The Outer Banks Community Foundation was organized in 1982 as a public charity to help meet local needs in Dare County and across all Outer Banks communities, from Corolla to Ocracoke Island. The Community Foundation accomplishes its mission by increasing charitable giving in the area, by managing charitable funds for individuals and agencies, and by targeting grants toward the community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities.

Through its discretionary grants, the Community Foundation is the venture capitalist of the charitable sector in the Outer Banks, supporting the most exciting and most urgent projects which best meet today’s needs. The Community Foundation is the only funding source that reaches all community service organizations on the Outer Banks, in the arts, education, health and human services, historic preservation, and the environment. The Community Foundation is a catalyst, helping the nonprofit sector evolve to take on new challenges and opportunities as they arise. The Community Foundation’s permanent endowments are a resource for future generations to meet the challenges of their times.

The Outer Banks Community Foundation manages a collection of undesignated assets, charitable funds, and scholarship funds, created by different donors at different times for various purposes. Donors may create funds during their lifetimes or by bequest, for general charitable purposes or for a particular purpose that they specify. The Community Foundation provides tailored services to help individuals, families, businesses, and other groups pursue their charitable interests easily, effectively, and with maximum tax benefit.

The Community Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, composed of leading local citizens who serve without compensation. The Board administers all of the funds of the Community Foundation and approves all grants.
Through the Outer Banks Community Foundation, people who love and appreciate the Outer Banks are able to give something back to the community to help meet the pressing needs of today, while at the same time building a source of support for the future.

2018

• Community Enrichment Grants $226,450
• Scholarships Awarded $158,854
• Other Grants and Distributions $231,859

All time

• Scholarships: 1800 awards and $2 million to local students attending college
• Over $9.5 Million in total grants and scholarships dsitributed
• Assets under management 1/1/19 $16.2 million in over 180 fund

Information about establishing a fund, applying for a grant or scholarship and donating to the Outer Banks Community Foundation is available on our website.