Times Are Tough- Carrboro’s Nonprofits Battle On in Spite of Increased Demand

GOVERNMENT

For nonprofits trying to improve the Carrboro community, 2026 is not a good year. Not for any nonprofits, anywhere.

“Many are contending with simultaneous and compounding pressures, including much greater demand for their services and an increasingly challenging funding landscape,” the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) says. “These pressures land on nonprofits that were already stressed by the pandemic and by widespread feelings of burnout.”

When funding dwindles, the CEP’s report continues, it adds to pressure on the nonprofit staff: “They are the ones who must look into the eyes of someone seeking help and tell them that we cannot provide services for them. It is demoralizing.”

The Orange County Rape Crisis Center, for instance, has had to cut services and staff since funding began to shrink several years ago. Orange County Living Wage closed its doors two years ago. Nevertheless, the staff and volunteers of multiple organizations in Carrboro continue to fight the good fight. Multiple different good fights, really: Carrboro has nonprofits working for everything from economic justice and support for immigrants to women’s rugby and better bicycling.

Helping people

Now in its 36th year, the Charles House Association provides support for families coping with the challenges of elder care. That help includes support groups, adult daycare and information about dementia, care approaches, advance directives, emergencies and other issues.

Caramore Community helps adults living with severe and persistent mental illness by providing them “with the tools to lead meaningful and independent lives.”

Club Nova helps people who have serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, find work and build relationships.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Human Rights Center works with newly arrived refugees and their children. These families often have to cope with past traumas, language barriers and different cultural norms, and they may lack meaningful support for building a new life in the Triangle.

The Inter-Faith Council says it’s the largest nonprofit provider of social safety net services in Orange County, NC. Its poverty-fighting mission includes “the only year-round shelter, permanent supportive housing, daily hot meals and no-cost community food market open to anyone.” They also help residents navigate the procedures for obtaining services.

CRNAs On a Mission supports volunteer nurse anesthetists who travel on medical missions that expand access to anesthesia care around the world. That includes Rwanda, Palestine and the Dominican Republic.

Dialogue in Support of Community works to give people tools for resolving conflict, whether that be coaching, mediation, better meetings or facilitated dialogue.

The Lymphedema Advocacy Group is “leading and empowering the lymphedema community to advocate for policy changes that advance lymphedema care.” Lymphedema is a disease of localized swelling caused by the lymphatic system.

Kids, in school and out

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public Schools Foundation works to improve education in the school system, including grants for schools and support for students. It began in the 1980s as the Adopt-A-School Advisory Committee.

The Community School for People Under Six provides low- and moderate-income families with affordable childcare while teaching children to understand and appreciate the different cultures of their classmates.

Musical Empowerment works to pair children with college volunteers “for free music lessons, one-on-one mentorship, and instruments at no cost.”

Family Reading Partners works with parents to encourage them to read to their children. Their volunteers meet with families to provide quality books for small children and to encourage the families to talk about books.

Triangle Bikeworks engages youth of color to experience the joys of bike riding, which the group’s founder believes “are a young person’s first introduction to freedom.”

Grow Your World matches up college students and young adults with kids in local schools for tutoring and mentoring.

Table “delivers healthy, nutritious food directly to the homes of 1,250+ children every week.” They also provide nutrition education to help children learn healthy eating habits.

Building a better community

The ArtsCenter “is the largest provider of arts education in Orange County.” Over a 50-year run, they’ve grown from a single music class into a multi-disciplinary center for students of all ages. Classes range from traditional pottery to 3D printing workshops.

Chapel Hill Crimestoppers “was set up in 1993 to break the wall of silence that surrounds most crime and which criminals exploit to avoid arrest. The anonymous number provides a pipeline to people who have information that they want to share but feel at risk of retribution.”

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation “works with women, employers and policymakers to create successful workplaces that practice and embrace diversity, equity and work-life balance.”

Inspired by the Riot Grrl movement, GrrrlBands offers women and non-binary adults a space to “learn, create and perform.”

Sustain Foundation “strives to create and implement sustainable solutions to global health and environmental issues. The organization envisions a network of sustainable communities, global and local, working together.”

The Community Empowerment Fund’s mission is to “end the racial wealth gap” by helping hundreds of people reach their employment, housing and finance goals. The program is grounded in “recognition of the detrimental impacts of systemic racism on Black and Brown members of our communities,” but programs are open to all regardless of race or identity.

The great outdoors

The purpose of Carrboro Parks Project is to “preserve, enhance and expand open space, greenways, parks, recreational and cultural facilities and opportunities that enhance the quality of life in Carrboro.” It’s raised money for everything from tennis-court backboards to the Anderson Park dog park.

The Switchback Gear Collective works throughout the Triangle to make it easier for people to enjoy outdoor recreation. They organize outdoor-related workshops, distribute second-hand gear on a pay-what-you-can model and also offer low- to no-cost gear.

Friends of Bolin Creek works to conserve, protect and advocate for the Bolin Creek watershed to improve the long-term health of the creek and its tributaries. “Most importantly, we want to share our love for this beautiful creek and the habitat it supports and to conserve it.”

Eno River Rugby is the oldest women’s inclusive rugby club in North Carolina. No rugby experience is needed if a woman wants to take up the sport.

Lands and Waters South works with communities to plant native gardens and helps “youth in urban areas connect with the natural world.”

The Tick-Borne Infections Council of North Carolina works to improve “the recognition, treatment, control, and understanding of tick-borne diseases in North Carolina.”

The Recyclery “provides a creative workspace to connect salvaged bikes with active community members, creates opportunities for skill building and volunteerism, and seeks to increase the use of the bicycle for both transportation and recreation.”

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press