Visit The Outer Banks

3rd Annual Nonprofit Mission Mixer Highlights Nonprofit Connections and Podcast Storytelling

By Jeff Schwartzenberg
Apr. 13, 2025

The Outer Banks Community Foundation and The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau brought together the 3rd Annual Nonprofit Mission Mixer on Thursday, April 3 at the Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills. The free gathering gave more than 75 local nonprofit professionals and board members a chance to connect with peers who are helping strengthen the community.

The source page includes remarks from Outer Banks Community Foundation President and CEO Chris Sawin and Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles. Their comments center on the strength of the Outer Banks nonprofit community, the people leading and serving through local organizations, the value of collaboration and connectedness, appreciation for the guest speakers, and thanks to the Outer Banks Brewing Station for hosting the event again this year.

The Mission Mixer included comments from four local Outer Banks storytellers: Shea LaFountaine (History Fix), Rev. Dr. Michelle Lewis (Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis), and Chef Wes Stepp and Celeste Rafferty (Outer Banks Raw). They discussed how they entered podcasting, the meaningful impact they are working to create through that medium, and why the platform matters for educating, informing, and building community.

Nonprofit organizations represented at the Mission Mixer included:

With summer season approaching in the Outer Banks, the Community Foundation and the Visitors Bureau plan to keep collaborating to help residents and visitors better understand the role of local nonprofits and the best ways to engage with them. Across the year, both organizations make grant opportunities available to nonprofits.

The Outer Banks Community Foundation provides Community Enrichment Grants twice a year for qualifying nonprofit organizations, supporting local needs and improving quality of life for people on the Outer Banks. The 2025 grant cycle introduces Focus Grants, a new funding opportunity of up to $50,000 for innovative, large-scale projects that target some of the Outer Banks’ most urgent challenges. These grants prioritize projects that expand healthcare access, provide affordable housing solutions and support childcare initiatives. The Focus Grant application deadline is Friday, April 25, 2025. More information is available at https://obcf.org/grants/.

The Dare County Tourism Board offers multiple grant opportunities each year to help fund and support Outer Banks projects and events led by nonprofits and government entities. Event Grants help support events that drive overnight visitation to Dare County during less-than-peak months (September 7 to June 15). The Tourism Board also provides additional funding through its Restricted Fund Grants, including Tourism Impact Grants and Long-Term Unappropriated Grants, which support programs or services needed due to the impact of tourism. Guidelines, applications, and past Dare County Tourism Board grant awards are available at https://www.outerbanks.org/grants/. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau’s Voluntourism initiative also connects visitors with the work of area nonprofits and gives them ways to make a vacation a life-changing experience.

Plans are already in motion for the 3rd Annual Nonprofit Knowledge Series Workshop in the fall of 2025. The session is intended to convene nonprofit professionals and board members in a collaborative environment, with education and training as the strategic focus. Additional details about the 2025 Knowledge Series will be shared soon.

Visit the Third Annual Nonprofit Mission Mixer page →