NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – As part of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners ongoing community building and investment efforts, local nonprofit organizations with a focus on preventing violence and providing wrap-around services can apply for grant funds through the county’s Capacity Building Initiative beginning December 16 through January 16.
New Hanover County is partnering with the United Way of the Cape Fear Area to administer the grants program, and applications can be found through the United Way portal here.
“As a Board of Commissioners, we have made a commitment to provide the resources necessary for our children and families to succeed and thrive, and we’re excited to start implementing another piece of that larger community building plan,” said New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chair Bill Rivenbark. “There are so many nonprofits in our community doing amazing work already. Our goal is to help them expand and enhance those services so that more people can be impacted and their reach can go even further.”
Established by the Board of Commissioners as part of its overall Community Building Plan and included within the 2022-23 budget, $1.2 million has been allocated this year to support nonprofit organizations in New Hanover County that are utilizing evidence-based programs to help combat violence and provide wrap-around services to individuals and families. Eligible services include support for employment, housing, financial assistance and youth education, with prioritization given to those that serve residents in areas identified by the county as Impact Zones.
“We are truly grateful for the opportunity to partner with New Hanover County to help distribute these grants and facilitate meaningful assistance to our neighbors,” said Tommy Taylor, CEO for United Way of the Cape Fear Area. “Every day, we see and hear about the needs of those in our community and while there’s already a lot of amazing work taking place by so many nonprofits in our area, this funding will make it possible to do even more. It’s an honor for our team to help guide that process and bring the Commissioners’ vision to fruition.”
Applications will be reviewed by a funding committee comprised of diverse individuals from the community, and awardees will be selected based on set criteria including a program’s accessibility, ability to address barriers, focus on equity, emphasis on serving under-resourced populations, balance of intervention and prevention strategies utilizing best practices, and clear evaluation tools tied to program outcomes. Grants are expected to be distributed in the Spring of 2023.
Info Sessions – Dec. 15 and 20
To help nonprofits and community members understand the objectives of these grants along with the application and review process, there will be two, one-hour virtual information sessions provided by the United Way. Both sessions will cover the same information, so nonprofits do not need to attend both.
The first session will be at noon on Thursday, December 15, followed by a second session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 20. Registering for these meetings in advance is not necessary and either session can be accessed by following this Zoom link.