(April 2023) – The Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund awarded 21 grants totaling $121,630 to nonprofits serving the community in its recent grant cycle. The Endowment, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded grants since inception totaling $1,420,710.
In addition to the Endowment, the Buckner Family Endowment Fund, Forbes Fund for Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley, Helen S. and Jerry M. Newbold, Jr. Endowment Fund, and Standaert Family Endowment Fund provided funding for these grants.
“Through the support of friends and neighbors, we are able to fund worthwhile projects and nonprofits doing good work across Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley,” said Advisory Board Chair Kannah L. Begley Walker. “Permanent charitable resources devoted to our community mean that the Fund can be responsive as needs change over time. We are grateful to everyone who has pooled their gifts with those of their neighbors. It really is generosity multiplied.”
The 2023 grants are:
$7,500 to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity for home repair for low-income households.
$4,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC for a program that pairs disadvantaged youth with mentors.
$5,172 to Black Mountain Center for the Arts for cameras to monitor classrooms, office, lobby and exterior spaces.
$10,000 to Black Mountain Counseling Center for mental health therapy for people suffering from substance abuse disorder.
$5,172 to Black Mountain Parks and Greenways to install a playground shade structure.
$7,500 to Bounty & Soul to support a health and wellness program at its food distribution sites.
$1,000 to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue to subsidize spay/neuter surgeries for low-income families.
$4,000 to Charles D. Owen Middle School to create calm spaces for students experiencing stress and anxiety.
$2,986 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas to provide medical access for children with cancer.
$5,000 to Christmount Christian Assembly to help construct a residential lodge for children and adults with disabilities.
$10,000 to Hammer & Heart for home repair for low-income households.
$10,000 to Helping at Risk Kids to assist youth aging out of foster care with unmet needs and to provide camp expenses for children under DSS care.
$10,000 to Helpmate to support an outreach program for domestic violence survivors.
$5,000 to Montreat Conference Center to hire a trail consultant to develop a long-range plan for its trail system.
$2,500 to RiverLink to provide a water-quality science program to middle school students.
$3,500 to St. Vincent de Paul Society – St. Margaret to provide auto repair and other related support for low-income people.
$10,000 to Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry for heating and utility assistance for low-income people.
$5,800 to Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League to provide a free summer enrichment arts program for children.
$2,500 to Swannanoa Valley Museum for materials needed for a music exhibit.
$5,000 to The Old Depot Association to paint its caboose.
$5,000 to YMCA of WNC for students from low-income families to attend enrichment programs.
In 1999, local residents established the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Fund’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Fund support nonprofits serving Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail to the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803, memo line: Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local Advisory Board includes: Sylvia Bassett, Kannah L. Begley Walker (Chair), Mary Anna Belz, Amy Berry, Jon D. Brooks (Vice Chair), Esteve Coll-Larrosa, Carol Groben, Margaret Fuller Hurt, Rodney L. Lytle, Bradley McMahan, Scott Roy (Secretary), Sheila H. Showers, and Joseph Standaert.