Community Progress Fund

Across North Carolina’s rural counties, local organizations are doing incredible work to serve their communities.

ZSR helps them take their work to the next level by providing an infusion of short-term funding that allows organizations to meet direct needs, test new ideas or expand promising efforts.

We are not currently accepting applications for this program.

Aurora Swain (right), co-founder of Families First of Cabarrus County, plays with students at Cabarrus Bilingual Preschool.

Helping groups in rural NC take their work to the next level

Community Progress Fund grants help local organizations in North Carolina’s 78 rural counties move an idea, issue, project or organization forward, with the goal of improving their community.

Grants are meant to help groups build on existing momentum to take their work to the next level.

We support a range of organizations, from food banks to family shelters, daycares to theaters. We have funded executive director transition planning, pilot programs, and even building repairs for anchor organizations to ensure they can continue serving their communities.

We believe in the power of home-grown solutions driven and led by community members. The criteria for this grant program are intentionally broad because we want to be responsive to communities’ diverse needs.

In this video, leaders from Black Light Project, Communities in Schools of Robeson County, Prospera NC and WeBuild Concord describe how their organizations used Community Progress Fund grants.

We believe in the power of home-grown solutions driven and led by community members.

What We Fund

We fund organizations across rural NC working to move an idea, issue, project or their organization forward with the goal of improving their local communities.

View Our Current Grant Partners

Eligible Organizations

To apply, organizations must:

Have 501(c)3 status or be government or religious entities operating in NC
Have their primary office in one of North Carolina’s 78 rural counties
Use the grant for work that serves the people of their community
Not have received a Community Progress Fund grant within the previous two years

Criteria and Funding Priorities

Criteria are intentionally broad so that we can be responsive to communities’ diverse needs.

To be considered for funding, in addition to meeting eligibility requirements, grant applicants must:

Demonstrate how they will move an idea, issue, organization or project forward to improve their community
Demonstrate that there is existing momentum within the community to move the idea, issue, organization or project forward, and describe how the grant will accelerate, test or grow the momentum
Be able to begin implementation of a proposal immediately upon award of the grant
Have a proposal that aligns with ZSR’s core values

ZSR prioritizes the following for funding:

Proposals that have the greatest potential to achieve local impact and make progress, as defined by the applicant, with the grant
Proposals for projects that are community-driven, community-led and community-centered

ZSR strongly encourages applications from organizations that are led by and primarily serve people of color.

Grant Amounts and Duration

When and How to Apply

Community Progress Fund grants are made once per year, typically in the spring.

Applying involves submitting an application and, for selected applicants, having a site visit with ZSR staff.

So you can prepare, we’ve provided a sample application below:

Download Sample Application

Timeline

Once a year, we open Community Progress Fund applications to any eligible nonprofit.

Here is the timeline for 2025:

Tuesday, December 10, noon: Application opens
Thursday, January 30, noon: Application closes
Spring: ZSR visits select applicants
Late spring (May): ZSR trustees determine grants; applicants notified
Summer: Grant funds distributed

Application Process and Materials

When applications are open, here’s how to apply:

Sign up or log in to the grant portal.
Complete your application and submit through the portal.

In addition to the application, we ask for:

IRS letter certifying 501(c)(3) status
Prior-year actual expenses
Proposed project budget

To help you prepare, here’s a sample application.

Selection Process

Community Progress Fund FAQs

All Grants + Programs FAQs

What do you mean by “progress”?

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.

Why does ZSR focus on NC's rural counties, and which counties are considered rural?

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.

In 2025, ZSR’s Community Progress Fund will fund organizations whose primary office is located in one of NC’s 78 rural counties, as defined by the NC Rural Center. The full list is below.

This is a change from previous years and was implemented to ensure ZSR’s resources get to our rural communities, which we know are underfunded.

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

Are there projects that ZSR does not fund?

ZSR is legally prohibited from funding:

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

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

What happens if my proposal is more than $30,000, or what if I need less than $20,000?

Can I apply for different amounts in year one and year two?

If I request two years of support, and a grant is awarded, is it likely I will receive two years of funding?

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.

What should I do if I have questions about my proposal or idea?

Can I apply for a Community Progress Fund grant while ZSR is considering other proposals I have submitted or that I intend to submit?

If my organization was awarded a Community Progress Fund grant in the past, can I apply for another Community Progress Fund grant?

What should I do if I need help submitting my application online?

Related News +  Stories

Learn More

ZSR Awards $1.4 Million to 33 Organizations Working for Local Progress Across NC

News
Community Progress Fund

During our May board meeting, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) Board of Trustees awarded 33 grants totaling $1.4 million to organizations working for local progress in communities across North Carolina. The new grants are part of ZSR’s Community Progress Fund strategy. The funded projects span the state, from Macon County in the far west…

News
Community Progress Fund

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) is pleased to announce that in May 2021, Trustees awarded Community Progress Fund grants totaling $1.3 million to 32 organizations across North Carolina. ZSR’s Community Progress Fund is designed to provide an infusion of short-term funding at the right moment and is intended to build on existing momentum to…

News
Community Progress Fund

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) is pleased to announce that Trustees have awarded $2.5 million in Community-Based Grants to communities across North Carolina. ZSR’s Community-Based Strategy includes a Collaborative Problem-Solving approach and the Community Progress Fund. Trustees awarded five communities with Collaborative Problem-Solving grants totaling $1.3 million and $1.2 million to 34 organizations through…

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

Investing in public art projects that share under-told stories of North Carolinians

Sabbatical Program

Supporting nonprofit leaders with paid time off to rest and recharge

Statel-Level Systemic Change

Funding nonprofits working to create systems that benefit all North Carolinians

Community Progress Fund

Helping groups in rural NC take their work to the next level

We believe in the power of home-grown solutions driven and led by community members.

What We Fund

When and How to Apply

Community Progress Fund FAQs

Related News +  Stories

ZSR Awards $1.4 Million to 33 Organizations Working for Local Progress Across NC

ZSR Announces Community Progress Fund Grant Awards

ZSR Announces Community-Based Strategy Grantees

More Grants + Programs

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

Sabbatical Program

Statel-Level Systemic Change

Helping groups in rural NC take their work to the next level

We believe in the power of home-grown solutions driven and led by community members.

What We Fund

When and How to Apply

Community Progress Fund FAQs

Related News + Stories

More Grants + Programs

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

Sabbatical Program

Statel-Level Systemic Change

Stay informed about ZSR

Related News +  Stories