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sophie Dixon
Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tammie Whitlock
Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Duckett
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Harris Prevost (2021–2024) — Member
- Former: Bruce Peterson (2021–2023) — Member
- Former: Roger Wiggins (2021–2023) — Member
- Former: Joey Owle (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Jerry Sutton (2021) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $94K, to Jennifer L Ferre (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about WNC Communities
How much does WNC Communities give each year?
WNC Communities gave $310K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $178K across 1 grant.
What is WNC Communities's typical grant size?
WNC Communities's median grant in 2025 was $27,433, and its average grant was $30,960, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does WNC Communities give grants?
WNC Communities gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there.
Does WNC Communities give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on WNC Communities's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery" (10 grants).
Who are WNC Communities's largest grantees?
WNC Communities's largest 2025 grantees include Cedar Mountain Community Center ($68,165), Big Ivy Community Center ($49,000) and Buladean Community Foundation ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is WNC Communities?
WNC Communities reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.6M.
What does WNC Communities fund?
WNC Communities’ mission is to empower the people of Western North Carolina to cultivate the vitality and prosperity of mountain communities through collaboration and agricultural opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from WNC Communities?
WNC Communities has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wnccommunities.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is WNC Communities's EIN?
WNC Communities's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0797766. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work WNC Communities funds
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in WNC Communities's focus areas in our free grants database
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WNC Communities down — hundreds of funders to go?