Nonprofits

We are a nonprofit too and like you, we have limited capacity and even though we'd really  love to, we can't meet with every nonprofit in our service area.

The first step you want to take when getting in contact with the Foundation is to fill out our Nonprofit Information Sharing Form, so we can learn more about you and your organization.

Next we'd suggest you sign up for our e-newsletter, at the link on the bottom of this page for up-to-date news and information about what's happening at the Foundation.

You should also check out our events page, where we list nonprofit and community specific events you may be interested in, where we can connect!

Triangle Community Foundation makes the majority of grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government entities, and faith-based groups through grant requests submitted by our donor advised funds. Our Community Programs are application-based grant making programs open to organizations working in the areas of youth literacy, community development, arts and culture, and the environment. Additional competitive funding opportunities are available through some of the charitable funds that we manage.

Over 85% of our grants are made through donor-advised funds.  Organizations cannot apply for these funds. Instead, the Foundation recommends organizations to cultivate a relationship with our fund holders just as any other donor. Through relationship building, the organization is able to directly inform fund holders of projects and activities needing support.

Because the Foundation can only grant to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, government entities, and faith based groups, you may request another tax-exempt organization to act as your fiscal sponsor. The Foundation will make the grant to the sponsor and the sponsor will be responsible for all reporting, agreements, and use of funds. Contact the N.C. Center for Nonprofits for more information on fiscal sponsorship.

Grants from donor-advised funds can be used for general operating support, as well as buildings, salaries, staff development, or other projects as recommended by the fund holder.

Competitive grant programs and Community Programs have reporting requirements specific to each program.

Scholarships, individual achievement awards, and grants are available to individuals. Each has a unique set of eligibility criteria, application process, and deadlines.

• An individual or family unit donates a gift of at least $10,000 to the Foundation.
• The money is then allocated to the donor’s fund (aka donor-advised fund).
• This fund can only be used for philanthropic purposes (501c3, house of worship, public institution).
  • The donor has full control over the decision-making for this fund, just like a bank account.
• They decide how much, how often, if the grant is restricted, and where to send their philanthropic dollars.
• Foundation staff provides both administrative and community engagement opportunities to donors.
  • Donors will occasionally ask Foundation staff to provide lists of nonprofits that are doing projects that align with their interests.
  • Foundation staff will create a list of Triangle area nonprofits that fit the donor’s criteria.

According to our data, on average 2,625 (or 68 percent) of our grants each year are unrestricted, worth an annual average of $11,126,087.

• There are a few ways that you can share your organization’s work with a DAF:
  • If you have a relationship with a donor that you know has a DAF with the Foundation, contact and steward them like you would with any donor to your organization.
  • If you have a DAF that you’ve received grants from and would like to share this information but you don’t have their contact information, please write the email to the donor and email it to donorservices@trianglecf.org; we will pass it along.
  • Find the list of DAFs on the Foundation's website and utilize fundraising best practices to steward and solicit them directly.
• Foundation staff are happy to support, but we are unable to solicit funding from a fundholder on an organization’s behalf.

• We encourage you to steward these donors like any other in your organization—a thank you letter is often much appreciated and can be a great step to starting a new relationship with a donor-advised fundholder
• Each grant letter comes with information about the Fund in the first paragraph. There are three different levels of donor anonymity:
  • Level 1: Fully Transparent
    • The donor has chosen to share their Fund name, their name, and a mailing address. You should feel free to send a letter to the donor directly, using the address that they have listed in the letter.
  • Level 2: Fund Name Only
    • The donor has only chosen to share their Fund name. This means you have no direct contact information for them. In this case, Foundation staff are happy to pass along any stewardship material/thank you letters you may want to send to the donor. We recommend setting the salutation as “Friends” or the Fund name.
    • Please send the material via email to donorservices@trianglecf.org or to Triangle Community Foundation, Attn: Donor Services, PO Box 12729, Durham, NC 27709.
  • Level 3: Fully Anonymous
    • The donor has chosen to not share their Fund name or contact information
    • In this case, Foundation staff are happy to pass along any stewardship material/thank you letters you may want to send to the donor. We recommend setting the salutation as “Friends” or the Fund name
    • Please send the material via email to donorservices@trianglecf.org or to Triangle Community Foundation, Attn: Donor Services, PO Box 12729, Durham, NC 27709.

• The details of this depend on your donor database. However, we recommend that you credit the gift to the donor (if you have their contact information) or the Fund name (if you don’t have donor information).
• Do NOT provide either the donor or the Foundation with a tax deduction receipt. The donor received a tax receipt when they initially gifted into their Foundation fund.