Watauga County Community Foundation- Dr. Don Saunders Endowment Grant

The Watauga County Community Foundation's Dr. Don Saunders Endowment Grant supports charitable, educational, religious, and scientific purposes, providing grants ranging from $500 to $5,000. Organizations eligible to apply must be tax-exempt public charities or local government units, including fire and rescue departments. The foundation focuses on local needs and ensures funding is available for programs that serve the community without discrimination based on various factors. Applications are accepted annually.

About Watauga County Community Foundation
The Watauga County Community Foundation is a growing family of philanthropic funds, source of grants for local causes and partner for donors. WCCF was founded in 1991 and is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Watauga County.
The WCCF, through the NC Community Foundation, makes it easy to become a philanthropist, whatever your means or charitable goals. You can open an endowment for your favorite cause at any time – or contribute to an existing fund in any amount.
The WCCF board advises the Watauga County Community Fund, the unrestricted community grantmaking fund, to support local needs. This competitive grants program is held annually. Because advisory board members live and work in Watauga County, they can leverage resources to help meet local needs and access opportunities.
Dr. Don Saunders Endowment, supporting general charitable, educational, religious, and scientific purposes.
Funding
Grants typically range between $500 and $5,000.

Eligibility

An organization must meet the following criteria to apply:Organizations must be qualified as tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or be classified as a unit of local government (including public schools).
An exception is made to include fire and rescue departments.
If your organization operates as a 501 (c)(3) public charity via a fiscal agent, your application's supporting documentation must include a letter from the fiscal agent organization that verifies the relationship and includes when the relationship was established.
Religious entities, including churches, congregations and other houses of worship, and/or faith-based organizations whose core functions/operations promote a specific religious doctrine or are restricted to members of a particular faith may apply for funding to support social outreach and charitable service programs to benefit the community-at-large, but they may not apply for general operating support.
Only those organizations that serve the counties within our affiliate network will be considered.
If an organization serves multiple counties within our network, that organization may complete a separate application for each of those affiliates.
Organizations must offer programs and services without discrimination based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.
General operating support is funding that an organization uses for its core/general operations which allows the organization to continue to operate and meet its mission.
Grants for this purpose may be used for any cost that keeps the organization operating, unless otherwise restricted at the time of the grant, which generally permits some flexibility for the grantee.
Program/project support is funding for specific, mission-related programs or projects/initiatives that the organization is undertaking.
Grants for this purpose only cover costs directly related to the program/project for which the application is made.
Your organization may apply for grants in any of the affiliate programs, if your organization serves the counties of that affiliate.
In addition, your organization may also apply for more than one project within a grant cycle for an individual affiliate; however, in those circumstances, it is best to communicate with the NCCF Regional Director for that affiliate as to which project is your priority in case the board is only able to fund one.
Grant recipients have one year from the date of the grant to spend funds awarded by NCCF affiliates.

Ineligibility

Political purposes or lobbying
Programs and/or activities that are restricted to members of a faith community or promote a specific religious doctrine
Reimbursements
This program does not support reimbursement of costs incurred prior to the deadline for submission of your application.
Your request may only include costs that will occur in the future, after the submission deadline of the application.