Cumberland Community Foundation Kicks Off 40th Anniversary

Cumberland Community Foundation (CCF) is kicking off its 40th anniversary announcing over $1,000,000 in grants and scholarships. This month, the foundation will award $400,000 in general support grants to some of its longtime nonprofit partners and over $700,000 in college scholarships to local students. 

The Foundation's Board of Directors President, Kelly Puryear, thinks there is no better way to celebrate the Foundation's history than by investing in these organizations' futures. "Times are tough these days for charitable organizations, and we need to invest our support in some of the organizations that have enabled us to have such a great impact over the last forty years." 

Cumberland Community Foundation 40th Anniversary Grant recipients include Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation, Better Health of Cumberland County, Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Cape Fear Regional Theater at Fayetteville, Child Advocacy Center, Connections of Cumberland County, Cumberland County Coordinating Council on Older Adults, Fayetteville Animal Protection Society, Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity, Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch, Fayetteville Family Life Center, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Fayetteville Urban Ministry and Vision Resource Center.

For forty years, donors' generosity has afforded the Foundation the privilege of supporting local nonprofit's efforts. In March 2020, when COVID-19 rapidly changed things in the community, nonprofits found the demand for services increasing while they weren't able to host fundraising events to support their services—the Foundation awarded $200,000 in Rapid Response Grants. Mary Holmes, Executive Director, Cumberland Community Foundation, shared, "The local nonprofit community has done their best to pivot during this unusual time.  CCF has always stepped in to provide assistance 'where needed most.' The additional $400,000 in general support grant awards will help ensure a quality of life for our community."

Since 1992, Cumberland Community Foundation has made more than 2,000 scholarship awards totaling $5,844,881. The Foundation manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations, and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations. “Education changes lives and we are grateful for our donors who have established scholarship endowments,” said Holmes. This year Cumberland Community Foundation is awarding $734,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina.