The Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund recently announced the award of $30,000 in “People in Need” grants to local nonprofits providing critical services for economically disadvantaged people. The grants — which were made in partnership with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) — went to the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families ($20,000) to support expansion of their independent living program, and to Black Mountain Pastoral Care & Counseling Center ($10,000) for affordable counseling for lower income residents of the Valley. The grants were funded by CFWNC, the Janirve Legacy Fund, CFWNC Fundholders and the Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund.

For those organizations that may have missed the fall cycle, additional grants will be made this spring. For the first time, the spring grants will be awarded independently by the Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, based on grant criteria that have been expanded to allow more organizations to apply. The grants will range in size from $2,500 – $10,000, and will focus on projects and programs relating to health and wellness, education, cultural and natural resources and people in need. The deadline to apply is March 3, 2014.

To see the new grant guidelines for the spring grant cycle, please click here. The Endowment Fund will hold an informational meeting for Swannanoa Valley nonprofits on Thursday, January 30, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. in the Education Room at the Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty Street. Representatives from the Endowment Fund will explain the new grant criteria and application process. An optional workshop on grant writing will be offered during the second part of the meeting.

The Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund is an affiliate of CFWNC, and was established in 1999 by a group of local residents as a permanently endowed fund that serves as a resource for the entire Swannanoa Valley. The Fund grows through tax-deductible contributions. If you’d like to contribute, please mail your check to Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, 103 Richardson Boulevard, Black Mountain, NC 28711, or click here to donate online. Contributions of any size are welcome, and will enable the Endowment Fund to support more programs with local dollars.

For more information, please contact Endowment Fund Chair Roger Hibbard at 296-0536.