About Carolina Foothills Foundation
The Carolina Foothills Foundation (CFF) is a community-based, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides funds and other support to meet the many health challenges that face people in Rutherford and Polk Counties. We provide direct support and empower carefully selected non-profits to impact individual and community wellness in the areas we serve, which are eldercare, youth development, and wellness.
Focus Areas
EldercareYouth developmentWellnessAging-in-place servicesHome-delivered mealsTransportation assistanceElder law/advocacy
Funding Style
unrestricted/general operating supportorganizational sustainabilityresponsive/grant-for-purpose-not-project-specific
Topics
About Carolina Foothills Foundation
Carolina Foothills Foundation directs all of its recent grant activity to Rutherford and Polk County organizations, with support concentrated in eldercare, youth development, and wellness. The foundation’s listed grantmaking also includes direct operating support and community services through its annual competitive grant cycle and community grants. In the recent grants list, the largest award went to the Town of Forest City for $288,300, followed by $250,000 to the Town of Rutherfordton. Those awards sit alongside substantial support for local nonprofits and public entities serving basic needs, aging services, youth programs, and community wellness. The foundation’s pattern suggests a place-based funder that works through a mix of nonprofits, municipal partners, and community-serving organizations. Recent awards include $206,895 to Rutherford Lifeservices Inc in Spindale and $200,000 to Out of the Ashes Inc in Forest City. Other grantees include home-delivered meal, housing, legal, and youth-serving organizations, reflecting a broad community-services portfolio within its local footprint. Carolina Foothills Foundation funds organizations rather than individuals and does not use program-related investments.
What Carolina Foothills Foundation Funds
Eldercare is a clear throughline in the foundation’s giving. Recent awards include $70,000 to Polk County Council on Aging Inc in Columbus and $60,000 to Pisgah Legal Services in Rutherfordton, both tied to charitable activities. The foundation also supports aging-in-place and home-safety work through its operating programs. Youth development appears in grants to community-serving groups such as $49,100 to South Mountains Christian Youth Camp in Bostic, $29,500 to Kidsenses Children's Interactive Museum in Rutherfordton, and $25,000 to Higher Academia Corporation in Rutherfordton. Wellness and basic needs show up in grants to organizations like $48,000 to Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach Inc in Lake Lure and $25,000 to Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry in Columbus. The foundation also funds civic and emergency-response entities, including local fire departments and municipal partners.
How Carolina Foothills Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster around the mid-$20,000 range, with a p25 of $22,885, a median of $25,000, and a p75 of $48,825. The recent grants list shows both larger community awards and many grants at $25,000. The foundation’s structure is local and community-based, and it operates an annual competitive grant cycle that accepts unsolicited applications. The grant list also shows repeated support for some organizations across multiple years, including a 2024 award to Yokefellow Service Center Inc and a 2025 award to Yokefellow in Spindale, which indicates recurring funding relationships.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$528K
Total Assets
$71.9M
Total Revenue
$6.3M
Total Expenses
$3.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $23K and $49K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$23K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$49K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Rita Burch
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