(April 2024) – The Transylvania Endowment awarded eighteen grants totaling $91,470 to nonprofits serving Transylvania County in its recent grant cycle. The Transylvania Endowment, in partnership with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), has awarded grants totaling $1,336,045.
“Through its grant program, the Transylvania Endowment supports local nonprofits doing work in our community,” said Advisory Board Chair Beth Lastinger. “Building an endowment for Transylvania 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 Fund. We are grateful to our friends and neighbors who support us in these efforts.”
The 2024 grants are:
$4,000 to Augustine Literacy Project-Brevard to train volunteers to provide free, 1:1 literacy intervention to students struggling with reading.
$1,000 to Aura Home Women Vets to support women Veterans who are homeless.
$3,470 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support the Program Coordinator position, recruitment activities, match activities, and supplies.
$1,000 to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue to subsidize spay/neuter surgeries for low-income families who own animals and could not otherwise afford the services.
$7,000 to Children's Center of Transylvania County to assist families in need with past due bills, gas vouchers, and some housing costs.
$5,000 to The Cindy Platt Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County for personnel expenses of its 2024 Summer Program.
$5,000 to Literacy Connection to provide essential support to adult learners needing Citizenship Preparation classes and English Language Acquisition tutoring.
$5,000 to God's Way Fellowship Food Pantry for operating support for its pantry, which is experiencing increased demands for service by families in crisis.
$7,000 to The Haven of Transylvania County toward salaries of its Shelter Assistants, who ensure the safety of the shelter and its guests.
$6,000 to Hunger Coalition of Transylvania County to increase the amount of fresh, whole foods offered through its distributions.
$7,000 to Isaac Homes Youth Shelter toward salaries and facility improvements.
$5,000 to Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina to fund a wish for a child living with a critical illness.
$5,000 to Meals on Wheels of Brevard to offset food costs for the 90+ homebound seniors served.
$7,000 to Muddy Sneakers to provide programming for Brevard Elementary, Brevard Academy, and TC Henderson in the spring semester.
$6,000 to Pardee Memorial Hospital Foundation to provide free mammograms to low-income, uninsured women through its new 3-D Mobile Mammography program.
$7,000 to Pisgah Legal Services to provide free civil legal assistance to, and advocacy for, low-income survivors of domestic violence and child abuse.
$6,000 to Smart Start of Transylvania County to address needs of unhoused children, ages 0-5, by providing families with childcare, clothing, basic supplies, and well-child medical visits and addressing other needs.
$4,000 to Thrive to provide permanent housing for residents who are currently experiencing homelessness.
In 1998, local people 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 Transylvania County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville NC 28803. Make checks payable to CFWNC noting “Transylvania Endowment” in the memo line. Contributions of any size are welcome.
In addition to the Endowment, the following CFWNC funds support grantmaking in Transylvania County: Richard G. Adamson Memorial Fund, Tim and Wanda Barrett Transylvania Growth Fund, Duncan-Bicknell Endowment Fund, Connie Boylan Fund, Burlingame Charitable Fund, Holbrook-Nichols Transylvania Housing Assistance Fund, Lake Toxaway Charities Endowment Fund, My Brother's Keeper Fund, Bobby Orr Memorial Fund for Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department, Aleen Steinberg Endowment Fund and Karen Wilde Memorial Fund for Brevard Police Department.
The local volunteer advisory board includes: Nick Bearden (Vice Chair), Don Bieger, Beth Lastinger (Chair), Scott Latell, Rob Lee, Caroline McKenzie, Jason Ramsey, Nancee Salyer, Mark Shevory, John Shoemaker, Bruce A. Snyder, and Judy Welch (Secretary).
For more information about the Transylvania Endowment, please contact Advisory Board Chair Beth Lastinger at blastinger@gmail.com.