the community foundation of western north carolina PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Time really does fly. The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina has been partnering with donors and nonprofits to inspire giving since 1978. For 40 years, CFWNC has been working to build permanent charitable resources through the creation of personalized, philanthropic funds. And, we’re in it for the long haul. Our founders would be the first to tell you that our region is much different today than it was 40 years ago, and today’s board members are mindful that the decisions they make today must consider the future. Because community foundations are tasked with listening, learning and changing over time, we are asked to imagine the best possible future for WNC and to work with others to realize it. So, we are both permanent and fluid. In 1978, our forward-thinking founders established a permanent endowment to generate earnings and distribute grants. Four years later, in 1982, board members expanded the service area to the 18-county region we serve today. Assets had reached $310,000 and the first competitive grants totaling $10,600 were awarded. Today, CFWNC manages more than 1,000 funds, large and small, reflecting the interests, generosity and values of our fundholders and donors. Western North Carolina is the permanent concern of this community of givers. I’m pleased to say that CFWNC now manages assets of $311 million (March 2018). And, this
Summer 2018
year, we are on track to accept new gifts of more than $33 million. Donors continue to add to the philanthropic resources in our care because they want to ensure there are assets to address new issues as well as stubborn and prolonged problems facing our region. CFWNC staff works to understand our fundholders’ philanthropic goals and help them find grant opportunities that align with their interests. It is the depth of these relationships that allows us to steward their charitable legacies, now and forever. It is their trust and belief in the role and permanence of a community foundation that supports our growth. We know that a gift to a nonprofit makes a difference. Many gifts can make an even bigger difference. Investing them makes a lasting difference. It is generosity multiplied. Five years ago, we bought our offices at the Historic Biltmore School. The space is a physical expression of our permanence – actual bricks and mortar – but it is also a major step toward sustainability and acknowledgement of our responsibility and stewardship. It makes sense for CFWNC to have a forever home. When anniversaries such as these arise, it is fitting that we take time to reflect and consider our growth, our accomplishments and our stumbles along the way, for they too are part of that growth.
Pat Smith and Elizabeth Brazas at Pisgah Legal's Jazz for Justice. Photo by Jesse Kitt.
It is also the perfect time to acknowledge and thank our founders, our board members and leaders who have guided our growth over four decades and, of course and always, generous people who choose to invest in their local community foundation. Their trust in this model, our process and, yes, our permanence is an acknowledgement of the future and a statement of hope. Their optimism and willingness to give so that future generations can thrive is a daily inspiration. I am personally indebted to many who have helped me over the last eight years. I stepped into Pat Smith’s shoes, and those stylish heels were a challenge to fill. She and so many others have generously shared their time and expertise with me, and I am deeply grateful. The future is full of possibilities.
POWER OF THE PURSE®
Maria Hinojosa Addresses Enthusiastic Crowd at Power of the Purse® W O M E N F O R W O M E N G I V I N G C I R C L E A N N O U N C E S $45 0,000 G R A N T
Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa was the featured speaker at the 14th Annual Power of the Purse®. Hinojosa’s address documented her journey from Mexico City to Chicago to New York City’s Barnard College to becoming the first Latina correspondent for NPR, CNN and PBS. She challenged the crowd to love, to be inclusive and to be careful with language. “Words can be dehumanizing,” she said. “Slaves were enslaved people, and the word minority is disempowering.” In reference to recent immigration arrests, she asked attendees, “What does it mean to you personally to know that due process can be violated just because a person wasn’t born in this country?” “It’s hard to look at our own history,” she continued. “We all have to open our eyes and talk to people in our community. At the core of our democracy is dialogue.”
Our VOICE's Angelica Wind, Maria Hinojosa and Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen-Times. Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
A highlight was the announcement of a $450,000 Women for Women Collaborative High Impact Grant to the Buncombe Partners in Prevention that will direct the funds toward reducing cycles of sexual and domestic violence and child abuse. The collaborative includes Helpmate, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Our VOICE and Pisgah Legal Services. “The grant is important not because it is the largest award from the giving circle and the largest single competitive grant approved by The Community Foundation, it is important because it targets abuse of WNC women and girls,” said Elizabeth Brazas. Buncombe Partners in Prevention will concurrently address domestic abuse, sexual violence and child maltreatment in a community-coordinated effort. Each collaborating organization will take on specific aspects of a plan, which leverages skills and resources and utilizes best practices.
Continued on page 6
Masthead photo: Rhododendron on Roan Mountain. Photo courtesy of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
GRANT NEWS
Focus Area Grants Focus Area Grants awarded in February and May totaled $395,268 and will support regional projects in Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming and Natural and Cultural Resources. The grants include: E A R LY C H I L D H O O D D E V E L O P M E N T - $99,5 00
Grants support children in realizing their full potential and fund programs to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children ages 0-5. Community Action Opportunities (CAO) was awarded $99,500 to enhance the social-emotional competence skills of more than 530 preschool-age children in 27 Head Start classrooms in Buncombe and Madison counties. CAO will use a comprehensive approach involving children, early childhood professionals, families, and community members. The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant. F O O D A N D FA R M I N G - $1 30 ,0 0 0
Grants increase opportunities for local farmers and food entrepreneurs that support the sustainability and profitability of WNC farms and address regional food insecurity and nutrition.
In February 2018, Elizabeth Brazas, Vice President Philip Belcher and Distribution Committee Chair Jennie Eblen traveled to Raleigh for the Institute for Emerging Issues’ Kidonomics, a program focused on connections between early childhood investments, North Carolina’s economy, and the development of a well-trained workforce. The session included an examination of local, state and federal policies that impact early childhood programs, financing opportunities, health perspectives, and workforce and skills gap issues aimed at helping communities design, implement and fund early childhood programs. The CFWNC team is pictured here with State Senator Terry Van Duyn and special guest Elmo. Photo courtesy of CFWNC.
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project was awarded $40,000 to increase farmers’ direct sales in WNC. This project will support staff who provide farmers and farmers’ markets with training and technical assistance for direct marketing strategies. It will also cover costs of promoting direct markets through key publications (the Local Food Guide, a CSA guide), targeted promotions of farmers’ markets and customer engagement events. The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and an anonymous fund co-invested in this grant. Eliada Homes, Inc., was awarded $30,000 to support Eliada Farms, a project that puts land into food production that will provide cost savings and fresh foods (see page 3). Eliada Farms’ primary goal is to build capacity for agency sustainability through an increase in earned revenue. Two commercial growing tunnels will be put into production and will raise enough produce to be sold wholesale. An anonymous fund partnered with CFWNC to make this grant. MANNA FoodBank was awarded $40,000 to increase access to nutritious food for families and to build the capacity of its partner agency network to provide local, sustainable approaches to nutrition by implementing “Nutrition Works,” an onsite nutrition education and clinic referral project. The ultimate goal is to provide access to and consumption of nutritious foods by those in need to address health disparities among vulnerable populations. The Peterson Endowment Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant. Organic Growers School (OGS) was awarded $20,000 to support the expansion of year-round farmer programs including targeted expansion into Polk County in partnership with Growing Rural Opportunities. OGS aspires to create a culture that prioritizes racial equity and supports a diverse farming community. Staff and farmer instructor training, as well as outreach to marginalized farmers, has begun and would be supported through this grant. An anonymous fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant. N AT U R A L A N D C U LT U R A L R E S O U R C E S - $65 , 768
Grants and capacity building aim to protect and enhance the health of the region’s natural systems and support and develop the region’s arts-based economy. American Whitewater was awarded $5,618 to continue facilitation of the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership during the final phases of the Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Management Plan Revisions. The Biltmore Estate Charitable Fund and Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.
Open Hearts Art Center (OHAC) is a day program that provides arts mentoring, practice, support and activities to Buncombe County adults with developmental disabilities. An $11,505 People in Need grant funded an upgrade to an electronic medical records system that freed up approximately 2,350 staff hours a year, saving OHAC approximately $40,000 in administrative costs and reducing the large administrative burden on personnel. Developmentally-disabled adults often require personal attention and support to be included in community life. It has become economically challenging to provide such one-on-one care due to aging clients and restrictions from regulatory agencies that place new limits on reimbursement for personalized support. OHAC has grown tenfold over the past decade, growing from a tiny space serving a few people to a large studio currently serving 56 clients with varying levels of abilities. Photo courtesy of OHAC.
Asheville Symphony Society, Inc. (ASO) received $25,150 to support a recording project with the GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers, as part of a recording and audience engagement initiative connecting ASO with leading performers of popular music. The Phyllis Patton Charitable Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant. Green Built Alliance was awarded $25,000 for the Blue Horizons Project, an effort by the 15 member organizations of the Energy Innovation Task Force to motivate WNC residents and businesses to cut energy usage to avoid the construction of more natural gas-fired power plants in the region. The Fidel Duke Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant. Jackson County Green Energy Park (GEP) received $10,000 to develop a waste vegetable oil burner system to be utilized by artists who require high heat levels in their processes. Once developed, the burner has the potential for replication and mass-production, potentially becoming a revenue stream for the GEP. The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.
2
Poaching of natural resources on the Blue Ridge Parkway is widespread and very damaging to native ginseng, galax, bog turtles, nesting peregrines and other rare and sensitive species. Field assessments indicate that up to 90% of sensitive plant locations are accessed annually. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation (BRPF) was awarded a $27,936 Natural and Cultural Resources grant to deter poaching and vandalism on the Parkway. Funds will support the installation of force multipliers, advanced remote sensing and monitoring equipment that alerts park rangers to activity. The devices have a ten-year life-span and are easily moved. A rotating deployment plan, based on poaching seasons and sensitive species habits, will result in more effective and efficient use of existing Ranger staff. Photo courtesy of the BRPF.
GRANT NEWS
The Grow Dome will supply Eliada's kitchen and cafeteria and will offer learning opportunities. Photo courtesy of Eliada Homes.
Eliada's 320-acre campus houses education, foster care and transitional living programs serving more than 600 children annually. Photo courtesy of CFWNC.
Eliada Homes
B U I L D I N G S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y T O H E L P C H I L D R E N
Eliada Homes has been serving children for 115 years. Through treatment, education, foster care and transitional living programs, Eliada cares for more than 600 children a year. “We receive 700 calls a year for foster care beds, and on any given day, we have between 35 and 40 licensed beds. We receive 500 calls a year for children who need to be in residential treatment, and we have 39 beds on campus,” said Development Officer Nora Scheff. “There is more need than we can serve,” added Frank Taylor, Chief Business Development Officer. Historically about ninety percent of Eliada’s income came from federal, state and local contracts. Eliada now faces funding challenges due to a lack of diverse funding streams and cuts to government programs for children. “We have about 320 acres, about half wooded and half pasture,” said Taylor. “I looked at the space every day and thought, what can we do with our space? They farmed here, and it made sense to me that we would go back to our roots. The Grow Dome not only supports sustainability, it provides a teaching space for teachers, food for our kitchen and cafeteria and another revenue stream. It is also a showpiece that will attract new people to the campus.”
“Eliada Farms and the Grow Dome are part of our plan for sustainability,” explained Scheff. “When three months are up, and Medicaid is not going to pay for a young person to stay in treatment, we want to be able to pay for that child to stay. We want to break the cycle of them bouncing from out-of-home placement to out-of-home placement. We know that is not therapeutic for a child.” Recent CFWNC grants to Eliada include a three-year $150,000 Melvin R. Lane Fund grant that is supporting a major gifts position and efforts to diversify revenue; a $30,000 Food and Farming grant for Eliada Farms; and a $20,000 People in Need grant for a Farm Manager and the Grow Dome project. “The Community Foundation means so much to Eliada,” continued Scheff. “There are so many ways they help us from grants and management of our endowment funds to individual donors who steward their funds to us through CFWNC. We really appreciate the partnership because our funding strategy is ‘people, people, people,’ and The Community Foundation brings people to us.” Watch the Video at www.cfwnc.org.
The mentoring relationships made and supported by Big Brothers Big Sisters have been shown to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of children served. Photos courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters WNC.
People in Need Grant Supports Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor Recruitment Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina’s board recognized that they needed to market to a wider audience to attract more volunteers. They launched 100 Mentors in 100 Days, their first unified mentor recruitment campaign, with a $20,000 People in Need grant. The campaign exceeded its goal and attracted 106 new mentor applications, an influx of volunteers that has greatly decreased the waiting list and provided 47% more children with the benefits of a one-on-one mentoring relationship. With grant support, Big Brothers Big Sisters also added a Communications Coordinator to transform marketing and outreach into a coordinated effort implemented by ten local
branch offices. The success of the project in its first year has built an agency-wide commitment to sustaining the position as a necessary and vital addition for expanding services to children. The North Carolina poverty rate for children is 18%. Approximately 86% of the children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program qualify for free/reduced school lunch. Poverty constricts school engagement and academic achievement and increases a child's potential for involvement in risky behaviors. Mentoring has been shown to be an effective prevention method. In recent years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC has invested time and effort in an organizational overhaul that has resulted in
tripling the number of children served and doubling the budget and the number of employees. Essentially, they took advantage of an AmeriCorps grant that supported activity in the schools to expand services and partnerships. WNC Nonprofit Pathways and a CFWNC Capacity Grant supported the development of a strategic plan that addressed board development, volunteer management and succession planning. The organization emerged stronger internally and more effective in its mission to help WNC children achieve their highest potential. Learn more or volunteer: www.bbbswnc.org.
3
GRANT NEWS
Pigeon River Fund Awards $217,010 in Water Quality Grants P R O J E C T S B E N E F I T B U N C O M B E , H AY W O O D A N D MADISON COUNTIES
The Pigeon River Fund recently awarded $217,010 to environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, expand public use and access to waterways and increase water quality awareness in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties. Since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed nearly $7 million in grants. The most recent Pigeon River Fund grant recipients are: Haywood Waterways Association, Inc. - $44,970 for the Elevated Park Stream Improvement Project on Jonathan Creek, a major tributary in the Pigeon River watershed in Maggie Valley. Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation & Development Council $15,840 to replace a straight pipe with a septic system in the Spring Creek community outside of Hot Springs.
Asheville GreenWorks received a grant to install a new Trash Trout on Hominy Creek. Made out of booms and an old pontoon boat, a Trash Trout collects floating debris as it moves downstream with the current. Volunteers empty the device after heavy rains when debris is washed into storm drains and local waterways. It is estimated that more than 1,000 pounds of trash will be collected every year. Photo courtesy of Asheville GreenWorks.
Town of Black Mountain - $28,000 for planning services to create professional engineering plans for approximately 1,600 linear feet of the Swannanoa River in Veteran's Park in Black Mountain.
tract will protect drinking water supply and headwater streams of Jonathans Creek. The grant is contingent on other necessary funds being secured.
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy - $15,000 to survey a conservation easement on the Terry Rogers Farm in the Crabtree community of Haywood County. The 160-acre farm includes significant headwaters of the Pigeon River that will be protected from real estate development.
RiverLink - $26,000 to purchase education equipment, including a portable stream table, dissecting microscopes and backpack electrofisher. Supplies will facilitate hands-on, inquiry-based field lessons for schools, summer camps and the public.
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy - $15,000 to survey a conservation easement on the Edwin Rogers Farm in the Crabtree community of Haywood County. The 215-acre farm includes significant headwaters of the Pigeon River that will be protected from real estate development. Asheville GreenWorks - $22,200 to expand its successful Trash Trout project with a new installation on Hominy Creek. Maggie Valley Sanitary District - $30,000 toward the protection of the 163-acre Sirkin property in Haywood County. Acquisition of the Sirkin
North Carolina Arboretum Society - $20,000 to help transform a sediment catch basin into an innovative stormwater wetland complex by increasing the pond's storage capacity, improving filtering and management of stormwater and increasing habitat for the rare mole salamander and other aquatic species. The Pigeon River Fund was established through an agreement between Carolina Power & Light (now Duke Energy) and the State of North Carolina. For information about the Pigeon River Fund, contact Senior Program Officer Tara Scholtz at 828-367-9913.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships Awarded Totaling $540,000 CFWNC recently approved scholarships totaling $540,000 to 103 students in 59 schools in 19 counties in Western North Carolina. Sixty volunteers from the community worked to review applications and select recipients. Top recipients were: • Michael Byrd from Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Academy was awarded the Irving Jacob Reuter Award valued at $40,000 over four years. He plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill. • Natalie Gabriel from Asheville High School was awarded the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship valued at $40,000 over four years. She plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill. • Ada McKinney from Mitchell High School was awarded the Charles C. and Suzanne R. McKinney Scholarship valued at $30,000 over four years. • Antonio Flores from Clyde A. Erwin High School was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship Scholarship Officer Lezette Parks with recipient valued at $30,000 over four years. He plans to attend UNC Charlotte. Raleigh Cury. Photo courtesy of CFWNC. • Jeshua Pott from Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Academy was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship valued at $30,000 over four years. He plans to attend Western Carolina University. • Shivani Patel from East Henderson High School was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship valued at $30,000 over four years. She plans to attend NC State University. • Morgan Mathis from Andrews High School was awarded the Reichman Scholarship valued at $30,000 over four years. She plans to pursue a degree in Nursing through the RIBN (Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses) program through Southwestern Community College and Western Carolina University. • Aionna Hyatt from Asheville High School was awarded the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship valued at $20,000. She plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University.
4
Many recipients and family members attended CFWNC's inaugural Scholarship Reception held on May 10 to celebrate student achievement and awards. Mary Beth Thomas, who received the Charles C. and Suzanne R. McKinney Scholarship and the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship for a total value of $32,000 over four years, and Raleigh Cury, who received the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship, Newton Academy-Forster/Stevens Scholarship, and the William Bradley Ayers Scholarship for a total value of $42,000 over four years, shared their experiences and gratitude. Mary Beth is attending UNC Chapel Hill and hopes to get her degree in Health Policy and Management. Raleigh just finished her first year at UNC Chapel Hill, where she’s in the Honors College and is a Buckley Public Service Scholar. She’s a Political Science and Public Policy double major with a minor in Hispanic Studies.
A F F I L I AT E N E W S
The Fund for Mitchell County Receives Major Gift An anonymous donor has made a generous $600,000 contribution to The Fund for Mitchell County. With years of generous community support and this extraordinary contribution, the Fund’s assets now total $1 million. “We are very grateful for every generous person who has helped us reach this goal,” said Advisory Board Chair Dan Barron, “and especially for an anonymous donor who wants no credit for themselves, but whose contribution will mean so much to Mitchell County. Building this permanent resource means we can fund important projects now and continue to meet changing needs over time.” The Fund for Mitchell County was established in 1999 by local residents as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Since 1999, The Fund for Mitchell County, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded 78 grants totaling more than $695,000.
The McDowell Endowment, in partnership with CFWNC, awarded $20,000 to Grace Community Church to purchase roofing material for homes occupied by low-income residents, identified by the McDowell Housing Coalition, who are unable to pay for necessary roof replacement. Photo courtesy of Grace Community Church.
Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) received a $10,000 grant from The Yancey Fund and the Bailey-Hilliard Fund toward the revitalization of Ray-Cort Park. Funds will purchase playground equipment, secure in-kind donations and provide resources to gather community input and collaboration from a diverse group of partners. Photo courtesy of PATH.
A $20,000 grant from The Fund for Mitchell County, in partnership with CFWNC, was awarded to the Spruce Pine United Methodist Church/Lamplighters Afterschool Literacy Program to fund a Literacy Coordinator and Orton-Gillingham training to serve students with learning differences, including dyslexia. Photo courtesy of Spruce Pine UMC Lamplighters.
Spring Affiliate Gifts Announced CFWNC encourages the growth of affiliate funds to build charitable capital to address local needs. CFWNC provides investment, accounting, grantmaking, training and administrative support. Local advisory boards focus on setting priorities, raising funds and supporting nonprofit organizations. Through strategic planning and development, six affiliate funds have recently reached an asset level that will allow them to award meaningful and significant grants through independent grant programs. In the coming months, these funds will join the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, the Cashiers Community Fund and the Rutherford County Endowment using exclusively local dollars to support local needs. Grants continue to flow from the affiliates to their communities through this transition period. The Cashiers Community Fund and the Highlands Community Fund will award grants later this summer. The following awards were made this spring: • Fifteen grants totaling $90,905 were recently awarded to nonprofits by the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, the Buckner Family Endowment Fund, the Helen S. and Jerry M. Newbold, Jr. Endowment Fund and the Forbes Fund for Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley. • Five grants totaling $29,291 were recently awarded by The Fund for Haywood County, the J. Aaron and Adora H. Prevost Endowment Fund and the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund. The Medford Fund supports beautification, streetscape improvements and other public amenities in Waynesville. • Three grants totaling $1,840 were awarded by The Fund for Mitchell County. • Eight grants totaling $10,000 have been made to local nonprofit organizations by The McDowell Endowment. To date, more than $1 million in grants has been awarded by The McDowell Endowment, in partnership with CFWNC, to nonprofits and service agencies in McDowell County. • Nine grants totaling $75,000 were recently awarded to nonprofits by the Rutherford County Endowment, bringing total grantmaking since the Endowment’s inception to more than $1.3 million. • Five grants totaling $10,000 were recently awarded to nonprofits by the Transylvania Endowment. With these grants, the Endowment has made 110 grants totaling more than $950,000 since 1999. • Eleven grants totaling $74,000 were recently awarded to nonprofits by The Yancey Fund, bringing total grantmaking since the Endowment’s inception to more than $1 million. LEARNING LINKS
College-Bound Vikings Explore A Learning Links grant covered costs associated with a college visit trip for 24 Avery County High School juniors who are potential first-generation college students. The three-night trip to Chapel Hill and Raleigh included official tours, admissions information sessions, alumni panels and on-campus dining. Students met with Avery alumni currently enrolled at some schools to learn about the college transition. Financial access to educational experiences is the primary barrier in keeping Avery students from visiting and attending colleges. “Thanks to the generous support, we were able to dramatically expand the scope of our college visit program to include three times more students than last year,” said Kirsten K. Huffer, College Advising Corps Adviser and AmeriCorps member. “We were also able to make our college trip free to all interested students, making it accessible to those who might otherwise have found it difficult or impossible to participate.” Explore was the first free overnight college visit for Avery students. The Learning Links program offers grants up to $800 per teacher to public schools to provide "hands-on" creative learning projects. The grants are made possible by the Ben W. and Dixie Glenn Farthing Charitable Endowment, the Cherokee County Schools Foundation Endowment Fund and the Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund.
College-bound Vikings Explore visited UNC Chapel Hill. Photo courtesy of Avery County High School.
5
NONPROFIT FUND PROFILE
Do you want it here or to go? B R E A D O F L I F E F E E D S T R A N S Y LVA N I A C O U N T Y
Transylvania County’s Bread of Life serves up to 200 lunches a day, Monday through Friday; delivers meals to homebound people; and provides food boxes to approximately 90 families each month. Its goal is to share food with those who have none. "The only question we ask is do you want it for here or to go?” said Director Michael Collins, referring to the food received as donations from local farmers, bakeries and groceries. “We like to think we feed people more than just food, but if you are hungry you will certainly get a good meal as well as some more to take home for later." Since its inception in 1997, the organization has received wide-spread community support from churches, schools, civic groups, farms and even camps. Located in downtown Brevard, its services are made possible by hundreds of volunteers and a very small staff.
Director Michael Collins with the Bread of Life food truck. Photo courtesy of Bread of Life.
Bread of Life’s board recently took the step of opening a CFWNC nonprofit fund to ensure long-term stability and financial health. The funds for the endowment were contributed by a donor who plans to continue to build the endowment. “Establishing an endowment is a huge milestone in the timeline of any nonprofit organization,” said Board Chair Bill Moore. “We are very grateful for our donor who made this possible for Bread of Life.” The nonprofit owns its building and installed a solar hot-water system for environmental reasons and to cut propane costs. The hot water generated is now used by The Haven, an emergency overnight shelter for eighteen people that opened on the same site in October. The Haven and Bread of Life have received grants from the Transylvania Endowment as well as funds from the People in Need and Janirve Sudden and Urgent Need grant programs. Learn more at www.breadoflifetc.org. FUNDHOLDER PROFILE
Power of the Purse® continued from page 1.
Hardy Holland and John Moody A L I G N I N G F U N D S W I T H PA S S I O N S
CFWNC’s constituents fall mainly into three categories – fundholders, professional advisors and nonprofits. Often there is crossover, and in the case of Hardy Holland and John Moody, they work with CFWNC in all three ways.
Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
Holland, who works in wealth management, often refers clients to the Foundation and calls on the staff for assistance and expertise. Holland and Moody are dedicated community volunteers who cite arts and education as their passions. The nonprofits they work with utilize the Foundation’s asset management services and training. And, finally, they have planned for a gift from their estate that will support their favorite causes after their lifetimes.
“When I came here I didn’t have much experience with a community foundation,” said Holland. Moody agreed, “Our relationship with the Asheville City Schools Foundation was really the stepping stone. There was a lot of exposure to CFWNC through that work.” Hardy serves as the board chair for Diana Wortham Theatre. He was impressed when he learned about the Arthur J. Fryar Charitable Fund, which supports the annual Dance Series. Though Art passed away in 2006, the fund he created continues to make an impact on the community. Hardy hopes it encourages others to do the same. “I work in wealth management,” said Holland. “I had gotten involved with my clients and enjoyed working with them to understand their philanthropic goals and what they want to accomplish. Then we realized that CFWNC would be a good way for us to create our own charitable plan. We have the security of having a plan in place, with the flexibility to adjust its charitable priorities over the rest of our lives.” “Essentially you can create a fund at The Community Foundation rather than set up your own private foundation,” said John. “Working with CFWNC, we have access to a giving structure that would be difficult and expensive to set up on our own.” “It is important to align your money with your true passions,” added Moody. “The Community Foundation is a resource for us now, and the permanence of the Foundation means our charitable impact will continue long after our lifetimes.”
6
Women for Women’s Barbara Norman announced the grant to Buncombe Partners in Prevention. Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
It’s phenomenal to have support through members of our community who have a personal investment in making it a better place. It is a beautiful thing. — April Burgess-Johnson Executive Director, Helpmate “The grant shows the level of commitment Women for Women has to transforming communities,” said Angelica Wind, executive director of Our VOICE. “They are taking it a step further with this grant, in the sense that they are funding a prevention project. In a way, it is saying ‘we want to be part of the solution,’ and getting to the real root of the problem.” Geoff Sidoli, executive director of Mountain Child Advocacy Center, described the approach as “attacking the problem from every angle, starting in the home and ending with the state legislature.” The 2018 Power of the Purse® benefits The Women’s Fund, a permanent endowment at The Community Foundation. Proceeds from The Women’s Fund are distributed through the Women for Women grant program and this year provided $44,310 to the grant pool.
GIVING BACK
Funds Created Between July 1 and December 31, 2017
A Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust allows donors to make a future gift and receive income and tax advantages now.
• John Hazlehurst Charitable Gift Annuity 11 • John Hazlehurst Charitable Gift Annuity 12 • Diana Armatage Johnston Charitable Gift Annuity • Philip J. Smith and Patricia S. Smith Charitable Remainder Unitrust
Designated Funds support specific nonprofits named by the donor when the fund is established.
• Broadwell Designated Fund 2017 • JBH MHH IRA 2017 Fund • Rob Pulleyn Designated Fund 2017 • Robinson 2017 Charitable Fund • Mary Sauerteig Fund for the Transylvania Community Arts Council
Donor Advised Funds allow donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit and recommend grants over time. • Buehler Donor Advised Fund • Bonnie Cooper Charitable Fund • Dahlia Fund • Damroth Foundation Fund • Fernbach Rishebarger Fund • Grandpa Dunn Feeder Fund • Hammett Family Charitable Fund • Ives Lemel Fund • Joshua Fund • Dudley & Becky Lehman Charitable Fund • Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club Charitable Fund • Frank and Donna Patton Transylvania County Education Endowment Fund • Marvin M. and Mary Hood Pearlman Charitable Fund • Robinson-Dame Charitable Fund • John B. and Anne Brown Rogers Fund • G&S Sanguine Fund • Sensibilities Cares Fund • Sigmon Fund • David and Frances Strawn Charitable Fund • Subhadra Memorial Fund • Jill and Benjamin Trichon Fund • Harriet H. and Kenneth W. Walls Fund • WNC Resolve Fund
Expectancy Funds are established to receive assets at a later time, typically through an estate plan, charitable gift annuity or charitable trust. • 1400 Fund • CooperRiis Capital Investments Fund • CooperRiis Maintenance Reserve Fund • John Moody and Hardy Holland Asheville Fund • Nadine's Fund • Friends of Oakdale Cemetery Fund • Rick Ott Fund • Magic Pebble Fund
Giving and Tax Reform In December 2017, a major tax reform bill was signed into law. Some of its provisions may affect you. Here’s what you should know: • Charitable gifts are still deductible. However, the standard deduction has been greatly increased. Check with your tax advisor to understand your individual situation. • Appreciated assets remain great options for giving. If you donate long-term appreciated assets, such as stock, you avoid capital gains taxes. This increases your contribution’s value compared to giving cash. • Some limits on deductions for charitable gifts have been increased. Cash gifts equal to 60% of your AGI can now be deducted (the old limit was 50%). Phase-outs for itemized deductions for higher income taxpayers were repealed, expanding deductions for those at higher income levels. • There was no change to IRA Charitable Rollover giving. As soon as you are 70½, you can give up to $100,000 annually from your IRA directly to charity. While this transfer isn’t deductible, the amount counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution and is not taxed as income. • The advantages of charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts are unchanged. These “life income gifts” provide an income to individuals first and a charitable gift later. • There is still an estate tax. However, the threshold for estates subject to tax increases from $5 million to $10 million – which is $20 million for most married couples. Should I change my giving plans? It depends . . . on your giving habits, age, income sources and needs. Some things to consider: • “Bundling” your giving in order to use deductions in some years but not others. • Giving from your traditional IRA. If you meet the age requirement and don’t need all the income from your IRA, you can make taxadvantaged gifts without itemizing deductions. • Creating a donor advised fund. When you create a donor advised fund, you can make a substantial gift in one year, then recommend charitable grants over time. Donor advised funds are efficient and allow you to maintain annual giving to organizations that depend on steady gifts to operate efficiently. • Consider all your assets. Stocks, real estate, business interests, life insurance, and retirement plan assets are all options for giving. • Create a charitable legacy. You can give without changing your lifestyle when you add a bequest to your will or trust, or name a charity as the beneficiary of your retirement plan, IRA account or life insurance policy. As always, seek your financial or tax advisor’s guidance for your particular situation. At CFWNC, Sheryl Aikman (aikman@cfwnc.org) and Becky Davis (bdavis@cfwnc.org) are ready to help.
Field of Interest Funds support a broadly defined area such as the arts, the environment or health. • Charlie and Tennie Allison Gibbs Charitable Fund • Frances M. Miller Charitable Fund
Memorial Funds are established for donations in memory of a loved one and as a simple, meaningful way to honor a life. • Highlands School Education Fund
Nonprofit Funds are created to invest and steward a nonprofit’s long-term or endowed assets. • Border Memorial Folkmoot Foundation, Inc. Fund • Bread of Life Endowment Fund • Camp Cedar Cliff Fund • Children's Welfare League Fund • Merrie Woode Foundation Inc. Fund • Rainbow Community School Fund • Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation Fund
Dan Akers, Carter Webb and Evan Gilreath. Photo courtesy of CFWNC.
27th Annual Professional Seminar CFWNC presented its 27th Annual Professional Seminar featuring Thomas J. Pauloski, a Director in the Wealth Management Group of Bernstein Global Wealth Management, on May 3 at Lioncrest on the Biltmore Estate. Nearly 100 attorneys, accountants, financial planners, insurance and fundraising professionals gathered to hear “Trumping Uncertainty: Integrating Investment, Estate, Charitable and Insurance Planning.” Using case studies, Pauloski addressed the relationship between investment, estate, charitable, and insurance planning. CFWNC works closely with advisers and their clients and is pleased to partner with generous sponsors to host the event.
7
BOARD NEWS
Our Affiliates
CFWNC
Phone: 828-254-4960 Fax: 828-251-2258 www.cfwnc.org
Management Team Left: Jennie Eblen and Larry Weiss with Board Chair A.C. Honeycutt. Right: Retiring Real Estate Foundation advisory board members Ann Skoglund and Cindy Eller with Elizabeth Brazas. Photos courtesy of CFWNC.
CFWNC benefits greatly from community volunteers who donate their time and expertise to support our mission. Jennie Eblen and Larry Weiss are rotating off of the Board of Trustees after nine years of service. Jennie has worked tirelessly as a member of the Distribution Committee, and Larry has devoted countless hours leading CFWNC’s Investment Committee. We thank them for their service and are happy to report that they both will continue to volunteer with the Foundation in different roles. Cindy Eller, Ann Skoglund and Brad Freeman are concluding their terms on the WNC Real Estate Foundation (WNC REF) board. WNC REF is a CFWNC supporting organization created to receive charitable gifts of real estate and other illiquid assets. Volunteers are a crucial part of our work and process. Thank you very much to the retiring members. We are most grateful for your service.
Sheryl Aikman, Vice President, Development Philip Belcher, Vice President, Programs Elizabeth Brazas, President Lindsay Hearn, Communications Director Graham Keever, Chief Financial Officer
Officers
Board of Directors
A.C. Honeycutt, Jr., Chair Laurence Weiss, Secretary
Board Members Maurean B. Adams Caroline M. Avery James W. Baley Guadalupe Chavarria II William Clarke Jennie Eblen
Black Mountain–Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund Cashiers Community Fund The Fund for Haywood County Highlands Community Fund The McDowell Endowment The Fund for Mitchell County Rutherford County Endowment Transylvania Endowment The Yancey Fund
Stephanie Norris Kiser, Vice-Chair G. Edward Towson, II, Treasurer Michael Fields Charles Frederick Connie Haire Susan Jenkins Joanne Badr Morgan Lowell R. Pearlman
Scott Shealy J. Chris Smith Sarah Sparboe Thornburg Stephen Watson
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID
Asheville, NC Permit No. 518
4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300 Asheville, NC 28803
To receive future newsletters electronically and to subscribe to CFWNC E-News, please send an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to enews@cfwnc.org. It’s easy to support CFWNC Use the Donate Now button at www.cfwnc.org to make a tax-deductible contribution to any of our funds or to honor a friend or family member.
Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
S TA F F N E W S
Beth Semadeni, Office Manager, started working for CFWNC in 2004 and recently retired in May. For years, she has kept the office and staff organized, while playing a major role in Power of the Purse and management of the CFWNC Board of Directors. She kept things running smoothly and anticipated needs before they were apparent. She has been a calming, steady presence and will be sorely missed. CFWNC is pleased to welcome three new staff members. Amber Harrelson-Williams has taken on the new role of Program Associate; Angelica Hines is the new Office Administrator; and Rebecca Telberg joined the staff as Development Associate. Amber HarrelsonWilliams comes to CFWNC from the City of Asheville Human Resources Department. Prior to her work at the City, she was in sales and management for the Gallery of the Mountains at the Grove Park Inn. She graduated from UNC Asheville in 2010. Photo by Michael Amber has volunteered Oppenheim. for numerous organizations including Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Arts for Life, Claxton Elementary School A+ Committee, CarePartners Hospice Festival of Trees and Special Olympics of Buncombe County.
Angelica Hines is an Asheville native who recently returned home after living and working in Atlanta. She graduated from UNC Greensboro and has experience in retail, customer service, consumer apparel and client relations. Angel will put her interpersonal and multi-tasking skills to work Photo courtesy of at CFWNC’s front desk CFWNC. and will ensure smooth functioning of the CFWNC office. She has volunteered for Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church and Habitat for Humanity and looks forward to working with CFWNC to support regional nonprofits.
After growing up in the New York City area, Rebecca transferred to UNC Asheville and graduated with a BA in Sociology. She decided to make the Blue Ridge Mountains her permanent home. Rebecca worked in administration at a law office, while also making soap for a small local business. She found herself back at UNC Asheville as Transfer Photo by Michael Admissions Counselor before Oppenheim. starting at CFWNC in October. Rebecca volunteers her time for various community organizations working on issues she is passionate about. She loves international travel and is planning her next trip to the Caribbean this summer.