LUMBERTON — Nine Robeson County organizations have benefited from $9,960 in grant money through the Robeson County Community Foundation, which was established in 2005.

They include the Lumberton Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, which received $500.

“It’s a community based program and foundation and the local board is familiar with what we do,” said Cmdr. Robert Ivey. “Sometimes the grant doesn’t cover the full project but it’s a substantial contribution to it. It really helps us get what we need.”

He said the money was used to purchase an automatic external defibrillator.

“We use it for special events and such,” Ivey said. “It works out really well since we didn’t have it before. It gives us plenty of added flexibility.”

The Robeson County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation, a statewide foundation that has awarded nearly $68 million in grants since its creation in 1988. With more than $156 million in assets, the NCCF supports about 1,000 endowments established to provide long-term support of a broad range of community needs, non-profits, institutions and scholarships. The NCCF partners with 60 affiliate foundations to provide assistance in 67 counties across the state, including Robeson County.

“It’s a great way for local contributions to stay local and serve our counties needs,” said Wendy Pridgen, the president of the Robeson County Community Foundation. “The feedback from the grantees has been extremely positive and they have shared how much the grants have helped them provide needed services.”

An endowment is an interest-bearing account with a principal that remains untouched and can grow. Grants come from revenue generated from the principal through interest and investments.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Robeson County Community Foundation, send a check to P.O. Box 3477, Lumberton, N.C., 28359. The Robeson County Community Foundation can be found at www.nccommunityfoundation.org/section/robeson.

The other eight Robeson County organizations to receive a grant were: the Children’s Bible Ministries of the MidAtlantic Inc., $650; the Communities in School of Robeson County, $800; the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and Robeson County Center, $400; the Robeson County Honor Guard, $1,000; the Robeson County Housing Authority, $1,000; the Robeson County Partnership for Children, $1,000; and Robeson Health Care Corporation, $500. Another $3,610 was granted from other fundholders to designated non-profits.

The Robeson County Partnership for Children used its $1,000 to purchase cooler packs to aid breast-feeding mothers, said Jessica Lowery, the executive director of the partnership.

“It helps ensure the milk is stored properly and is cooled so it is safe for the baby,” Lowery said. “It’s not something our other grant funded so this was great to receive. They make life that much better for our families involved.”

As a whole, the North Carolina Community Foundation distributed more than $7.4 million to various organizations across the state during 2012.