Community grants available from the Unifour Foundation Endowment

RALEIGH, NC (March 8, 2021) — The Unifour Foundation Endowment is accepting grant applications from nonprofits serving needs in the local community.

Applications are available beginning March 5. Visit nccommunityfoundation.org for information about applying. The deadline for applications is April 6 at noon.

Grants have generally ranged between $5,000 and $10,000. Since 1999, the Unifour Foundation Endowment has awarded more than $4.5 million in grants.

The Endowment supports a broad range of purposes to meet the area’s needs that include education, human services, basic needs, arts, historic preservation, health, recreation, youth development and animal welfare. Grants are awarded to organizations having an impact on the residents of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties. Organizations do not have to reside in the Unifour area; however, the funds from grants received must go directly to residents in the Unifour area.

The Unifour Foundation Endowment has a central focus on applications that highlight collaboration and partnerships or demonstrate an opportunity to achieve significant impact on the Catawba Valley. Early childhood education, alleviating substance use and food scarcity in the Unifour area are core priorities in grantmaking decisions.

Requests from religious entities, including churches, congregations and other houses of worship and/or faith-based organizations, are encouraged to apply for funding to support social outreach and charitable service programs to benefit the community-at-large. Requests for annual fund or capital campaigns may be considered but are not encouraged. Please note that capital renovations and improvements to existing structures are allowable requests.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our nonprofits to expand their impact in our local community,” said Jamie Treadway, endowment president. “We are excited to partner with our nonprofit community to continue supporting the Unifour region.”

For further information, contact Jeanne Dairaghi, NCCF donor engagement officer, at jdairaghi@nccommunityfoundation.org or 828-618-6060 or visit the NCCF website at nccommunityfoundation.org.

About the Unifour Foundation Endowment

The Unifour Foundation Inc. was created in 1996 with the proceeds from the sale of the Hickory Merchants Association’s credit reporting company to Equifax. The Unifour Foundation Endowment was then established with the NC Community Foundation in 1998. The Unifour Foundation Endowment promotes general welfare among citizens in the four counties that comprise the Unifour area: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba.

A diverse advisory board of directors reviews applications and makes selections for grant funding. Members of the advisory board are elected on the basis of their knowledge of the community and their areas of expertise, and reside within, work in, or own property in one of the Unifour Endowment’s counties. Members have a background understanding the needs of the Unifour area and are familiar with the outreach programs serving the population.

About the North Carolina Community Foundation

The NCCF is the single statewide community foundation serving North Carolina and has administered more than $184 million in grants since its inception in 1988. With more than $290 million in assets, NCCF sustains more than 1,200 endowments established to provide long-term support of a broad range of community needs, nonprofit organizations, institutions and scholarships. The NCCF partners with a network of affiliate foundations to provide local resource allocation and community assistance across the state. An important component of NCCF’s mission is to ensure that rural philanthropy has a voice at local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit nccommunityfoundation.org.

A North Carolina Community Foundation Press Release