Community Progress Fund

We define “progress” as moving an idea, issue, organization or project forward to improve a community.

This definition is intentionally broad because local context varies across NC, and local organizations know their communities best.

Through the Community Progress Fund, we want to learn how different communities experience change, opportunity and challenges in unique ways; how applicants define “progress” specifically in their communities; and what local organizations are doing to make an impact in places across NC.

These terms mean the work is shaped and led by people who live in the community served and are directly connected to it. Community Progress Fund grants are intended to support organizations that are based in and accountable to the communities they serve, rather than organizations coming from outside the community to lead the work.

Through our various grantmaking strategies, ZSR aims to serve the entire state of North Carolina. At the same time, we know that some parts of North Carolina have more access to resources than others, and these disparities are especially prevalent between urban and rural communities.

To ensure ZSR’s resources get to NC’s rural communities and aren’t concentrated in a handful of places, we give special emphasis to organizations whose primary office is in one of NC’s 78 rural counties, as defined by the NC Rural Center. The full list is below.

List of Rural Counties

• Alexander
• Alleghany
• Anson
• Ashe
• Avery
• Beaufort
• Bertie
• Bladen
• Brunswick
• Burke
• Caldwell
• Camden
• Carteret
• Caswell
• Chatham
• Cherokee
• Chowan
• Clay
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Craven
• Currituck
• Dare
• Davie
• Duplin
• Edgecombe
• Franklin
• Gates
• Graham
• Granville
• Greene
• Halifax
• Harnett
• Haywood
• Hertford
• Hoke
• Hyde
• Jackson
• Jones
• Lee
• Lenoir
• Macon
• Madison
• Martin
• McDowell
• Mitchell
• Montgomery
• Moore
• Nash
• Northampton
• Pamlico
• Pasquotank
• Pender
• Perquimans
• Person
• Polk
• Randolph
• Richmond
• Robeson
• Rockingham
• Rutherford
• Sampson
• Scotland
• Stanly
• Stokes
• Surry
• Swain
• Transylvania
• Tyrrell
• Vance
• Warren
• Washington
• Watauga
• Wayne
• Wilkes
• Wilson
• Yadkin
• Yancey

ZSR is legally prohibited from funding:

• Lobbying efforts
• Voter registration
• Work that supports or opposes political candidates or influences election outcomes

Consistent with our core values, we also do not support activities that promote or endorse violence.

With rare exceptions, ZSR does not fund the following with Community Progress Fund:

• Athletic events or teams
• Stand-alone, one-time or annual conferences, seminars, or symposiums  
• Curriculum development 
• Emergency medical service organizations 
• Endowment funds 
• Equipment or furniture purchases 
• Fundraising events 
• Initiatives promoting religious education or doctrine 
• Land easements  
• Medical research 
• Operating expenses for schools 
• Payments of debts 
• Private business ventures 
• Private or charter K-12 schools 
• Scholarships 
• Summer camps 
• Volunteer fire departments

Because the Community Progress Fund criteria are intentionally broad, we typically get hundreds more applications than we can fund. We expect the overall success rate will be about 12%. For finalists who receive a site visit, we expect the success rate will be about 70%.

The application is relatively short and simple. You can review the sample application here.

Community Progress Fund grants range between $20,000 and $40,000 per year, for one- or two-year terms. Organizations should not apply for funds outside of this grant range amount.

You should apply for the duration and amount of funding you deem necessary for your project, as long as it falls within the $20,000-$40,000 range per year. In other words, you can apply for a maximum total of up to $80,000 ($40,000 per year for two years).

ZSR considers one- and two-year applications equally; you are not more likely to be awarded funding if you apply just for one year, or less likely to be awarded funding if you apply for two years. 

If an applicant requests two years of support, and a grant is ultimately awarded, ZSR may award one OR two years of support, depending on the number of applicants and funds available in a given year. 

Generally, about half of the Community Progress Fund grants will be awarded for a two-year duration, and half for a one-year duration.

First, carefully review this page, including the list of rarely funded activities above. If you still have questions, please email [email protected].

Because the criteria for the Community Progress Fund are broad, ZSR receives a significant number of applications and may not be able to respond to every question an applicant has.

Yes, an organization can apply for other funding opportunities that ZSR has available. 

While there is not a limit on the number of applications an organization may submit within or across our grant programs, it is rare for an organization to receive more than one grant in a given year.

Community Progress Fund grants are intended to be one-time investments. Previous Community Progress Fund grant recipients, whether awarded one- or two-year grants, must take a two-year hiatus from the time the grant ends before they are eligible to be awarded another Community Progress Fund grant.

If you’re experiencing technical difficulties with your online application, contact one of our Grants Administrators:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 336-725-7541