Generosity, gratitude, care for others, connection, and partnership anchor a community foundation’s place-based work. Inspired by our fundholders and nonprofit partners, Common Threads is the theme of this report.
Across our large and diverse region, we find and celebrate connection in many ways - our appreciation of the arts and artists, our love for the outdoors, our belief in a more equitable future, and our willingness to work together.
The response to the devastation wrought by Helene exemplified our collective spirit and nurtured networks of mutual aid that continue to grow two years later. During FY 2026, CFWNC awarded $4.3 million from the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund. The final grants were allocated in July to nonprofits addressing ongoing and exacerbated housing repair needs. With these awards, CFWNC has expended more than $41 million donated to respond to the storm – an outpouring of support that resulted in 537 grants across the region since October 2024.
The community foundation model is built to sit at the junction of generosity, resources, and need. Our mandate is to support the region now and build permanent charitable capital. We do this in partnership with others who value community, responsibility, and paying it forward.
We partner in grantmaking with people who help us fund nonprofits restoring rivers and protecting connected lands to create routes for migrating wildlife. Co-investors devote resources to supporting cultural resources and ensuring that families can access basic needs. Our donors share collective responsibility for future generations by investing in education, teachers, and economic progress.
We seek solutions grounded in partnership, strengthened by shared commitment, and bound by generosity.
Common threads. Common ground. Common purpose.