(November 2025) The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) approved focus area grants in the Education and Human Services focus areas totaling $1,833,089, with co-investment of nearly $800,000.
“Our region continues to experience the lingering effects of Helene including increased demands for services,” said Vice President for Programs Tara Scholtz. “With food costs high and insecurity regarding programs like SNAP, we saw an increase in requests for food aid across the board.”
Twenty-five grants totaling $573,585 were awarded to support early childhood development, K-12, and adult education in Western North Carolina with co-investment of $256,250. Fifty-three Human Services grants totaling $1,259,504 were approved with co-investment of $540,093.
“We are very grateful but not surprised by the level of co-investment from our fundholders to this year’s slate,” said President Elizabeth Brazas. “Their giving is strategic, responsive, and generous. CFWNC is honored to partner with them to continue to strengthen communities across WNC.”
The co-investors are:
Alchemy Design Studio Fund
AvL Technologies Charitable Fund
Brown Family Fund
Charles F. Hamrick and Marguerite D. Hamrick Charitable Fund
Connestee Falls Endowment Fund
Craig Family Foundation Fund
Crutchfield Charitable Fund
DASH Fund
Deerfield Retirement Community Advised Fund
Delphinium Fund
Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund
Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund
Ero Fund
Fenton Family WNC Fund
Fidel Duke Fund
Gretchen Batra Fund
Helping Hand Fund
Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund
Jeanne Sommer Fund for Women and Girls
John Webber Buell And Susan Covino Buell Fund
Lipscomb Family Foundation
Little Acorn Fund – W
Minigowin Fund
Peterson Endowment Fund
CFWNC Professional Advisory Committee Charitable Fund
Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund
Samuel and William Elmore Fund for Mental Wellness
Serviceberry Fund
Stewart Fund for Life & Love
Terrence Lee One Love Fund
Thomas L. and Phyllis Day Davis Fund
Travis and Jenny Boyer Fund
Trillium Fund
Walnut Fund
Yeager-Cole Fund
Four Anonymous Funds
CFWNC works with families, businesses and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, the Foundation manages over 1,300 funds and facilitated $69 million in grants last year bringing total distributions to more than $456 million since its founding in 1978.