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Triangle Community Foundation

Annual Giving
$27.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.0M
Decision Time
4mo

Triangle Community Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $27,763,458 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $281,678,721 (2023)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months typically
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $40,000 (competitive programs)
  • Geographic Focus: Durham, Chatham, Orange, and Wake counties (North Carolina)
  • Number of Awards: 602 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Overview

Triangle Community Foundation was founded in 1983 with a $1,000 gift from Dr. George Hitchings, a Nobel Prize winner who recognized the Triangle region's need for a community foundation. Over 40 years, the Foundation has grown to steward over 800 philanthropic funds totaling more than $281 million in assets. The Foundation serves Durham, Chatham, Orange, and Wake counties with a mission to "inspire and mobilize giving, leadership, and action." Since 2013, the Foundation has invested over $11 million through its Fund for the Triangle in key impact areas: Cultural Arts, Sustainable Communities (Environmental Resilience), Capacity Building, and Education & Youth. President & CEO Lori O'Keefe has led the organization for 18 years, guiding its evolution toward more responsive and equitable grantmaking. The Foundation distributes grants in two ways: through competitive discretionary grant programs (funded by the Fund for the Triangle) and through donor-advised grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Environmental Resilience Program

  • Amount: $40,000 over 2 years ($20,000/year)
  • Timeline: Applications open February 12, decisions by June 16, funding begins July 1
  • Number of Awards: Approximately 10 grants
  • Focus: Conservation and climate education; climate resiliency in low-income communities

Education & Youth Grants

  • Amount: $40,000 over 2 years ($20,000/year)
  • Timeline: Every-other-year call for proposals
  • Number of Awards: Up to 15 two-year awards
  • Focus: Youth ages 5-24, youth-led initiatives, educational track completion, postsecondary access

Cultural Arts Grants

  • Amount: $40,000 over 2 years ($20,000/year)
  • Timeline: Multi-year awards
  • Number of Awards: 10 grantees in 2024 cohort
  • Focus: Culturally-representative arts programming, public and community art access

Fund for the Triangle Responsive Grantmaking

  • Amount: Up to $20,000 (one-time project support)
  • Timeline: Opens May 1, 2025; deadline June 2, 2025; decisions by June 30, 2025
  • Total Available: Up to $100,000 in first cycle; rolling basis anticipated for FY2026
  • Focus: Organizational capacity during transitions (leadership transitions, professional development, technology improvements, strategic planning)
  • Eligibility: Minimum 3-year track record, minimum $100,000 annual budget

Triangle Capacity-Building Network (TCBN)

  • Amount: $25,000/year for 3 years plus $2,000/year for professional development
  • Number of Awards: 15 nonprofits in recent cohort (total $1,215,000)
  • Focus: Capacity-building for organizations led by and serving people of color

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on four impact areas:

  1. Cultural Arts: Supporting arts organizations reflecting Triangle's diversity, expanding public art access, and building grassroots arts philanthropy
  2. Sustainable Communities/Environmental Resilience: Nature-based climate adaptation, conservation/climate education, local environmental advocacy
  3. Education & Youth: Youth-led initiatives, educational track completion, postsecondary education access for ages 5-24
  4. Capacity Building: Organizational infrastructure, leadership development, professional development for nonprofits, particularly those led by and serving people of color

What They Don't Fund

While the Foundation's website does not provide an explicit exclusions list, eligibility criteria indicate:

  • Organizations without a 3-year track record (for some programs)
  • Organizations with budgets under $100,000 (for Responsive Grantmaking)
  • Organizations outside the four Triangle counties (Durham, Chatham, Orange, Wake)
  • Organizations not meeting the Foundation's non-discrimination policy

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Leadership Team:

  • Rebecca Balter, PhD – Board Chair, Community Leader
  • Crystal German – Vice Chair, Executive Vice President, Self-Help Credit Union
  • Caroline Abbott – Treasurer, CPA and Tax Partner, Thomas, Judy, and Tucker, PA
  • Vijay Shah – Secretary, Senior Vice President, Trademark Properties

Board Members (three-year terms, renewable for one additional term): Buddy Amis, Elizabeth Arias (Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP), Hilary Pollan (Founder & Lead Facilitator, Hilary Pollan Facilitation), Creighton Blackwell (Chief Community & Public Affairs Officer, Coastal Credit Union), Matt Bullard (Trusts & Estates Attorney, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP), Kevin Dick (President & CEO, Carolina Small Business Development Fund), Richard B. Guirlinger (Leadership Council Chair, Owner & President, Bourke Services, LLC), Lilyn Hester (Head of Southeast External Affairs & Government Relations, Google), Bernard Hsu, John Lunsford, LaToya Montague (Executive Director, Communities in Schools of Wake County), Wayne F. Morgan (Vice President, Fixed Income, Novant Health), Evan Raleigh (Assistant City Manager, City of Raleigh), Pilar Rocha-Goldberg (President & CEO, El Centro Hispano, Inc.), Laura Virkler, and Stelfanie Williams (Vice President for Durham & Community Affairs, Duke University).

Senior Staff

  • Lori O'Keefe – President & CEO (18 years with the Foundation)
  • LaToya King – Chief Operations Officer
  • Deirdre Gordon – Vice President of Philanthropic Engagement
  • Lindsay Harrell – Director of Finance
  • Sarah Guidi – Director of Community Engagement
  • Natalia Siegel – Director of Donor Engagement
  • Jennifer Weld – Director of Marketing & Communications
  • Michelle Sorrells – Senior Program Officer
  • Zach Ward – Senior Program Officer (Cultural Arts)

Leadership Quotes

Lori O'Keefe on change and adaptation: "The world is changing at a rapid pace, and as philanthropists we must adapt and change along with it. It is important for us to show to our community that we are making tangible progress toward a future that is better for us all."

On building nonprofit knowledge: "It is important for us to build our knowledge of who in the nonprofit sector is doing best practice work that we can be supporting."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Triangle Community Foundation uses a web-based grant application system through Foundant Technologies. Applications are submitted via their online grant portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=trianglecf.

Each grant program has specific eligibility requirements and timelines:

General Eligibility Requirements:

  • 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, religious congregations, governmental agencies, or organizations under fiscal sponsorship of tax-exempt nonprofits
  • Based in and serving one or more Triangle counties (Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham)
  • Compliance with the Foundation's non-discrimination policy
  • One application per organization per program cycle

Program-Specific Requirements:

  • Responsive Grantmaking: Minimum 3-year track record; minimum $100,000 annual budget
  • Capacity-Building Network: Focus on organizations led by and serving people of color; maximum 85% of funding goes to organizations with budgets up to $1 million
  • Environmental Resilience: Nature-based climate strategies, conservation/climate education, local advocacy
  • Education & Youth: Serve youth ages 5-24; demonstrate youth engagement and leadership opportunities

Information Sessions: The Foundation typically offers information sessions via Zoom for each grant program (e.g., Responsive Grantmaking information session on May 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM).

Note on Donor-Advised Grants: The Foundation also makes grants through donor-advised funds based on donor recommendations. There is no public application process for these grants.

Decision Timeline

Timelines vary by program:

  • Environmental Resilience: Applications open February 12; deadline March 14; decisions announced June 16; funding begins July 1 (approximately 3 months from deadline to decision)
  • Responsive Grantmaking: Opens May 1; deadline June 2; decisions June 30 (approximately 4 weeks from deadline to decision)
  • Education & Youth: Multi-year grants with interim reports in December and final reports in February
  • Scholarships: Applications reviewed April-June; all applicants notified by mid/late June

General Process: Foundation staff work with volunteer advisory committee members to review proposals and reach grantmaking decisions. Once submitted, applications are no longer available for editing; applicants needing corrections should contact Foundation staff.

Success Rates

While the Foundation does not publish overall success rates, specific program data includes:

  • Environmental Resilience: Approximately 10 awards from eligible applicants
  • Education & Youth: Up to 15 awards from eligible applicants
  • Cultural Arts: 10 awards in 2024 cohort
  • Capacity-Building Network: 15 awards in recent cohort
  • Total Annual Awards: 602 grants in 2023; 567 in 2022; 678 in 2021

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation's website does not specify a formal reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Each grant program allows one application per organization per fiscal year, and some programs operate on an every-other-year cycle (such as Education & Youth grants).

Application Success Factors

Demonstrated Alignment with Impact Areas: The Foundation prioritizes organizations whose work directly advances the specific goals of each impact area. For example, Education & Youth programs must demonstrate how they increase youth-led initiatives, educational track completion, or postsecondary education access.

Youth Engagement and Leadership (Education & Youth): Reviewers specifically consider "How does the organization involve participants and/or family members in informing their programming? How does the organization create opportunities for youth leadership?"

Diversity and Representation: The Foundation emphasizes culturally-representative programming across all areas. The Cultural Arts program prioritizes "arts organizations making art reflecting the ever-growing diversity of the Triangle," while the Capacity-Building Network specifically supports organizations led by and serving people of color.

Organizational Capacity During Transition: The Responsive Grantmaking program targets organizations experiencing leadership transitions, requiring technology/infrastructure improvements, or developing new strategies to address organizational challenges.

Community Need and Impact: Applications should demonstrate clear community need and measurable impact. The Foundation values organizations that can articulate how they'll measure success and the specific difference their work will make.

Triangle-Specific Focus: All programs require organizations to be based in and serving one or more of the four Triangle counties. Strong applications demonstrate deep knowledge of local needs and track records of impact in these specific communities.

Recent Grant Recipients as Examples:

2024 Cultural Arts Grantees (each receiving $40,000 over 2 years):

  • Artspace
  • Chatham Arts Council
  • Diamante Arts & Cultural Center
  • Northstar Church of the Arts
  • Prism Design Lab
  • ShaLeigh Dance Works
  • The Beautiful Project
  • Triangle Native American Society
  • Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra
  • Walltown Children's Theatre

Environmental Resilience Focus: The Foundation funded 16 organizations with $20,000 grants for conservation and climate resiliency work in low-income communities, emphasizing nature-based solutions and education.

Budget Distribution Considerations: For the Capacity-Building Network, the Foundation allocates a maximum of 15% of funding to organizations with budgets over $1 million, with 85% going to organizations with budgets up to $1 million—demonstrating commitment to smaller grassroots organizations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic specificity is essential: Your organization must be based in and serve one or more of the four Triangle counties (Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham). Demonstrate deep local knowledge and track record.

  • Multi-year funding is the norm: Most competitive grant programs offer 2-year awards ($40,000 total), providing reliable operating support rather than one-time project funding—frame your request around organizational sustainability and capacity.

  • Diversity and equity matter deeply: The Foundation prioritizes culturally-representative programming and organizations led by and serving people of color. Clearly articulate how your work advances equity in the Triangle region.

  • Plan ahead for specific timelines: Each program has distinct application windows (Environmental Resilience in February-March, Responsive Grantmaking in May-June). Mark calendars early and attend information sessions.

  • Focus on one of four impact areas: Clearly align your proposal with Cultural Arts, Sustainable Communities/Environmental Resilience, Education & Youth, or Capacity Building. Don't try to fit multiple areas—be specific about which goal you're advancing.

  • General operating support is valued: Recent grant programs emphasize unrestricted and general operating support rather than restricted project funding, reflecting the Foundation's commitment to organizational health and sustainability.

  • Small to mid-sized organizations are prioritized: Programs like the Capacity-Building Network specifically reserve 85% of funding for organizations with budgets under $1 million, and Responsive Grantmaking requires minimum $100,000 budgets—the sweet spot is established but not large organizations.

References

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