Community Foundation Grants Help Relief Foundation Plan for the Future
Nags Head, NC – When the Outer Banks Relief Foundation wanted to assess its operations and plan for a bright future, the Outer Banks Community Foundation was there to help them build capacity through grants from the Milton A. Jewell Grant Fund and the Community Fund.
With two Community Foundation grants totaling $25,000 over the past two years, the Relief Foundation has made great strides — commissioning an organizational assessment by The Curtis Group of Virginia Beach and then implementing the study’s recommendations on management and fundraising best practices. The grants also enabled the Relief Foundation to purchase computers and software platforms to support their systems improvements.
“With the Community Foundation’s help, we have been able to invest in the right infrastructure to do our work well, easing the burdens of those in our community struggling with medical issues or other personal tragedies,” says Scott Brown, the vice president of the Relief Foundation. “The Outer Banks Community Foundation grants provided the capital to help us thrive as a key local asset.”
The Outer Banks Relief Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 2006 to assist people who live and work on the Outer Banks and are burdened with financial difficulties due to a debilitating disease or an unexpected tragedy. The foundation currently assists about 100 people each year with average support of $1,500 per family. Since its founding, the foundation has distributed over $1.68 million of financial assistance to 819 individuals and families, paying pressing household bills during times of personal crisis such as cancer battles or recovery from stroke or house fire.
The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a public charity that connects people who care with causes that matter. The Community Foundation manages $18 million in 180 charitable funds for individuals and agencies, awards grants to local nonprofits, administers 50 scholarship programs, and provides tailored services to help donors pursue their charitable interests. Since its inception in 1982, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $8 million in grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students.
(left to right) Community Foundation board member Bruce Austin and executive director Lorelei Costa present a $25,000 check to Relief Foundation executive director Patty McKenna and vice president Scott Brown representing the total investment of recent Community Foundation grants in the Relief Foundation’s capacity.
