Our Community Partners

HIGHTS is a youth-centered nonprofit that equips underserved youth in Western North Carolina with restorative justice services, counseling, recreational therapy, mentoring, and education and workforce development programs.

Vaya Health is a public managed care organization (MCO) that prioritizes whole-person health. We manage Medicaid, federal, state, and local funding to connect the people we serve to health care services and supports. Our specialty is helping individuals with needs related to mental health, substance use disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities 
(I/DD), and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). 

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, also known as BCBS, BCBSA, or The Blues, is a United States–based federation with 33 independent and locally operated BCBSA companies that provide health insurance to more than 115 million people in the U.S. as of 2022.

Dogwood Health Trust exists to dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of all people and communities in the 18 counties and Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.

The purpose of the Foundation was to provide a place to hold funds that could later provide financial support of their mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse services. In keeping with that purpose, the Foundation continues to provide this same support to the private service providers now responsible for all of the behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disability and substance abuse services in the seven western counties of North Carolina.

Nantahala Health Foundation is committed to collaborating with organizations to build capacity and address areas that significantly affect the health and well-being of all people in the community we serve.

Nantahala Health Foundation, a public 501(c)3 nonprofit, is charged with improving the health, wellness and overall quality of life for those living in the westernmost region of North Carolina, including Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary.  

“WNC Bridge Foundation exists to connect our communities to a healthier future and to create lasting change through local partnerships. Our efforts are focused on expanding access and equity for vulnerable populations in our communities.

We are a community-based charitable organization that works to provide funds to support and assist in meeting the many health challenges that face the people of WNC. We provide direct support and also empower carefully selected nonprofits to impact individual and community wellness in our communities throughout the WNC region.”

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to improve the health and well-being of the residents of Highlands, Cashiers, and surrounding communities. Since our establishment in 2019, we have awarded 180 grants to 103 organizations totaling over $11,800,000, directly addressing the needs of our community. These grants have enabled more individuals to access crucial healthcare services, enhancing well-being and reducing health inequities.

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 to build a permanent pool of charitable capital for the 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary. We work with individuals, families and corporations to create and manage charitable funds and make grants to nonprofits or public agencies in our region. 

In partnership with fundholders, the Foundation has awarded more than $456 million in scholarships to students and grants to nonprofit organizations and public institutions across our 18-county region and beyond. We manage $514.4 million (December 2025) in assets with a long-term investment strategy that permanently protects and grows these funds.

Mission

Providing Southern Appalachia’s youth with the opportunity to challenge themselves

through unique experiential and outdoor activities designed to inspire them to become

more resilient, aware, and responsible members of the community

Need More Outdoors is a nonprofit organization on a mission to empower young people through outdoor adventures and nature-based education in western North Carolina. We serve youth ages 6 and up in Swain County and surrounding communities. Our programs include Ecosplash Summer Camps (2 or 3 Days), customizable AfterSchool Programs, and half or full day outdoor events for youth and schools.  Schools, teachers, and families can apply for scholarships, sponsorships, and grant funding to enable more kids to participate.

Youth Villages has worked to radically improve the lives of children across the country through an array of program models and services built around preserving and restoring families. We do what works — partner with others to expand our reach and advocate for positive, long-term change in child welfare, juvenile justice and children’s mental health systems.

Appalachian Community Services is a leading provider of mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities services in the Southwest North Carolina regions.

The Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention partners with Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils in each county to galvanize community leaders, locally and statewide, to reduce and prevent juvenile crime. JCPC board members are appointed by each county's board of commissioners and meet monthly or bimonthly in each county.

The North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is committed to the reduction and prevention of juvenile delinquency by effectively intervening, educating and treating at-risk and justice-involved youth to strengthen families and enhance public safety.

Proudly partnering with the Departments of Social Services in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and surrounding counties.

The Family Safety Program offers child and adult protective services to the children and families in our Cherokee community. We work jointly with programs such as Analenisgi, Safe Babies, Transitional Housing, and other local Cherokee resources through services in the home and community.

We are instilling our Cherokee culture, beliefs, and traditions in our every day practice with our families to promote the preservation of Cherokee culture. Keeping our families together is our number one priority.

Vision

To become a Sheriff’s Office of Integrity, Honesty, and Commitment and always accountable to the citizens of Swain County.

Mission

We are committed to protecting the public, reducing crime, and enhancing the lives of those in our communities.

“At the North Carolina Community Foundation, we bring together generous people and connect them to causes and organizations they care about.”

OUR MISSION:  To help alleviate the suffering of abandoned abused, homeless and injured cats and dogs in Swain County.  We provide a caring haven and find loving homes for as many as possible. Through community outreach, education and media, we seek to transform local cultural norms so that human-animal bonding and neuter/spay become more widely practiced in our region.

Conceived in 1996, Catman2 Inc. was founded by Dr. Harold Sims, a retired college biology professor and his wife, Kay, a retired school social worker. The cats live in a large shelter adjacent to the Sims’ home in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Tours of the shelter are available by appointment. We house 30 - 50 cats at most times of the year, and are sure to have “The Cat of Your Dreams”.