North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives and CoBank are partnering to provide $20,000 in support of rural communities impacted by COVID-19.
Through CoBank’s Sharing Success grant program, Statewide and CoBank each gave $10,000 to the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF). Funds will be distributed to community nonprofit organizations in electric cooperative-served counties at the direction of the local boards of several NCCF affiliate foundations, in support of people and families in rural communities who are unemployed or under-employed.
“We’re deeply thankful for this commitment to our state’s rural communities that need our support during these challenging times,” said Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, NCCF CEO and president. “We’re confident our statewide network and local affiliate foundations are excellent stewards of this gift and will ensure every dollar supports the local community.”
“As the power provider for rural North Carolina, we’re proud to partner with NCCF and CoBank to help our communities as they respond to and recover from the impacts of COVID-19,” said Lark James, chief financial officer for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “The state’s electric cooperatives were founded on a mission of local service, and we’re pleased that we can provide valuable assistance during this time of heightened need.”
“CoBank is delighted to support North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives and NCCF through our Sharing Success program,” said Mike Rehmer, Relationship Manager at CoBank. “Sharing Success matches the charitable contributions of our customers to the organizations and causes they care about most, allowing the bank to make a positive impact and fulfill our mission of service to rural America.”
Sharing Success is CoBank’s signature charitable contribution program, providing dollar-for-dollar matches of donations by eligible customers to nonprofit organizations in rural communities across the country. For 2020, the CoBank board of directors increased the size of the fund from $4 million to $5 million, specifically to address community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCCF is the single statewide community foundation serving North Carolina and has administered more than $161 million in grants since its inception in 1988. An important component of NCCF’s mission is to ensure that rural philanthropy has a voice at local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit www.nccommunityfoundation.org.