In the mid-1980s, a group of volunteers from the Raleigh Mennonite Church supported artisans by hosting annual Christmas Festival sales. After a decade of festival sales, some of these same volunteers, plus others from the local community worked together to open the Cameron Village store in September 1995. During the store's first ten years, the store doubled its selling area from 1300 to 2600 square feet.

The store is governed by a diverse board of directors who represent many different organizations in the Raleigh area. The store's success is the result of their efforts, hundreds of volunteers, and a small paid staff. Ten Thousand Villages of Raleigh is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.