Nonprofit Partners

“Collaborative grantmaking underscores the value of a community foundation to the region and the nonprofits and people it serves. We are here at the intersection of needs and resources. Bringing our constituents together to address issues affecting us all is what CFWNC is designed to do. Whether it is our grantmaking with fundholder support or partnering with other funders, CFWNC prioritizes unity, connection and community.” — Elizabeth

Brazas

$1.5 Million Supporting Human Services

In November, the Board approved 78 Human Services grants totaling $1,505,520 that were awarded to nonprofits serving people across the Foundation’s 18-county service area. CFWNC fundholders and donors contributed $617,510 to the total. The co-investors were: Carol Waggle Oliver Fund, Charles F. Hamrick and Marguerite D. Hamrick Charitable Fund, Connestee Falls Endowment Fund, Consuelo’s Fund, Crutchfield Charitable 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, Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund, John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, Minigowin Fund, Oliver Family Fund, Perez Family Fund, Peterson Endowment Fund, Reichman Family Charitable Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, Samuel and William Elmore Fund for Mental Wellness, Terrence Lee One Love Fund, Thomas L. and Phyllis Day Davis Fund, Travis and Jenny Boyer Fund, Walnut Fund, Wasson - Stowe Charitable Fund, Yeager-Cole Fund and five anonymous funds.

Several private foundations partner with CFWNC to support projects in Western North Carolina. The Klunk Family Foundation, The Leon Levine Foundation and Lipscomb Family Foundation provided generous support for these grants.

A complete list of the grants is available on our website.

Early Childhood Development

Blue Ridge Partnership for Children was awarded a $180,000 Early Childhood Development grant over two years to sustain and evolve a collaborative, regional approach to the provision of parent education for children prenatal to age 14 in Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties.

The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and an anonymous fund provided co-investment for this grant.

Natural and Cultural Resources

Mainspring Conservation Trust received $40,000 to complete required due diligence efforts to acquire and remove the Ela Dam, an aging dam and reservoir in Swain County adjoining the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ (EBCI) Qualla Boundary. Removal will open 549 river miles of the Oconaluftee River and its tributaries. Learn more on the back cover.

The Minigowin Fund, The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund, Mandler/Tambor Family Fund, Stewart Fund for Life & Love, Riverbend Fund, Walnut Fund and Ero Fund provided co-investment for this grant.

Toe River Arts Council received $10,000 to market and promote its

Cynthia and Edwina Bringle documentary. It captures the Bringle sisters’ personal 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 Minigowin Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and Ero Fund provided co-investment for this grant.

Wildlands Network (fiscal sponsor for the Safe Passage Fund Coalition - SPFC) was awarded a $30,000 Natural and Cultural Resources grant to improve SPFC’s communications and outreach to raise financial and public support for mitigation measures to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions along a 28-mile stretch of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge. Read more on pages 9-10.

Co-investment from The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, Trillium Fund and Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund fully funded this grant.

Food and Farming

Bounty & Soul (BAS) received $35,000 to support Produce to the People™ and Farmers Alliance, programs that address food, farms and health through a lens of equity and inclusion. BAS serves Buncombe, McDowell, Rutherford, Transylvania and Henderson counties.

The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Bahnson-Armitage Fund, Biltmore Estate Charitable Fund, Ero Fund, Oliver Family Fund and Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund provided co-investment for this grant.

The Utopian Seed Project (USP) received $40,000 for its work supporting and developing a resilient regional food and farming system through research, education and promotion of biodiversity. USP conducts variety trials to assess regional suitability, species exploration to increase regional biodiversity in farm systems, and active seed selection and breeding projects.

The Minigowin Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, WNC Resolve Fund, Ero Fund and Oliver Family Fund provided co-investment for this grant.