(November 2021) The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina recently approved grants totaling $1,466,330 to nonprofits across the region. The awards were made in CFWNC’s Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming, Human Services and Natural and Cultural Resources focus areas.
Sixty-eight Human Services grants totaling $1,298,830 were awarded to nonprofits serving economically-disadvantaged populations across the Foundation’s 18-county service area. CFWNC fundholders and donors contributed $647,093 to the total. The funds include: Biltmore Estate Charitable Fund, Charles F. Hamrick and Marguerite D. Hamrick Charitable Fund, Connestee Falls Endowment Fund, Consuelo's Fund, Craig Family Foundation Fund, Delphinium Fund, Dianne and David Worley Charitable Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund, The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund, Fidel Duke Fund, Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund, John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, Minigowin Fund, Moran Family Fund, Oliver Family Fund, Perez Family Fund, Peterson Endowment Fund, Reichman Family Charitable Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, Riverbend Fund, Samuel and William Elmore Fund for Mental Wellness, Terrence Lee One Love Fund, Travis and Jenny Boyer Fund, Walnut Fund, Wasson - Stowe Charitable Fund, Yeager-Cole Fund and five anonymous funds. A complete list of the grants is available at cfwnc.org.
Over time, several private foundations have chosen to partner with CFWNC to support projects in Western North Carolina. The Glass Foundation, Klunk Family Foundation, Lipscomb Family Foundation and Sutherland Foundation provided generous support for these grants.
“CFWNC exists to mobilize resources and build collective support for WNC nonprofits that are our frontline responders in so many situations,” said President Elizabeth Brazas. “Our discretionary resources are limited, and 36 generous co-investors joined with us to make this level of support for Human Services grants possible. We are immensely grateful to them and our nonprofit partners. Our communities have needs and we are honored to work with others to respond.”
Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County (CF/CIS) was awarded a $70,000 Early Childhood Development grant over two years to sustain and grow its capacity to staff and mobilize the Early Childhood Coalition of WNC that advocates to build public will to shape policy decisions critical to the success of young children. A 2018 grant from CFWNC enabled the Coalition to expand its leadership network to include new early childhood organizations, private childcare centers and licensed family childcare homes. It now includes representatives providing services in 18 WNC counties. The John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, Lipscomb Family Foundation and Peterson Endowment Fund provided co-investment for this grant.
Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional (TRACTOR) was awarded a $45,000 Food and Farming grant to support the implementation of a universal community-grown food share program that dignifies food relief, optimizes operations, collaborates to build community capacity, and creates reliable market opportunities for farmers. In 2022, the CSA program will rebrand as "Farefield: Food for You, Fair for All" and will serve participants and relief and health networks across several WNC counties. The Crutchfield Charitable Fund, Riverbend Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and an anonymous fund provided co-investment for this grant.
Camp Grier, as fiscal sponsor for the Catawba Vale Collaborative, was awarded a $52,500 Natural and Cultural Resources grant to design and construct a series of monuments that combine stone architecture with archaeologically-generated stories along a new 42-mile trail expansion on US Forest Service land surrounding the Town of Old Fort. Prior to 1873, the area was known as Catawba Vale, reflecting its location in the valley of the Catawba River. The Collaborative includes Camp Grier, the G5 Trail Collective, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, UNC-Chapel Hill and Texas Tech University and seeks to redefine rural economic development in Appalachian communities. Monument themes identified include Native American societies, agrarian homesteads, timber development and African American communities. The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund provided co-investment for this grant.