The best ideas for dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of the region come from the people who live and work in our local communities.
Dogwood invests in aligned organizations that advance efforts in our four strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity, and health & wellness.
From 2025-2030, Dogwood’s grantmaking will focus on:
We’ll strengthen strategically aligned organizations and the people that lead them day-to-day through multi-year, unrestricted general operating support and capacity building grants.
We’ll invest in innovative ideas and collaborative efforts led by organizations and communities responding to the challenges and opportunities in our post-Hurricane Helene environment.
We’ll convene and connect the leaders and organizations doing work across our four strategic priorities and across our region so that dynamic networks of new relationships and ways of working together emerge.
We’ll help our partners attract more financial resources from public and other philanthropic sources.
Supporting Organizational Operations, Infrastructure and Stability
Applications Open Late-January 2027. Additional details are coming soon.
This grant opportunity provides flexible support to established, strategically aligned organizations that play a meaningful role in Western North Carolina through work in housing, education, economic opportunity, and/or health & wellness. Funding is intended to help organizations strengthen their operations and infrastructure, increase organizational effectiveness, adapt to changing needs, and position themselves for sustained impact over time.
Organizations should be able to clearly articulate the work they are undertaking, why it is important at this point in their organization’s development, and what they anticipate will be different as a result. Strong applicants will demonstrate how this work contributes to a healthier, more effective organization, and ultimately strengthens their ability to advance their mission and create impact for the communities they serve. Most often, these grants are provided as general operating support.
Grants typically range from $50,000 to $350,000 per year for up to two years. For two-year grants, the total award may range up to a maximum of $700,000.
Who is eligible to apply:
501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities with annual operating budgets of at least $200,000 that serve the Qualla Boundary and/or 18 counties of Western North Carolina, and are strategically aligned with Dogwood’s priorities.
Who is not eligible:
Government and quasi-governmental organizations; colleges, universities and K-12 schools or any related supporting organizations or foundations; fiscally sponsored organizations; faith-based/religious organizations without 501(c)(3) determination or programs promoting religious or ideological doctrine, such as those principally sectarian in nature.
Strengthening Organizational Capacity and Effectiveness
Applications Open May 2027. Additional details are coming soon.
Dogwood recognizes that strong organizations are essential to strong communities. This funding opportunity provides internal capacity building support so organizations can more effectively advance work related to housing, education, economic opportunity, and/or health & wellness in Western North Carolina.
These grants are intended to support organizational development and long-term effectiveness rather than the direct delivery of programs or services.
Average grant awards typically range from $15,000 to $30,000. Applicants may request a minimum of $10,000 and up to $50,000. Funds are generally paid within a 12-month period, and proposed projects may span 12 to 24 months depending on the scope and timeline of the work.
Who is eligible to apply:
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities that serve the Qualla Boundary and/or 18 counties of Western North Carolina; fiscally sponsored organizations; government, quasi and non-governmental organizations; faith-based organizations; or K-12 schools, colleges and universities.
Eligible organizations should have an annual operating budget of at least $50,000. Dogwood typically does not fund more than 25% of an organization’s annual operating budget within a single year.
Investing in Strategic Networks and Breakthrough Approaches that Tackle Complex Challenges
Applications Open May 2027. Additional details are coming soon.
People and organizations in Western North Carolina have a long tradition of working together to improve community health, wellbeing, opportunity and access. This grant opportunity offers support for coordinated, collaborative, community-led efforts that strengthen our region. Funds can be used to support both emerging or well-established collaborations spanning organizations, sectors and geographic locations to plan, pilot and scale breakthrough solutions to complex community challenges in Western North Carolina.
Grant sizes will range from $50,000 to $500,000 total and can be used for 12-24 months. Due to anticipated demand, there will be a two-stage application process. Organizations will first submit an electronic Letter of Intent (LOI). From there, a smaller group of applicants will then be invited to submit a full application.
Who is eligible to apply:
A single organization – the Hub Applicant – will apply on behalf of the collaborative. Hub Applicants may be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities; government, quasi and non-governmental organizations; faith-based organizations; or K-12 schools, colleges and universities. The Hub Applicant and collaborative members must serve the Qualla Boundary and/or 18 counties of Western North Carolina.
Leverage Fund and Grants Help Desk
Looking for grant writing assistance or advice for grants beyond Dogwood? There are two ways to request support.
Grant Writer Assistance for WNC Community-Based Organizations
The opportunity has closed for 2026. This opportunity will reopen in February 2027.
Every year, significant amounts of grant funding are distributed by federal and state agencies, national foundations and other funders to nonprofit organizations and local governments to support or expand their work. To bring more of this funding into WNC, Dogwood created the Leverage Fund to connect community-based organizations with consultants who provide grant writing assistance at no cost to the applicant.
Grant writing Advice for Dogwood Grantees Seeking Other Funding Sources
This opportunity is open until December 15, 2026.
Dogwood is piloting a Grants Help Desk to offer grant writing advice free of charge to eligible nonprofits and municipalities in Western North Carolina. If you have a question about a funding opportunity you are considering or questions about a grant development process, you can request a short consultation. The goal is to help make grant applications more competitive and to improve the chances of securing funding outside of Dogwood.
(1) Serve Western North Carolina
(2) Advance Dogwood’s strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity, and/or health & wellness
(3) Demonstrate a commitment to serve, engage with and reflect the voices and lived experiences of disinvested and disconnected people and communities.
Dogwood uses an online portal to manage (1) active grants with current partners and (2) applications for new Grant Opportunities.
Questions? Take a look at our helpful FAQs.
