Outer Banks Community Foundation Inc centers its giving on the Outer Banks community through scholarships and grants tied to local needs. The largest recent award in the file is $1,740,820 in 2025 to See Attached, followed by $1,122,878 in 2024 and $790,657 in 2023, showing a grantmaking pattern that operates at a substantial scale. Its program structure includes general grants for community needs and scholarship cycles for students, along with a Trusted Partner Program for vetted nonprofit partners. The foundation’s stated scope covers the Outer Banks, Dare County, and broader coastal North Carolina, with support flowing to community development, education, health and human services, arts and culture, environment, disaster relief, and scholarship access. Named scholarship programming is also a clear part of its identity, including the Hugh McCullen Memorial Scholarship Fund and a community scholarship cycle that serves graduating high school seniors, returning students, community members, and specialized awards. The organization also manages charitable funds for individuals and agencies, which aligns with its role as a local grantmaking intermediary.
Education is a major lane for the foundation, and the scholarship programs are built around local students and other community members. The OBCF Community Scholarships cycle includes over 80 scholarships for graduating high school seniors, returning students, community members, and specialized awards. Community development is another core area: the Community Grants program supports nonprofit organizations serving the Outer Banks community across local needs. Arts and culture appear both in the general grantmaking mix and in scholarship support, including art scholarships within the 2026 cycle. Health and human services and the environment are also named focus areas in the foundation’s community grantmaking program, alongside education and arts. The Trusted Partner Program adds a capacity-building and community-delivery layer by coordinating support with vetted organizations.
The recent grant sizes cluster tightly at the top end: the p25 is $873,712, the median is $956,768, and the p75 is $1,039,823. The three largest grants on file are all in the seven-figure range, suggesting a consistently large-ticket pattern rather than many small awards. The foundation operates as a grantmaking intermediary and donor-advised style community foundation, and it also manages charitable funds for individuals and agencies. Its grant and scholarship programs accept unsolicited applications in some cases, including the general grants program and scholarship categories, while the Trusted Partner Program works through selected nonprofit partners. The 2023, 2024, and 2025 entries indicate recurring annual grantmaking.
$1.7M
$27.7M
$2.6M
$2.5M
CHRISTOPHER SAWIN
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Grantmaking is concentrated in the Outer Banks and nearby coastal North Carolina communities. The program descriptions point to Dare County, Currituck, and the broader Outer Banks as core service areas, with one grant program explicitly covering coastal North Carolina. Recent awards in the file are all to U.S. recipients, and the recipient distribution is 100% U.S. Geography appears local rather than national, with place-based support structured around the foundation’s service area instead of a wider footprint.
Its named grant programs cover community needs, local nonprofits, capacity building, community program delivery, and scholarships. The focus areas listed across programs include community development, education, arts and culture, health and human services, environment, and disaster relief.
Yes. Scholarship programming is a visible part of its work, including the Hugh McCullen Memorial Scholarship Fund and the OBCF Community Scholarships cycle, which includes over 80 scholarships for graduating high school seniors, returning students, community members, and specialized awards.
Some programs accept unsolicited applications, including the OBCF Grants program, Community Grants, and scholarship categories. The Trusted Partner Program works differently: it is tied to vetted nonprofit partners rather than open unsolicited applications.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated near $1 million: p25 is $873,712, median is $956,768, and p75 is $1,039,823. The three largest recent grants on file are $1,740,820, $1,122,878, and $790,657.
Its giving is centered on the Outer Banks, Dare County, and Currituck, with one community grantmaking program also extending to coastal North Carolina. The recipient-country distribution in the available data is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
No grant history is available for this foundation yet.
Current and upcoming funding from Outer Banks Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Qualifying nonprofit organizations may apply for charitable projects benefiting the Outer Banks. Projects may address any charitable focus area and have no restrictions on scope or focus; applicants should review OBCF grant guidelines and contact staff before applying.
Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026; the program is offered on a recurring annual schedule.
Who can apply: 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible, as are other tax-exempt organizations for charitable projects that meet a public need. Occasionally schools and government agencies may be considered if other funding is unavailable. Faith-based and religious entities may be considered for projects that address wider community needs and do not primarily promote a religious belief. Grants are not awarded to individuals.
Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026
Who can apply: Financial aid is distributed by community partners to full-time residents based on financial need. The foundation partners with Interfaith Community Outreach and Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men for intake and support distribution.
Who can apply: Qualifying nonprofit organizations may apply for charitable projects benefiting the Outer Banks. Projects may address any charitable focus area and have no restrictions on scope or focus; applicants should review OBCF grant guidelines and contact staff before applying.
Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026 and Friday, July 31, 2026; the program is offered on a recurring annual schedule.
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