Initially, Coastal Women’s Shelter and Promise Place were part of one organization originated by the Craven County Commissioners in 1978. With this, two separate grants from the North Carolina Council on the Status of Women were involved, one for victims of domestic violence and the other for victims of sexual violence.  Back then, much of the work took place in the homes of volunteers with all funds remaining separate. The Coastal Women’s Shelter was organized and chartered by the State of North Carolina, securing its 501(c) 3 non-profit status in 1985. 

Most of our financial support-about 70% comes from grants and foundations that include Craven County Commissioners, Harold Bate Foundation, NC Community Foundation, International Paper, North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, and United Way Foundation.  The remaining 30% of our funding comes from donations from individuals, churches, and civic organizations. 

​Our immediate plan, given the cutbacks in funding that we have already seen and trends in the political climate, is to develop a broader donor base to decrease reliance on State of North Carolina and other funding sources. To provide an additional funding stream, Coastal Women's Shelter also has a resale store, Helping Hands Boutique, established over 10 years ago, which provides revenue from sales to our agency as well as clothing for the clients we serve.