NOW Grants
Our 2025 NOW Grant Cycle is Closed. Our 2026 cycle will open in February.
Please note: Organizations awarded a 2026 IMPACT Grant are not eligible for 2026 NOW Grant funding.
If your organization has applied for a 2026 IMPACT Grant, please wait to submit a NOW Grant application until you receive formal notification regarding your IMPACT Grant funding decision. Funding decisions for 2026 IMPACT Grants will be announced in late June 2026.
WNC Bridge Foundation recognizes there are many WNC non-profit organizations whose good works have limited options to turn to for quick funding decisions. NOW Grants address this gap in our region. Through this fund, WNC Bridge will award grants up to $10,000. The application process is low-stress and simple, with a quick turnaround time for funding decisions.
For NOW Grant application questions or to sign up for grant updates email grants@wncbridge.org or call 828.274.6159.
What We Will Fund:
Organizations must demonstrate that the majority of their work aligns with one of the following strategic focus areas. While requests related to Hurricane Helene are welcome, they should also align with our focus areas:
- Basic Needs: Organizations providing essential needs to individuals in the areas of fresh food access/prepared meals, healthcare, home/property repair, and transportation. While this category addresses several essential needs, initiatives focused on homelessness fall outside its scope.
- Mental Health: Organizations helping individuals and communities through community outreach and access to mental health services. Recovery and substance abuse focused organizations are not eligible to apply.
- Youth Development: Organizations fostering positive outcomes for children, including mental and emotional support, academic support for K-12 students, child welfare, and family support.
Use of Funds:
Funds may be used to support direct program expenses, including materials, staffing, and program delivery. Additionally, they may cover related costs such as administrative expenses, transportation, and essential supplies required to ensure smooth operations and the effective delivery of services.
Who We Will Fund:
- Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
- WNCBF will make award amounts in the range of $1,000 – $10,000. Note: WNCBF maintains a limited budget for this grant cycle, and applications requesting the full award amount should be clearly justified based on the project’s scope, scale, and anticipated community impact.
- Organizations must address the needs of individuals within any of the listed 18 counties or the Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.
- Note: Organizations awarded a 2026 IMPACT Grant will not be eligible for 2026 NOW Grant funding.
What We Will Not Fund:
- Annual fund or capital campaigns
- Athletic Boosters or Youth Sport Programs
- Capital projects such as building repair, renovations, new building construction, or land purchase
- For the direct benefit of named individuals
- Loans
- Political purposes or lobbying
- Programs/activities that are restricted to members of a particular faith or promote religious doctrine
- Reimbursement (NOW Grants do not support reimbursement of costs incurred prior to the deadline for submission of the application. Your request may only include costs that will occur in the future, after the submission deadline of the application.)
- Re-granting by the applicant organization
- Sponsorships
Fiscal Sponsor Supporting Documentation:
If your organization or project uses a 501(c)(3) public charity as a fiscal sponsor, your application’s supporting documentation must include a letter from the fiscal sponsor that verifies the relationship. If a grant is awarded, the fiscal sponsor will be responsible for receiving the funds and distributing them. Items to include in letter:
- Federal EIN (Employer Identification Number) of the sponsoring organization.
- A description of the agreement between the parties regarding financial and legal responsibility for the purposes of the requirements of the grant.
- A description of how the responsibilities for the program or project will be managed.
- Date when the relationship was established.
- Signatures from a representative from the fiscal sponsor and organization/project.
Instructions to Apply for a NOW Grant:
- Applications are due on the 15th of each month. Organizations will be notified the last week of each month of funding decisions.
- If the request is for equipment or professional development, please include an estimate or invoice.
- Organizations are limited to one NOW Grant application per year.
- If your organization received a NOW Grant in 2025, the final report for the 2025 grant must be submitted before your 2026 NOW Grant application can be considered.
- For schools and universities, NOW Grant applications must be completed by your organization’s foundation. Please note that each individual school or university is eligible to receive only one NOW Grant per year.
Resources:
- Click Here to view 2026 NOW Grant Application – English (Word)
- Haga clic aquí para ver las preguntas de la solicitud de subvención NOW 2026 – Español (Word)
- Click Here to Download Budget Form
- Click Here to view Fiscal Sponsor Supporting Documentation
Our 2025 NOW Grant Cycle is Closed. Our 2026 cycle will open in February.
Please note: Organizations awarded a 2026 IMPACT Grant are not eligible for 2026 NOW Grant funding.
If your organization has applied for a 2026 IMPACT Grant, please wait to submit a NOW Grant application until you receive formal notification regarding your IMPACT Grant funding decision. Funding decisions for 2026 IMPACT Grants will be announced in late June 2026.