This fall, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation awarded 15 grants to partners within Western North Carolina and beyond. Grants totaled more than $1.7 million and were awarded to projects advancing the Foundation’s mission of improving the quality of life for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and neighboring communities.
Awarded CPF 2020 Fall Grants:
– Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources to protect traditional Cherokee artisan resources for future generations. Grant: $90,990
– Nikwasi Initiative to preserve and highlight the Cherokee Nikwasi Mound area. Grant: $16,000
– The Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute’s Cherokee Youth Council to support the council in an effort to create selfless leaders grounded with Cherokee core values. Grant: $116,380
– Duyugov’i Right Path Adult Leadership Program to implement the inaugural year of the Right Path alumni program and evaluate the Right Path program and curriculum. Grant: $114,950
– Appalachian Women’s Museum, Inc. to increase the public awareness of the Cherokee culture in the region. Grant: $7,175
– Western Carolina University Cherokee Studies to support Western Carolina University’s Cherokee language program. Grant: $50,487
– Western Region Education Service Alliance (WRESA) to improve the digital mastery and literacy of the local future workforce. Grant: $199,320
– EBCI Division of Commerce to support the marketing efforts of the Greater Cherokee Tourism Council. Grant: $850,000
– Cherokee Cooperative Extension to support the development of the local food economy through education, hands-on-training, infrastructure development, and business incubation. Grant: $36,575
– Haywood Waterways Association, Inc. to support the planting of river cane and other culturally important species on the Pigeon River. Grant: $3,430
– Snowbird Cherokee Traditions to support Cherokee second-language learners in the Cherokee Snowbird community located in Graham County. Grant: $37,865
– American Indian Science Engineering Society (AISES) to enhance the future workforce by introducing a culturally contextualized STEM college and career readiness guidebook to educators and students. Grant: $61,204
– Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to enhance the impact of nonprofit organization’s programs in the far west and Qualla Boundary. Grant: $114,510
– Western Carolina University to support the WCU geosciences program on identifying and investigating river cane locations in the upper Little Tennessee River watershed. Grant: $19,994
– Chattooga Conservancy to expand river cane restoration in addition to maintaining and monitoring existing river cane. Grant: $7,500
– Cherokee Preservation Foundation release
