(March 2020) – The McDowell Endowment awarded fourteen grants totaling $47,020 to local nonprofit organizations in its recent grant cycle. The McDowell Endowment, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded grants totaling to $1,165,636.
“The McDowell Endowment is here to support nonprofits by providing local dollars for local programs,” said Advisory Board Chair Sim Cross. “Especially now, when the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing demands on organizations, these permanent charitable resources devoted to supporting McDowell County nonprofits are crucial. These awards are possible because people who care about this community built a fund over time to help in challenging situations. These grants support important community organizations as they continue the work we all depend on them to do.”
The 2020 grants are:
$3,000 to Babies Need Bottoms
$4,000 to Camp Grier
$5,000 to CareReach (formerly Community Care of Western North Carolina)
$2,000 to Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas
$2,500 to City of Marion/Historic Marion Tailgate Market
$1,330 to Creek Wise Park
$1,250 to McDowell County EMS
$3,800 to McDowell County Health Coalition
$4,983 to McDowell LFAC
$2,682 to McDowell Senior Center
$3,600 to McDowell Technical Community College Foundation
$3,000 to McDowell Trails Association
$5,000 to New HOPE of McDowell
$4,875 to YMCA of Western North Carolina
In 1995, local residents established the Endowment as a permanent charitable fund to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Endowment’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Endowment support nonprofits in McDowell County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail to The McDowell Endowment, P.O. Box 55, Marion, NC 28752-0055. Make checks payable to CFWNC, noting “The McDowell Endowment” in the memo line. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local, volunteer Advisory Board includes: Marion Baker, Vicki Burton, Simeon R. Cross (Chair), Marsh Dark, Juanita Doggett, Nancy Hunter, Michael Lavender, Ray McKesson, Rob Noyes, Sharon Parker, Jan Ramsey, Nancy Spencer and Bobbie Young.
In addition to the Endowment, the following CFWNC funds support grantmaking in McDowell County: Margaret Westmoreland Gibson Memorial Fund, Greenlee Family Fund, A.C. Hogan Family Fund and Daniel I. and Joy Q. Shuford Fund.
For more information about The McDowell Endowment, contact Chair Sim Cross at 828- 274-5140.