evolve August 2023

evolve inside our work

Strategic Framework Adopted Scholarships

Awarded

Forward Fund

Established

Friends Neighbors

Philanthropists

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION of WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

CONTENTS

President’s Letter • 2

News + Voices • 3-6

Nonprofit Partners • 7-8

Women for Women Grants • 9-10

Equity + Our Work • 11-12

Grant News • 13-14

Friends + Neighbors + Philanthropists • 15

Forward Fund Established • 16

Scholarships • 17

Funds + Giving Options • 18

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) was awarded a $50,000 Food & Farming grant to support sustainable local agriculture at its 140-acre Community Farm in Alexander. The Farm addresses local food system challenges with demonstration projects and educational programs. One of these projects is the creation and management of a silvopasture pilot project as a regional model and demonstration site. Silvopasture is the practice of integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way. Silvopastures produce multiple outputs on the same plot, making land more productive while sequestering five-to-ten times more tons of carbon than a traditional, treeless pasture. It is the largest silvopasture project in WNC and the only one located on conservation land.

Photo courtesy of SAHC

Evolving

Learning

It has been rewarding for CFWNC staff to be back out across the region connecting with nonprofit partners, attending affiliate meetings, meeting with donors and learning from stakeholders.

A community foundation wouldn’t function without collaboration, and much of our work is made possible by volunteers. In this issue, you’ll read stories that highlight the role that volunteers play. Whether it is the more than 60 community members who support our scholarship process, an affiliate advisory board, CFWNC Board or a Women for Women member, or someone helping in one of a hundred other ways, CFWNC depends on commitment to the region and the impulse to be part of solutions.

Numerous volunteers engaged in our strategic framework process. It resulted in a map of sorts highlighting the work we need to do to adjust our model to best serve this region. While much of this work falls to staff, we are guided, informed and educated by the people who choose to work with us. We could not be more grateful to be part of that philanthropic/ nonprofit ecosystem.

WNC’s philanthropic landscape has changed over the last few years. CFWNC is collaborating with other funders to ensure that we are working together as effectively as we can. We all have different strengths and abilities, and

communicating about these makes us more strategic in addressing issues in WNC.

Most recently, CFWNC has been involved in broadly collaborative efforts to support people in the counties affected by the closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in Canton. The situation affects Haywood County and beyond and will require years of work to address comprehensively. You can read more about our support and the opening of the Forward Fund to facilitate the transition and recovery.

I am constantly impressed with the creativity of our nonprofit partners. To understand how land trusts and farmers are innovating, read about the recent silvopasture project at SAHC’s model farm or watch a short video about TRACTOR Food and Farms on our website. The recent Asheville Merchants Fund and Women for Women grants also illustrate a broad spectrum of approaches to systemic issues.

We remain grateful to be part of our entire ecosystem. We know that needs are ever present and ever changing. We also know that WNC is resilient and populated with deep thinkers and people who act for the greater good.

Onward.

Elizabeth Brazas with YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly CEO Melissa Logan at a nonprofit fundholder site visit earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of CFWNC

In the Town of Rosman (Transylvania County), more than 60 percent of school-age children are eligible for free breakfasts. From school records, we believe that 150 are at risk. Rosman has three schools, but, with no youth center or focal point in the town, offers few activities after 3 p.m. For Rosman youth, the closest afterschool or summer programs are a one-way, ten-mile school bus ride away in Brevard. Some families utilize the bus, but most do not. Rosman Youth Support Center (RYSC) focuses on the majority who have nowhere to go after school and, particularly, on those that the schools classify as homeless or at risk.

RYSC started twelve months ago as a pilot program of Isaac Homes Youth Services (IHYS), located on the edge of Rosman and funded with charitable donations. With a part-time Executive Director, RYSC provided a safe educational and community space, from 3-7 p.m. on school days, to see if young people would use such a facility. By working with the schools to get a Memorandum of Understanding in place and gaining the trust of the community, RYSC is now at capacity

serving twelve students per day, on average. RYSC increases access to high quality, out-of-school programming for young people. Programs focus on a positive youth development model, which provides opportunities to learn skills and develop assets necessary to resist high-risk behaviors and succeed in life. RYSC works to ensure that participants receive essential support that helps them make connections and realize their potential.

Our plan is to move to a central location, walking distance from the middle and high school, and open a center capable of serving 45 youth every day. An expanded RYSC center will reach a wider group and provide clothes and shoes, food and personal hygiene products, especially for the girls, and warm sleeping bags, as an important first step to establishing trust and connection. A higher number of participants will also lower the cost per individual.

RYSC is an effective model for small mountain town America. We have discovered a way to check on and connect with teens. We engage every youth who walks through our doors, and we meet them where they are. Some want to talk, while others may need quiet and a break from the pressure of school and home. In addition to being the center of activity for out-of-school time activities, RYSC will offer teen runaways a safe place through supervised shelter.

The Rosman Youth Support Center is a one-of-a-kind facility that cherishes and capitalizes on the resilience of a small town while supporting vulnerable young people. We are grateful for CFWNC’s support of our work.

Ryan Hinkleman, M.A. Ed., M.S. Ed. Executive Director, Rosman Youth Support Center isaachomes.org

CFWNC staff and Transylvania Endowment Advisory Board members visited Isaac Homes Youth Services recently. It received 2023 Human Services and Transylvania Endowment grants. Photo courtesy of CFWNC

Toe River Arts was awarded a $10,000 Natural and Cultural Resources grant to market and promote its documentary video about the lives and influence of artists Cynthia and Edwina Bringle. CFWNC hosted a screening in Asheville at the Grail Moviehouse in June. The legacy project, directed by Vincent Martinez, captures the Bringle sisters’ history, artistic contributions to the field of craft, significance as educators and mentors, and the role they have played in the life of Penland School of Craft and the Toe River region. The video will be broadly available to film festivals, arts organizations, schools, libraries and on the web. Toe River Arts is a regional arts council serving Yancey and Mitchell counties, an area populated by hundreds of artists who settled in the area for proximity to Penland School of Craft and its continually growing and supportive community of craftspeople.

31ST PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR

On May 9, CFWNC’s Annual Professional Seminar brought 64 advisors together to learn about recent developments in audits and case law related to the creation and maintenance of family entities from estate planning and probate lawyer Stephanie Loomis-Price. Advisors refer many of their philanthropically-minded clients to CFWNC, and we are grateful for their partnership. This event offers continuing education credits and was sponsored by 24 generous WNC firms.

Cynthia and Edwina Bringle with director Vincent Martinez and Toe River Arts Executive Director Nealy Andrews, photo by Michael Oppenheim

Photo by Michael Oppenheim

Volunteers are crucial to CFWNC’s work, from scholarship committees to service on the Board of Directors. Billy Clarke and Susan Jenkins completed their Board service on June 30, and we are grateful for their guidance and expertise over the years. The following new board members have been elected:

Carla Barnard worked in London as a commercial real estate attorney for Hogan Lovells LLP, specializing in real estate finance, investment and complex development work for institutional clients. Since moving to Asheville in 2013, Carla has used her expertise to move into commercial real estate brokerage where she works alongside investors, businesses and nonprofit organizations to meet their commercial real estate goals.

Milton Butterworth is the Community Health Manager for Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville, NC, where he leads programming to improve health for Henderson County residents, including managing a Duke Endowment-funded community initiative, Healthy People Healthy Carolinas. It takes a bold approach to addressing chronic health issues, such as unhealthy weight, diabetes and heart disease while placing an emphasis on coalition building.

NPO Fundholder Social

CFWNC manages assets for more than 130 regional nonprofits. The funds represent 24% of total assets under management, and these partnerships are a significant and growing way that we serve the WNC nonprofit sector. On June 8, we brought fundholders together for networking at GRIND coffee shop in Asheville. CFWNC also organizes learning opportunities twice a year. Nonprofit fundholders gain access to CFWNC’s experience in administration and investment management as well as investment platforms that might not otherwise be available. Nonprofit development staff are freed from endowment oversight and management and benefit from CFWNC’s full range of charitable products and assistance in negotiating complex gifts. As a permanent charitable resource, CFWNC is honored to help ensure the long-term stewardship and fiscal management of our nonprofit partners.

Photo courtesy of CFWNC

Photo by Michael Oppenheim

55 New Funds

$30.8 Million Total Contributions

$34.5 Million Total Distributions

AFFILIATE FUND GRANTS AWARDED

Eight of CFWNC’s nine affiliates awarded grants recently totaling $792,300 to address needs in their communities. Complete grant lists are on the website and include:

$121,630 from the Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund

$162,170 from the Cashiers Community Fund

$64,900 from The Fund for Haywood County

$54,260 from The McDowell Endowment

$49,500 from The Fund for Mitchell County

$89,500 from the Rutherford County Endowment

$75,000 from the Transylvania Endowment

$154,340 from The Yancey Fund

Grant decisions from the Highlands Community Fund take place in the fall.

Photos from top moving left, courtesy of Neighbors in Ministry, Dig In! Yancey Community Garden, Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

In May, CFWNC awarded focus area grants totaling $408,113 in Early Childhood Development, Food & Farming, and Natural & Cultural Resources. Co-investors contributed $114,000, or 28%, of the total dollars awarded.

“CFWNC strives to be an effective and creative regional funder. We look for ways to say ‘yes’ and to support initiatives that leverage other resources. Many of these nonprofits are frequent collaborators with whom we enjoy long and deep partnerships. We are investing in others for the very first time and welcome the opportunity to learn about their communities, needs and work.”

Elizabeth Brazas

Early Childhood Development

Region A Partnership for Children received $63,163 to continue and expand its early literacy coordination work to support every young child in Region A’s seven WNC counties in acquiring the early literacy skills necessary to achieve grade level reading by third grade.

Co-investors: Mary Beth Allen Charitable Fund, John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and an anonymous fund

Food and Farming

McDowell Local Food Advisory Council received $66,500 to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle to transport food; to pay contract workers for the season to support an anticipated major influx of locally-grown food this summer; and to fund staff to manage the Marion Tailgate Market and connect with communities to distribute local food.

Organic Growers School as fiscal agent for the WNC Food Justice Planning Initiative received $54,000 to coordinate and develop the regional Initiative. The Initiative includes more than five dozen organizations, growers, businesses and community groups from across the 18-county region collaborating to build a more sustainable, resilient and equitable food system across 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary.

Co-investors: John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Carol Waggle Oliver Fund and an anonymous fund

Organic Growers School received $50,000 to implement programming providing WNC farmers with individualized support, comprehensive education and coaching services to enhance farmer success and sustainability.

Co-investors: Carol Waggle Oliver Fund and an anonymous fund

Polk County Government received $28,450 to support the management of the Columbus Farmers Market and Columbus Winter Market that operate 50 weeks of the year in Columbus, NC. Funds will support staffing costs, marketing supplies, events that directly promote products sold at the Market, and SNAP doubling.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) received $50,000 to support sustainable local agriculture at its 140-acre Community Farm. Funds will manage and grow its silvopasture pilot project (see inside front cover) as a regional demonstration site, add equipment to its value-added kitchen, and add staffing to assist SAHC’s Farm Manager with programs and the retail market.

Co-investors: Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Oliver Family Fund and two anonymous funds

Natural and Cultural Resources

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina received $31,000 to complete pre-construction work to develop the Wolfpen Loop Trail on conserved lands in McDowell County. The Wolfpen Loop project is a 10-mile loop trail located in Bobs Creek State Natural Area and Box Creek Wilderness Area and is part of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail, a planned, 170-mile trail system that will link over 55,000 acres of adjoining conservation lands across Catawba, Burke, McDowell and Rutherford counties. These trails are primarily located in rural areas that have not previously benefitted from trailbased outdoor recreation tourism.

Co-investors: Trillium Fund, Walnut Fund, John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund and an anonymous fund

Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) received $50,000 to develop final engineering and architectural designs for Phase 2 renovations of the Madison County Arts Center. Purchased in 2018, this downtown building is the first step toward realizing MCAC’s vision to create an arts and community center. This grant will fund planning that includes making the facility handicapped-accessible; renovating upper floors for classrooms; constructing a recording and digital-editing studio; enhancing the stage and performance area; and relocating the community FM radio station to the front window of the building.

Co-investor: An anonymous fund

The Wilderness Society as fiscal agent for the NantahalaPisgah Forest Partnership (NPFP) received $15,000 to provide additional facilitation support for the NPFP during the critical first 18 months of implementation of the US Forest Service (USFS) Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest management plan. The goal of this phase is to create specific working groups to address the opportunities of implementation.

Co-investors: The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund and an anonymous fund

Market, photo by MichaelOppenh

Photocourtesy of Reach Out and Read

Women for Women Awards $278,950 Bringing Total Giving to $5 Million

In May, the Women for Women giving circle awarded six grants totaling $278,950. With these awards, the Giving Circle has exceeded $5 million in grants serving WNC women and girls. Women for Women’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving.

“Women for Women is honored to support amazing nonprofits serving women and girls in WNC,” said WFW Grants Committee Chair Jill Preyer. “After carefully considering 60 applicants this year, the membership voted to fund six. This year, we are providing support to nonprofits addressing mental health, healthcare, child abuse and financial counseling.”

2023 Grants

All Souls Counseling Center – $64,650 over two years to expand individual and group trauma-informed mental health services to 240 survivors of crime referred by partnering agencies. Funds will cover therapist fees and support outreach efforts. This grant will primarily serve women in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Haywood and Transylvania counties.

“With this year’s awards, we have committed $5 million to organizations improving the lives of women and girls in WNC. This is a testament to the strength of WFW’s vision that women can accomplish great things when we pool our resources and work together.”

Bolling Farmer, WFW Steering Committee Chair

International Friendship Center – $15,000 over two years to support two staff members to facilitate Grupos de Mujeres (Women’s Groups) meetings and provide funding for supplies. The groups create a safe place for Latinx immigrant women living in the Highlands/Cashiers area to share their struggles and resources so they may learn from and support each other and their communities.

KARE, Inc. (The KARE House) – $49,350 to hire a part-time victim advocate and a part-time forensic interviewer. KARE provides evidence-based, communitycoordinated response to child abuse, neglect and exploitation in Haywood County through outreach, advocacy and specialized interventions. The grant will allow KARE to serve an additional 75 child survivors aged three to eighteen, with the majority of children identifying as female.

NAMI Western Carolina – $35,000 to hire an experienced part-time staff person to develop partnerships and initiate mental health and family support programming in partnership with organizations serving the Latinx community. This staff member will recruit and

train bilingual support group facilitators, offer Connection Peer and Family Support groups in Spanish, and serve up to 300 Spanish-speaking individuals, primarily in Henderson and Buncombe counties.

OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling – $65,000 over two years to expand the Women’s Financial Empowerment Center’s programming to BIPOC communities. Funding will compensate staff to co-create programs with community partners to provide financial education, counseling and coaching that meet diverse women’s needs and schedules. This project will primarily support women in Buncombe and Henderson counties.

Sistas Caring 4 Sistas – $49,950 over two years to support the organization’s move into an accessible, welcoming and functional office space and to increase the number of mothers served. Funds will train 10 new doulas, seek reimbursement from health insurance companies for services and improve client satisfaction. Sistas Caring 4 Sistas’ mission is to reduce adverse birth-related outcomes among individuals of color by providing doula services, advocacy and education.

Women for Women’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving. The Giving Circle always welcomes new members. Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.

Photos by Michael Oppenheim

MISSION

CFWNC inspires philanthropy and mobilizes resources to enrich lives and communities throughout the region.

VISION

Our vision is a vibrant and equitable Western North Carolina where all people can find opportunity and enjoy the region’s many resources.

Our actions reflect our values:

• We listen, cultivate relationships and build collective support to address community needs.

• We commit resources to these needs and inspire others to join us.

• We draw on our regional knowledge and partnerships to guide this work.

• We make giving easy, effective and enduring.

In May, the Board adopted a Framework to guide our work in the coming years. It is based on feedback from our community, gathered through surveys and in-person interviews, and positions us to better serve the region.

We heard from stakeholders that they value CFWNC’s responsiveness and flexibility. Nonprofits told us they want a funder that is consistent, transparent, accessible, and willing to develop partnerships with grassroots organizations. Stakeholders asked for more visibility

across the region, leadership on issues and advocacy, and systems change work.

People understand that CFWNC faces challenges, including regional needs that exceed our grantmaking capacity, a large and mostly rural service area, and a changing philanthropic landscape. Our new Framework provides us with a roadmap of necessary work across the organization to work toward the following goals and associated actions:

Strengthen our role as an effective and creative regional funder

• Evaluate focus areas to meet regional needs and reflect changes in the funding landscape

• Make grants that are responsive, accessible and flexible

• Increase accessibility in scholarship funding and process

Broaden and deepen partnerships across the region

• Convene donors and organizations about regional issues and resources

• Participate in efforts to collaborate on regional issues

• Build an advocacy framework and join others to collectively learn and collaborate

• Ensure operational capacity so that CFWNC remains a strong, permanent resource for the region

We are committed to embracing equity and communitybased solutions and reducing the power dynamics of the grantseeking–grantmaking process.

As we work toward our goals, we will communicate progress and plans. While changes may not be seismic, we have a more complete understanding of what our stakeholders want and need from their community foundation, and we will continue to work to improve our operations and our services.

Support the sustainability of CFWNC

CFWNC Board Chair Chris Smith with Armstrong McGuire consultants Darryl Lester and Hannah Randall. All photos courtesy of CFWNC

Asheville Merchants Fund Awards $400,000 in Grants

In June, the Asheville Merchants Fund awarded $400,000 to eight Buncombe County nonprofits to support innovative projects that strengthen community and stimulate economic growth. Each recipient receives $50,000 over two years. The grantees are:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to expand its Success 360 program that includes vocational readiness and career path education, critical life skills, financial literacy and aptitude testing.

Black Wall Street AVL to support BIPOC businesses, connecting them to resources to build an inclusive economic ecosystem.

Center for Agricultural and Food Entrepreneurship to support its expanded services via WNC Foodworks, a newly-constructed kitchen complex at the WNC Farmers Market.

Eblen Charities to provide a matched savings component to its Financial Empowerment Pilot Program

empowering restaurant workers to take control of their finances in a peer-based environment.

My Daddy Taught Me That to continue its job training and development program through education, job training experience, and partnerships with community members.

Mountain BizWorks to provide micro-loans and business education to a target population of low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on supporting entrepreneurs of color.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County to support Community Nights (formerly Homework Diners) at seven local schools: Asheville, Enka, Erwin, Owen, A.C. Reynolds, and N. Buncombe middle schools, and Asheville High/SILSA.

Working Wheels to increase its capacity to provide dependable vehicles and affordable automobile repairs for Buncombe County families.

Photo of Black Wall Street AVL, courtesy of CFWNC

Pigeon River Fund Awards $246,430

Bringing total Grantmaking to $9.2 Million

In May, the Pigeon River Fund awarded eleven grants totaling $246,430 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.

The most recent grants are:

$30,000 to Asheville GreenWorks to develop training materials for volunteer StreamKeepers and to support the Watershed Outreach Coordinator.

$21,900 to Haywood Waterways Association to repair three failing septic systems in the Pigeon River Watershed.

$8,750 to Haywood Waterways Association to address stormwater and streambank erosion issues on Shelton Branch, a tributary to Richland Creek, and to improve community access to the stream.

$9,000 to Laurel Community Center Organization for continued streambank restoration and to support the Laurel STREAM Team.

$10,000 to Maggie Valley Sanitary District to help acquire and permanently protect the Pine Tree Cove property in Haywood County.

$35,000 to Mountain Housing Opportunities to enhance the stormwater design at its Balsam Edge affordable housing development in Waynesville.

$16,780 to MountainTrue to continue Swim Guide, a weekly, water-quality monitoring program that samples for E.coli bacteria at popular river accesses.

$20,000 to RiverLink to provide a water-quality science program to students in 3rd to 8th grade.

$30,000 to The Conservation Fund to conserve the Plott Creek Headwaters property in Haywood County.

$30,000 to Town of Waynesville to assist in the establishment of two river access points along Richland Creek as part of an on-going parks and greenways expansion project.

$35,000 to Town of Woodfin to prevent erosion and sedimentation of the French Broad River, restore native flora, and develop and install bilingual educational signage at an expanded and improved Riverside Park.

The next application deadline for qualifying nonprofits in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties is September 15, 2023.

Two recent grants to Riverlink addressed flooding issues through a step-pool stream and wetlands restoration project at the Erskine Apartments of the Southside Community. The improvements address water quality in an urban watershed and have broad impact. The stormwater features keep polluted runoff out of impaired Town Branch, which flows into the French Broad River less than a mile downstream of the site. Everyone who swims, floats or fishes in the French Broad River will benefit, including the downstream communities that rely on the river. Photo courtesy of CFWNC

Funds Created between January 1 and June 30, 2023

Charitable Gift Annuities allow donors to make a future gift and receive income and tax advantages now.

John Hazlehurst Charitable Gift Annuity 18

Designated Funds support specific nonprofits named when the fund is established.

Bayer Designated Fund 2023

Brame-Mattox Designated Charitable Fund 2023

Hembree Designated Fund 2023

Hibbard Philanthropic Fund #7

Ron Lambe Fund

Sciara Designated Fund 2023

Donor Advised Funds allow donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit and recommend grants over time.

Helping Hand Fund

David and Dorothy Sneddon Fund

Jeanne Sommer Fund for Women and Girls

White Pine Fund

Expectancy Funds are established to receive assets later, typically through an estate plan, charitable gift annuity or charitable trust.

George W. Beverly, Jr. and Sandra M. Beverly Capital Expansion and Improvement Elder Care Fund

Don and Lisbeth Cooper Fund for Mental Heath

Nathan McMahan and Emily Ball Fund

Scully Family Fund

Weiner Family Charitable Fund

Joshua Zabica Charitable Fund

Field of Interest Funds support a broadly-defined area such as the arts, the environment or health.

Forward Fund

Memorial Funds are a simple, meaningful way to honor a life.

Julian Van Name Memorial Recovery Fund

Nonprofit Organization Funds are created to invest and steward a nonprofit’s long-term or endowed assets.

Howard Hanger Legacy Fund

Mountain Housing Opportunities Fund

Scholarship Funds support educational opportunities for students.

Mary Helen Clement Scholarship

What is a Field of Interest Fund?

A Field of Interest (FOI) Fund is a good choice if you want to make an impact in a particular area, such as the environment, education or the arts. You can create a FOI Fund with a specific focus or one to address multiple issues. CFWNC creates broad FOI Funds to address regional needs as they change over time. Anyone can make a donation to these funds, knowing that their gift will have a lasting impact.

Forward Fund Established to Support Transition Efforts Following Paper Mill Closure

CFWNC has established the Foward Fund to support nonprofit organizations and municipalities impacted by the Pactiv Evergreen closure in Canton. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has made a lead gift of $500,000.

“For decades the mill was a symbol of stability for the Canton community, but today many are scrambling to figure out what’s next. With challenges ahead, Blue Cross NC listened to the community and is responding with resources to help with their health and well-being needs,” said Kelly Calabria, SVP of Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility at Blue Cross NC. “Blue Cross NC remains committed to supporting Haywood County and the other 99 counties we serve. We encourage other companies to join us in supporting this effort.”

“We have been working with Haywood County, the Town of Canton, regional funders and many deeply engaged stakeholders to take this step,” said President Elizabeth Brazas. “Some shorter-term and immediate needs are already being addressed through other philanthropic investments.”

In May, CFWNC awarded $150,000 to the Town of Canton to underwrite a full-time Recovery Officer who will assist the Town Manager’s office with work related to the Mill closure and economic revitalization. Earlier this month, Dogwood Health Trust announced a $1 million grant to the United Way of Haywood County to support the Canton Mill Closure Emergency Response Project. Dogwood’s funding will provide financial assistance to individuals directly affected by the closure.

“I am moved by how many people have reached out proactively to help and am struck by the level of partnership,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. “The impact of this closure is felt far beyond Canton and Haywood County. This is not a partisan issue; it’s a community issue. The closing has created difficult situations for so many, but it opens the opportunity for us to plan together for a healthy future and shared prosperity.”

CFWNC Senior Program Officer Tara Scholtz will manage grants from the Forward Fund. It will provide proactive grants that enable nonprofit organizations and municipalities to plan, coordinate and increase capacity for collaborative economic-recovery programs and projects.

“The impact of this closure is felt far beyond Canton and Haywood County. This is not a partisan issue; it’s a community issue.”

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers

Blue Cross Blue Shield makes $500,000 Lead Gift

Photo byAngeloGianni

More than $500,000 in Scholarships Awarded

In June, CFWNC approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools in 19 counties. More than 60 volunteers from the community worked to review applications and select recipients. Scholarship endowments can have broad eligibility criteria or can be focused on a particular school or county, offered to students pursuing a degree in a stated field or available to those who will attend a designated college or university.

Top recipients are:

Ruby Blue - Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy

Austin Denny - Mountain Heritage High School

Julia Givens - Charles D. Owen High School

Kylee Haynes - West Henderson High School

Canon Helpman - Swain County High School

Carly Hester - Smoky Mountain High School

Nancy Membreno - School of Inquiry & Life Sciences at Asheville

Gannon Molumby - McDowell High School

Sophia Nash - Asheville High School

Ben Payne - Swain County High School

Kaya Shimer - NC School of Science and Math

Sadie Struble - Mitchell High School

Anderson Tatham - Andrews High School

Ever Templeton - TriCounty Early College High School

Emma Wise - Avery County High School

Winson Zhang - Pisgah High School

Maija Zidek - Lake Lure Classical Academy

“I feel particularly invested in the scholarship process, as I attended WNC public schools myself and now my husband and I have children in our public school system,” said Leslie Berry, a volunteer reviewer for the Irving Jacob Reuter Award. “After reviewing these applicants through the lens of an alumnus, a parent, and, now, a committee member, I can honestly say the caliber of students in our area is extraordinary and we should be extremely proud to recognize and celebrate them.”

How does a gift become a scholarship?

It starts with inspiration. The Mary Helen Clement Scholarship was inspired by the life of a teacher.

Mary Helen Clement (Henderson) was a native of Jackson County. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1968 and began her teaching career at Cherokee High School that year. She preferred teaching math but the only opening that year was for a high school English teacher. She accepted the position thinking that she would switch but enjoyed it so much that she spent the next 39 years teaching English.

She taught at Cherokee High School for 14 years before moving to Smoky Mountain High School in the Jackson County school system. For the next 25 years, she taught students who later became doctors, lawyers, sheriffs, deputies, NC Highway patrol officers, nurses, nurse practitioners, and, yes, an author. She was recognized by her students everywhere she went for her decades of teaching and participation in school activities.

Mary delayed marriage until after retirement, marrying her elementary school sweetheart at the age of 68. Reggie Henderson created this scholarship to honor his late wife’s career and her belief that “education offers the opportunity to succeed in life.”

The first scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior at Smoky Mountain High School in spring 2024 with a preference for a student who wishes to study English.

Funds + Giving Options

If your year-end goals involve charitable giving, CFWNC is here to help. Our experienced development team will work with you and/or your professional advisor(s) to suggest tax-wise philanthropic options for you and your family. Our process is efficient and confidential. After all, philanthropy is our only business.

You can make a one-time gift of any size to support an existing fund or establish a new donor advised fund, designated fund or field of interest fund with a gift of $10,000. You can also choose to create a scholarship or nonprofit organization fund with a minimum gift of $25,000.

A charitable gift annuity (CGA) allows you to make a substantial gift and receive tax advantages now, and enjoy lifetime annual annuity payments (after age 60) and additional tax benefits for you or a beneficiary. If you are over the age of 70 ½ you may be able to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA to create a CGA.

CFWNC accepts gifts of cash, appreciated securities, real estate, IRA assets and life insurance. To learn more about your options and end-of-year giving deadlines, contact Laura Herndon (herndon@cfwnc.org) or Becky Davis (bdavis@cfwnc.org). We are here to help.

Give Now

Become

Create a Fund

We can help you develop a plan that is personal and effective.

Give Later

A bequest or another planned giving option may be right for you.

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.

cfwnc.org

/ 828-254-4960

Electronic Grant Payments Are Here

CFWNC is now making grant payments and distributions via an electronic payment system to ensure funds are transferred securely and in a timely manner. We are asking current grantees to provide transfer information to prevent a delay in future grant payments. Grantees can submit an Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization Form through our secure online portal or by mail.

For more information about the electronic grant payments, you can review FAQs on our website on the About Grants section accessed in the Grantseekers menu.

If you have additional questions regarding the electronic grant payments process, contact Melissa Crouse, Finance Associate, at 828-367-9918.

Confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations

Cover photo of Polk County Farmers Market by Michael Oppenheim