(April 2024) The Rutherford County Endowment awarded sixteen grants totaling $90,660 to Rutherford County nonprofits in its recent grant cycle. The Endowment, in partnership with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), has awarded grants since inception totaling $1,841,523.
“Through its grant program, the Rutherford County Endowment supports local nonprofits doing work in our community,” said Advisory Board Chair David Eaker. “Building an endowment for Rutherford County has allowed us to give back to organizations that provide critical services and improve the quality of life for everyone who lives here. We hope that we can fund more programs with more dollars each year, which is why we continue to grow the Endowment. We are grateful to our friends and neighbors who support us in these efforts.”
The 2024 grants are:
$5,000 to Basics Christian Ministries to upgrade its plumbing.
$3,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina for a mentoring program that serves disadvantaged youth.
$8,000 to Blue Ridge Community Health Services to purchase food for its pantry.
$5,000 to Grahamtown Team to assist in adding space for a food pantry.
$10,000 to Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach to purchase food for its pantry.
$3,000 to L.E.A.P. (Leaders & Entrepreneurs for the Advancement & Promotion of Girls & Youth) for a music and education enrichment program that serves diverse youth.
$4,000 to Martin Luther King Committee of New Hope Community for a Juneteenth education program.
$5,000 to Mosaic Hope to provide support for children in foster care and foster families.
$7,160 to Out Of The Ashes to support its homeless shelter operations and programs.
$8,000 to Pisgah Legal Services to provide free civil legal assistance and advocacy to low-income survivors of domestic violence and child abuse.
$4,000 to Recovery Ventures Corporation to repair and renovate the driveway of a women’s residential treatment facility.
$5,000 to Rutherford County Schools Education Foundation to purchase a box truck that will be used to pick up food for its backpack program.
$8,000 to Rutherford Housing Partnership to repair and improve homes for people with low incomes.
$9,500 to Salem United Methodist Church/Washburn Community Outreach Center to offer local meats to its clients, improve signage at the Center, provide off-site mobile food pantries and support a community event.
$2,500 to Special Olympics North Carolina to support the athletes, coaches, and volunteers of a program that serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
$3,000 to Yokefellow Service Center for marketing support to enhance community awareness of its thrift store and services.
In 1996, local residents established the Rutherford County Endowment 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 in Rutherford County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail to the Rutherford County Endowment, c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803, memo line: Rutherford County Endowment. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local volunteer Advisory Board includes: David Eaker (Chair), Nancy Giles, Jean Gordon (Secretary), Jackie Hampton, Eddie Holland, Marla Machado-Arce, Wilfred McDowell, Tommy Miller, Jill W. Miracle, Pell Tanner, Dennis Tarlton, Robin Van Jura, and Michelle Yelton (Vice Chair).
For more information about the Rutherford County Endowment, visit www.RutherfordCountyEndowment.org.