Giving Back

Beaufort Wine and Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and proceeds from its events benefit organizations that excel in community enrichment and enhance quality of life in Carteret County. Through the generosity and support from sponsors, members and wine and culinary participants, Beaufort Wine and Food has donated more than $550,000 to local charities and nonprofit organizations in the last decade.

Learn more about the amazing projects funded by Beaufort Wine and Food!

About the 2017 Grant Cycle:

Organizations must apply awarded funds towards a specific, tangible project that benefits and enriches Carteret County. The community enrichment grant favors projects that invest in a way that gives back to the community for years to come.

Download the application
An organization must meet the following criteria in order to apply:

• Organizations must be qualified as tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or be a similar tax exempt entity. An exception is made to include fire and rescue departments.
• If your organization operates as a 501 (c)(3) public charity via a fiscal agent, your application’s supporting documentation must include a letter from the fiscal agent organization that verifies the relationship and includes when the relationship was established.
• Organizations must offer programs and services without discrimination on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.
• Recipient organizations must agree to provide volunteer workhours to assist at Beaufort Wine and Food fundraising events in the upcoming year.

2016 Grant Recipients

Over $50,000 worth of grants were awarded during Beaufort Wine and Food’s 2016 Grant Cycle. This grant program is just one of the ways that Beaufort Wine and Food gives back.

With the upcoming September Beer Festival and November Oyster Roast, we plan to keep the giving going all year long.

2016 Grant Recipients include:

2015 Grant Recipients

A total of over $80,000 worth of grants were awarded during Beaufort Wine and Food’s 2015 Grant Cycle alone:

2014 Grant Recipients

Beaufort Historical Association

Founded in 1960 by a group of Carteret County citizens without the aid of grants and public funds, the Beaufort Historical Association is a private, non-profit, membership & volunteer based organization which owns and operates the Beaufort Historic Site. Situated in the heart of the town’s historic district, the two-acre Beaufort Historic Site encompasses six authentically restored buildings, including the Mattie King Davis Art Gallery, as well as the Old Burying Grounds. The Beaufort Historic Site serves as a testament to the Beaufort Historical Association’s dedication to the continued research and documentation of the peoples, customs, lifestyles, and artifacts of Beaufort’s past, and it’s efforts to preserve the town’s historic identity in the future.

Beaufort Historical Association Project

Touch screen kiosk in Welcome Center – The project goal is to enhance the Beaufort Historic Site’s visitor experience in a more modern and accessible manner while creating the excitement for them to explore and discover more details within the buildings, at the Old Burying Ground, and around the town of Beaufort.

North Carolina Maritime Museum

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort collects, preserves, researches, documents, and interprets the maritime history, culture and environment of coastal North Carolina. Visit the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort for a taste of coastal cultures and maritime history. Exhibits feature the state’s rich seafood industry, life-saving stations and lighthouses, and sailboats and motorboats. The Museum is the official repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground near Beaufort in 1718.

North Carolina Maritime Museum Project

The overwhelming response by the general public to the recently expanded Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit and the new Demonstration Conservation Laboratory has been no less than amazing.  This is due, in a large part, to the involvement of Beaufort Wine & Food.

With the addition of new lab, visitors now have the opportunity to view and interact with conservators as they prepare artifacts from Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge for eventual exhibition.  For the first time, visitors with a better understanding of the work that goes into preparing these artifacts as they come from “the ocean floor to the museum door.

There is no doubt the funding by Beaufort Wine & Food was instrumental in making this new attraction a reality.  It would not have happened without the financial assistance of the organization.

As a result of the initial media coverage by more than 65 regional and national media outlets, Blackbeard’s expanded exhibit and QAR lab are poised to bring additional exposure and visitation to the Museum, Beaufort as well as North Carolina.  More visitors will be enjoying Beaufort’s whimsical shops, casual to world-class dining, exciting attractions, and overnight accommodations in our historic inns and B&B’s.  The Board of Directors should very proud to know this is the kind of project that will have an economic impact on the local community and The Crystal Coast.

We truly appreciate the partnership with Beaufort Wine & Food and look forward to working with you on future projects.

– David Cartier, Public Relations Coordinator, North Carolina Maritime Museums Systems

The lab has been designed to support a wide range of conservation activities from opening concretions and cleaning to photography and documentation. It has both wet and dry cleaning stations, an air scribe booth, and examination areas.

Broad windows on two sides of the lab will allow visitors to easily observe the work in progress and interact with the conservators. The lab will be manned by a combination of students, professional conservators, and museum staff.

The newly expanded Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit is made possible through the generous donations from Beaufort Wine & Food and the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. The funding for entire exhibit was approximately $40,000.

The donation of $31,000 from Beaufort Wine & Food went to cover the entire cost of the Conservation Laboratory and any additional funding needed to complete the exhibit.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina

The Clubs provide an encouraging atmosphere that fosters academic success, character development and healthy lifestyle choices. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina operates three club sites located in Beaufort, Morehead City and Havelock.

The Broad Street Clinic

The clinic was founded in 1993 by county physicians and other concerned citizens as a private non-profit, free health clinic serving the adult residents of Carteret County and surrounding areas. Its mission is to provide access to medical care for the uninsured low income population in our community.

 The Carteret County Humane Society

This not-for-profit organization operates the county’s only animal shelter in Newport NC. The facility takes in all stray and owner surrender animals for the entire county. For residents of the Carteret County, there is no fee for drop-offs and volunteers and staff work tirelessly with local and out of state rescue groups in an effort to find all animals new homes. They also encourage adoptions from the general public.

Hope Mission of Carteret County, Inc.

A non-profit Christian ministry which seeks to serve the less fortunate citizens of Carteret County through ministries of food, compassion, emergency financial assistance, shelter for the homeless and prayer as well as other means of support.

Martha’s Mission Cupboard

An emergency food pantry, solely run by volunteers, established to provide the needy citizens of Carteret County a temporary supply of nutritious and balanced food at no cost. Our goal is to tide them over during a temporary financial crisis or while they are awaiting permanent assistance from the State or Federal Government. Martha’s Mission Cupboard provides food to an average of 300 and 350 families every month.