Newsletter Winter 2019

W I N T E R 2019

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The 2018 calendar year began with the Winter Olympics and included the Men’s World Cup Soccer (or for some Football) in July. It was also the year of several mass shootings, hurricanes and wild fires, the loss of historic leaders and the Queen of Soul, the explosion of the #MeToo movement and a widely fluctuating stock market. While CFWNC’s service area is the 18 counties of WNC, we are all affected by the national and international events that shape our country.

With all that is going on, it is comforting to know that our staff and community of givers remain focused on WNC. CFWNC dedicates its time to honoring donor intent, making good grants and helping donors and nonprofits reach their charitable goals. With four decades of work under our belt, our relationships are based on trust.

Much of CFWNC’s 40th year was spent finalizing plans for our anniversary celebrations.

If you missed the events or our custom, smallbatch Brew Gooder wheat ale, courtesy of Highland Brewing Company, or just want to relive the moments, take a look at our Vanity Fair inspired Annual Report, Facebook page or website, as it’s all well documented.

In 2018, we added two board members. Jean McLaughlin (pictured with me above at our board holiday gathering), who recently retired from Penland School of Craft, brings nonprofit and cultural expertise as well as on-the-ground information about Mitchell County, among others. Natalie Bailey, who serves as the Public

Information Officer for the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department as well as the secretary of the Mountain Housing Opportunities board of directors, adds an informed perspective and nonprofit experience. Both are serving on the Distribution Committee, and we are grateful for their volunteer service.

Speaking of distribution, this newsletter includes information about the November People in Need grant cycle as well as other November and August focus area grants. In our quest to help broaden economic opportunity, the CFWNC Board voted to invest in a further expansion of OnTrack’s SECURE program. You can also read about a new CFWNC initiative, Community Tool School, that launches with a collaborative program at UNC Asheville’s Steam Studio this spring.

I hope you will enjoy reading about the funds opened over the last year, how people decide to name their funds and a new and improved way for donors to access their funds online.

After all, it is our fundholders who make our work possible.

In terms of staffing - Jennifer Sadler returned from maternity leave; Amber HarrelsonWilliams joined us as Program Associate, quickly learning the ropes while adding to the number of resident Harry Potter enthusiasts; and Angel Hines came on board as Office Administrator when Beth Semadeni retired just after the 2018 Power of the Purse®. And, finally, Julie Klipp Nicholson became CFWNC’s first Chief Operating Officer at the end of 2018. So, we

CFWNC President Elizabeth Brazas with Board Member Jean McLaughlin.

now have bench strength and, yes, some youth, which is refreshing, and many new and useful perspectives guiding our work.

Finally, you may notice that we have retired our anniversary logo and are phasing in a new one - new year, new logo, new beginnings. We are well positioned for whatever 2019 brings, thanks to you. I’ll close with a quote that seems apt for these times and our work, from President George H.W. Bush who passed away in late November, “In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity."

POWER OF THE PURSE®

2019 Power of the Purse® to feature Soccer Champion & Equality Activist Abby Wambach Abby Wambach, two-time Olympic gold medalist, soccer icon and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, is the featured speaker for the May 21 Power of the Purse®. With 184 career goals, Abby Wambach is the highest all-time international goal scorer for male and female soccer players. She was the United States’ leading scorer in the 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cup tournaments and the 2004 and 2012 Olympics. After winning the Women’s World Cup in 2015, Wambach retired as one of the most dominant players in the history of women’s soccer. She is dedicating the next chapter of her career to fighting for equality and inclusion.

Wambach is also The New York Times bestselling author of Forward: A Memoir. Her new book, Wolfpack, will be released by Celadon Books on April 16. Copies of Wolfpack will be available for sale at the event, courtesy of Malaprops Bookstore and Café.

“Abby Wambach is fearless and competitive,” said Elizabeth Brazas, CFWNC president.

“We know she’s a champion on the field. Off the field, she is a champion for women, girls, equal rights and equal pay. If you have read her first book, you know that the way she has handled loss speaks volumes about her approach to the world. Her call for female leadership and equity is a great fit for Power of the Purse®.”

Online registration opens March 1 at www.cfwnc.org.

Masthead photo: Blue Ridge Parkway view from Craggy Pinnacle. Photo by Vicki Dameron.

Soccer Champion Abby Wambach.

GRANT NEWS

$1.7 Million in Focus Area Grants Awarded FUNDS DISTRIBUTED IN AUGUST AND NOVEMBER

In August, CFWNC approved eight focus area grants totaling $307,120.

These awards were followed by an additional $1.4 million approved in November to support regional projects in Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming, Natural and Cultural Resources and People in Need.

Sixty-six grants totaling $1,152,171 were distributed to nonprofits serving economically-disadvantaged populations across the Foundation’s 18-county service area. A complete list of the grants can be found on our website.

CFWNC fundholders contributed $541,939 to the People in Need grants and include: Brown Family Fund, Carol Waggle Oliver Fund, Charles F. Hamrick and Marguerite D. Hamrick Charitable Fund, Connestee Falls Endowment Fund, Craig Family Foundation Fund, Dahlia Fund, Delphinium Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Fidel Duke Fund, Gretchen Batra Fund, Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund, Little Acorn Fund - W, Little Acorn Fund - M, Oliver Family Fund, Peterson Endowment Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, Walnut Fund, Yeager-Cole Fund and four anonymous funds. The Lipscomb Family Foundation, Sutherland Foundation and Pisgah Investments Foundation also provided generous support.

OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling was awarded $99,500 from the Matched Savings People in Need program to expand the SECURE program to Haywood, Henderson and McDowell counties. SECURE provides financial literacy training and a four-to-one match to help low-income people establish and maintain emergency savings, an assetbuilding effort specifically intended to help low-income households achieve economic stability. The Fidel Duke Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund and an anonymous fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

With this People in Need award, CFWNC and its fundholders have invested more than $350,000 in the SECURE program.

The Foundation’s focus areas were identified to benefit the region and enable the Foundation and its donors to work strategically in specified areas of need. The grants on the facing page were made through significant staff collaboration with regional nonprofits to identify funding opportunities.

“The SECURE program has drastically changed my financial reality. In addition to other methods of working with my mindset around money, your programs have helped me accomplish so much in seven months. As an entrepreneur, I was able to increase income in my business and follow my balanced budget. I have saved over a thousand dollars personally, plus the SECURE program match. I now understand and have raised my credit score. My initial vision was to buy a car, and I was able to do that after just a couple of months, with cash I had saved, and I also qualified for my first ever car loan. I completed back taxes that were hanging over my head and started paying estimated taxes. Qualifying for the SECURE program was my initial motivation and kept me "on track."

I now feel secure, knowing that one bad week or month will not leave me wondering whether to buy gas or groceries. Thanks to the classes and coaching, I have increased confidence in my ability to manage money. Thanks to you and all the staff at OnTrack.

OnTrack SECURE Client

Fund Supports Cancer Screenings and Medical Services

CFWNC staff works closely with donors to understand their charitable wishes and to create customized plans that further the charitable impact they wish to make through their philanthropy. One donor created a fund that provides support for unmet medical needs in WNC with a focus on serving cancer patients. In 2018, more than 1.7 million people are expected to have received a cancer diagnosis, and early detection is critical.

A $25,000 grant to Park Ridge Health (now known as AdventHealth), is supporting five types of cancer screenings in Henderson and Buncombe counties for those who cannot afford them. The grant is providing 500 colon screenings, 100 skin assessments, 200 mammograms, 35 lung cancer scans and the distribution of 200 radon kits. Through the grant, multi-lingual marketing materials have also been created and distributed and some support for follow-up care after treatment has been funded.

Other grants distributed from the fund since 2016 have funded a cancer support community patient navigator, cancer survivor retreat, financial support for families affected by cancer, an HPV vaccine program at area clinics and additional low-cost screenings, including mammograms, for uninsured or underinsured women.

The donor who created this fund is no longer living, but her desire to help people and families dealing with a cancer diagnosis is being accomplished, thanks to her careful planning and deliberate generosity.

GIVE!LOCAL

Give!Local Raises $130,000 for Local Nonprofits CFWNC participated in the 2018 Give!Local, an effort spearheaded by Mountain Xpress that leverages business support and sponsorships to raise funds for local nonprofits, now in its fourth year. More than $130,000 was donated through the campaign.

CFWNC agreed to match gifts of $50 or more to participating animal welfare organizations and to award a $1,000 prize to the group with the largest number of individual donors.

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge was the winner and was awarded a $1,550 matching grant and the $1,000 prize for a total of $2,550. The following matching grants were also awarded: $1,250 to Asheville Humane Society, $1,250 to Friends2Ferals, $900 to Full Moon Farm, Inc. and $700 to Wild for Life.

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Injured cardinal receives care. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Wildlife Refuge.

GRANT NEWS

E A R LY C H I L D H O O D D E V E L O P M E N T - $266,920

Through grants for evidence-informed programs, community awareness and advocacy in Early Childhood Development, the Foundation seeks to help young children reach their full potential.

Blue Ridge Partnership for Children was awarded $70,000 over two years to advance the initial accomplishments of the Yancey Alliance for Young Children, a collective impact initiative. The Crutchfield Charitable Fund and an anonymous fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County was awarded $99,800 over two years for the Western North Carolina Early Childhood Coalition that builds the public will necessary to shape and influence policy decisions critical to the success of young children. The Lipscomb Family Foundation, Sutherland Foundation, Carol Waggle Oliver Fund, Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund and an anonymous fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

United Way of Transylvania County was awarded $47,120 for the Community Playgroups Mobile Resource Unit project, which will benefit underserved children ages 0-5. The Gretchen Batra Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

YWCA of Asheville and WNC was awarded $50,000 to renovate a kitchen and upgrade a playground to serve 42 additional children in its Early Learning Program and to increase the number of people served at its monthly Community Dinners.

F O O D A N D FA R M I N G - $100,000

Grants increase opportunities for local farmers and food entrepreneurs who support the sustainability and profitability of WNC farms and address regional food insecurity and nutrition.

The YWCA of Asheville and WNC was awarded $50,000 to renovate a kitchen and upgrade a playground to serve 42 additional children in its Early Learning Program. Photo by Cataldo Perrone.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina was awarded $15,000 to partner with Conserving Carolina land trust and the Polk and Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District staff to identify and prioritize farmland conservation opportunities around the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Macon County Public Health (as the fiscal sponsor for MountainWise) was awarded $35,000 to expand the Double Up Food Bucks program in Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Transylvania, Swain, Graham, Clay, Macon and Cherokee counties. The Wasson - Stowe Charitable Fund and the Biltmore Estate Charitable Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional Inc. (TRACTOR) was awarded $50,000 to increase direct-to-consumer sales channels and expand the types of food-related business and overall number of farmers that TRACTOR serves. The Crutchfield Charitable 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 - $110,000

Grants in Natural and Cultural Resources aim to protect and enhance the health of the region’s natural systems and support and develop the region’s arts-based economy.

OnTrack client Michael Whitmore works with Financial Counselor AnneMarie Smith. CFWNC awarded $99,500 from Matched Savings People in Need funds to expand the SECURE program to Haywood, Henderson and McDowell counties. Photo courtesy of OnTrack.

The American Chestnut Foundation was awarded $10,000 to further a proactive gene conservation project in which seeds are collected from remnant, wild American chestnuts across the species range and transplanted to orchards, where they will be used for future breeding. The Dahlia Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Asheville Art Museum was awarded $30,000 to support pre-K through 12th grade and adult educational programs in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition Appalachia Now!, an interdisciplinary survey of contemporary art in southern Appalachia. Appalachia Now! is the inaugural special exhibition scheduled during the Museum’s grand re-opening in Spring 2019.

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center received $10,000 to implement community programming related to the exhibition Between Form and Content: Perspectives on Jacob Lawrence and Black Mountain College, the first to open in its new location at 120 College Street. The Walnut Fund and the Wasson-Stowe Charitable Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Blue Ridge National Heritage Area was awarded $25,000 to complete the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, an initiative to increase income for craft artists and businesses, enhance cultural tourism and improve economic opportunity in Western North Carolina. This grant is contingent on other funds.

Cowee Pottery School was awarded $35,000 over two years to purchase two new kilns and hire a part-time director. The Dahlia Fund partnered with CFWNC to fund this grant.

Senior Program Officer Tara Scholtz with George Taylor, Hank Shuler and Doug Hubbs of Cowee Pottery School and Vice President for Programs Philip Belcher. Cowee Pottery School was awarded $35,000 over two years to purchase two new kilns and hire a part-time director.

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I N I T I AT I V E N E W S

Asheville Museum of Science’s STEM Lab Manager Christa Flores teaches soldering to woodturner and educator Tammy Bellefeuil and other volunteers as they prepare for the inaugural afterschool program. Photos courtesy of Community Tool School.

Community Tool School Launches Community Tool School is a CFWNC initiative launching this spring with a ten-week pilot program for middle school girls at UNC Asheville’s STEAM studio. It will offer hands-on design and building instruction to build self-confidence and encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM or the trades.

Participants will learn everything from concepting and drafting to carpentry and construction, with dual goals of gaining experience and giving back to their community. This initial shop class for girls will be followed by three summer camps taking place in July.

Meanwhile, CFWNC is conducting research and working collaboratively to identify regional skills shortages, what training is required for students to meet the needs of employers and how best to remove barriers to employment, leading to broadening of economic opportunity in the region. “We are essentially test driving a potential focus area,” said Elizabeth Brazas. “The educational landscape is changing, and we are interested in determining whether there is a role for CFWNC in supporting traditional and non-traditional students in meeting the challenges of the future.”

An afterschool “shop class” with real world purpose led by women for girls, Community Tool School @ STEAM will foster and nurture interdisciplinary learning, creative problem-solving and critical thinking.

CFWNC awarded a grant to UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio to support the pilot, which also received funding from The Windgate Foundation.

GRANT NEWS

Learning Links Grants Support Teachers Seventy grants totaling $95,736 were awarded to WNC schools from the Learning Links grant program. The grants provide local teachers with funding for activities designed to make required coursework engaging and relevant for their students.

“Since the Learning Links grant program awarded its first grants in 1995, the need to support teachers and students has increased as public funds for education continue to decline,” said Elizabeth Brazas. “We are grateful to the generous people who created the endowments, and donors who add additional funds, that together provide field trips, hands-on experiments, STEM projects and more that support the work of teachers and benefit students across Western North Carolina.”

Cherokee County’s Murphy Middle School teacher Rachel G. Payne organized a hands-on project, Cooking For a Healthier Future. “My students LOVED this!” she said. “It was a lot of work; getting everyone in and out of the kitchen and allowing for personal experiences, and shopping, but it was worth it.”

Learning Links offers grants up to $800 per classroom to public school teachers in Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford and Swain counties to provide experiential learning projects for students. The goal is to increase students' enthusiasm for learning and school. The grants are made possible by the Ben W. and Dixie Glenn Farthing Charitable Fund, Cherokee County Schools Endowment Fund, Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund and Leon C. and Grace E. Luther Charitable Fund.

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Photo courtesy of Murphy Middle School.

GIVING BACK

Funds Created Between January 1 and December 31, 2018 Charitable Remainder Trusts and Gift Annuities allow donors to make a future gift and receive income and tax advantages now.

• James and Susan Dunn Charitable Gift Annuity 2018 • Nancy Smith Charitable Gift Annuity 3

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

• Judy and Dick Allen Charitable Fund • Mary and Leland Bartholomew Designated Fund #3 • Broadwell Designated Fund 2018 • Burgin 2018 Charitable Fund • Capps Family Fund for the Blue Ridge Parkway • Connie De Land Fund • Friends of Community Radio Endowment Fund • Ted Ghiz and Ronnie Mill Charitable Fund • Hembree Designated Fund 2018 • Hibbard Philanthropic Fund #2 • John and Dee Mason Designated Fund 2018 • Lowell and Sally Pearlman Designated Fund • Rob Pulleyn Designated Fund 2018 • Robinson 2018 Charitable Fund • Sciara Designated Fund 2018 • Sharing Fund

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

• Allen Family Philanthropic Fund • Hal and Leslie Berry Charitable Fund • Travis and Jenny Boyer Fund • James Chaney Memorial Fund • CFWNC Professional Advisory Committee Charitable Fund • Cold Mountain Fund • Consuelo's Fund • Dandelion Fund • Pamela and Gary Mason Charitable Fund • Nicole Kelley Fund for Heart of Horse Sense • Gary and Theresa Landwirth Fund • Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund • Minigowin Fund • Fred A. Moss Charity Trust Fund • Peony Fund • Reichman Family Charitable Fund • Susan Reiser and Frank Patton Charitable Fund • Susan and Charles Shanor Fund • Belle and Abe Slobodin Fund

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

• Rob and Nancy Bole Fund for St. Francis Episcopal Church Day School • Rob and Nancy Bole Scholarships Fund • Charles and Peggy Brock Fund • Janet Gray Clark Fund • Nellie Elizabeth Clark Family Trust Fund • Cramazing Fund • Douglas Family Fund • Hedy E. Fischer Endowment Fund • Gorman Charitable Fund • Graves Family Fund • Mary James Charitable Fund • Owl Moon Fund: Honoring Women and the Earth • Ellen Patrick Fund • Frank and Donna Patton Fund for the Cindy Platt Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County, Inc. • Melanie J. Retzke Scholarship Fund • Candy and Al Shivers Fund • Sitton Family Fund • Zoey's Gift Fund

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

• Dr. Frank H. Logan Charitable Fund

Memorial Funds are a meaningful way to honor a life.

• Amy's Fund • Dr. Ben Bailey Fund to Feed Hungry Children • Live Like Maria Memorial Fund • Richard Sales Memorial Fund • Doug Silsbee Scholarship Fund

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

• Connestee Falls Student Scholarship Program Endowment • Haywood Community College Foundation Fund #2 • Fund for Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Asheville, Inc.

A young volunteer helps MANNA FoodBank label cans. MANNA distributes 1.6 million pounds each month to an estimated 100,000 food-insecure clients through 200+ partner agencies throughout sixteen counties of Western North Carolina. This equates to over 40,000 meals each and every day.

CFWNC supports MANNA though competitive grants and numerous grants from donor advised and designated funds.

Photo courtesy of MANNA FoodBank.

PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR

2019 Professional Seminar The 28th Annual Professional Seminar will take place May 2 at Lioncrest on the Biltmore Estate. The featured speaker is Michele A. W. McKinnon of McGuireWoods LLP, who will address charitable giving, planned giving techniques and planning trends in the wake of tax reform and other recent legal and regulatory changes.

Ms. McKinnon is a Partner in the Richmond, Virginia, office of McGuireWoods LLP, a member of its Private Wealth Services Group and head of its Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations group. With more than 30 years of experience, she represents public charities, major colleges and universities, supporting organizations, private foundations and charitable trusts in all aspects of compliance with federal tax laws, as well as governance, endowment and investment matters. Her work also includes planned giving, estate planning and estate and

trust administration. She is a Fellow in the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and will serve as Chair of its Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Committee beginning in March.

Sarah Thornburg, of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, a CFWNC board member and chair of CFWNC’s Professional Advisory Committee, said “CFWNC’s Professional Seminar is an opportunity to network with colleagues, hear a dynamic speaker and earn professional education credits. We also get to share CFWNC’s charitable expertise, guidance and resources with professional advisors. I look forward to it every year, and I know many of our region’s attorneys, accountants, wealth advisors and insurance professionals do as well.”

Registration begins March 18.

Michele A. W. McKinnon, McGuireWoods LLP.

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GIVING BACK

I’ve opened a fund.

Now, what do I call it?

The reasons that people open funds at CFWNC are varied and personal, but generosity and a desire to give back are almost always the bedrock of the decision.

Opening a fund is easy. The naming of a fund can be challenging; it feels permanent, even though you can change it. Sometimes the initiating event – the death of a loved one, an inheritance, a passion to support a specific cause – leads to a name that feels right and appropriate. Often times, you get to the naming point in the process and realize that it may be harder than you thought.

Photo courtesy of the Snider Whatley family.

James Dunn opened the Grandpa Dunn Feeder Fund to pass on the value of giving back to his eight grandchildren. “One of the things I learned as a boy was ‘Earn as much as you can! Save as much as you can! Give as much as you can!’ That’s a value that rings true for me,” said Dunn. “I’ve had fun doing all three, but the most soul satisfaction comes from the third admonition.”

Dunn set up eight small donor advised funds that are fed by a designated fund - the Grandpa Dunn Feeder Fund. The idea is that the Feeder Fund will provide annual grants to each of the advised funds in perpetuity. “I plan to give them a problem to deal with - a good one,” said Dunn.

Charles Snider and Nancy Whatley decided to include their kids, as much as possible, in the opening of their fund to emphasize the importance of giving back. “One of the ways we did that was to ask them to choose the name,” explained Charles. “They were fans of Harry Potter at the time, and they came up with the name Lumos, which is the incantation that young wizards use to conjure light. The idea that our charitable fund name, basically meant ‘let there be light,’ appealed to all of us.”

“When our kids were young, I volunteered often in the public schools and saw right away that there is not an even playing field,” continued Charles. “We decided to establish the fund to help kids who didn't have the same advantages that ours did. To that end, we have made grants to excellent childhood wellness, education and remediation organizations, such as Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina and My Daddy Taught Me That.

“I am a big believer in the idea of abundance - the opposite of the mindset where people hold on to money as tightly as possible,” he said. “I believe that if you share the advantages you have with others, you not only spread light but feel the light grow in your own heart, and experience a feeling of abundance and richness that I find to be a proactive way to fight the ugliness and darkness that can hold sway in the world. More than anything that is the lesson I want my son and daughter to learn, by being aware of and involved with our fund, and with the great work that CFWNC is doing.”

One donor has created an expectancy fund to support animal welfare that is named after her favorite pet. Another, whose fund will receive the proceeds from the sale of a beloved family home, incorporated the address. With names like the Julia Pays it Forward Fund, the Blue Door Fund or the Rainbow Bridge Fund, the stories behind the fund names are as varied as the donors; what is universal is the focus on giving back and helping others.

Market Volatility, Perspective and Discipline Capital markets ended calendar year 2018 with a resounding thud, as equity markets tumbled in the fourth quarter and eliminated the gains from the first nine months of the year. The reasons for the decline are many and include tightening monetary policy, global trade concerns, a federal government shutdown and an over-valued domestic equity market. As an institutional investor, CFWNC is keenly aware of market dynamics, as significant shifts affect all aspects of our work.

Market declines can be emotional and have the ability to affect investor behavior. Loss aversion/prospect theory suggests, in simplest terms, that investment losses feel worse than an equivalent level of gains feels good. In times such as these, it is important to put short-term declines in perspective by viewing returns through a longer-term lens. In the ten-year period ending December 2018, the S&P 500 generated an annualized return of 13.1%. In short, the past decade has been a tremendously rewarding period for individual investors.

At CFWNC, our investment program is a disciplined approach that is a prudent long-term strategy designed for stewarding our region’s philanthropic capital. CFWNC’s Investment Committee focuses its work on generating a return that will meet the charitable needs of Western North Carolina and beyond. While CFWNC results vary by portfolio selection, all CFWNC portfolios have posted steady, positive returns for the decade. Stewarding permanent assets is not a long-term commitment; it’s a forever commitment. While current conditions may cause concern, a steady, disciplined approach to the assets in CFWNC’s care ensures that they are preserved, are growing and are available to the nonprofits that rely on them.

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A S S E T G R O W T H : 1978-2019

NONPROFIT PROFILE

Senior Program Officer Virginia Dollar and GO Executive Director J Hackett. Photos courtesy of GO.

Michelle Hurst was one of 40 students in the Ready to Work program who graduated in November.

GO Youth Corps Case Manager Jeremy Lett and GO graduate Hadyyah Williams.

Intentional Collaboration works for GO In 2018, Green Opportunities (GO) marked ten years of training, supporting and connecting people from marginalized communities to sustainable employment pathways. Over the years, GO has grown into a full-fledged workforce development program meeting the needs of local employers and participants and providing broad community benefits.

GO targets underserved populations living in poverty and public housing.

Barriers to employment are addressed through incentivized, handson instruction in relevant vocational skills, industry certifications, job placement services and ongoing case management. The training takes place at GO’s facility, which include a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and woodshop, in the renovated Arthur R. Edington Career and Education Center.

GO also operates three social enterprises that work in conjunction with training programs: Southside Kitchen Catering, Southside Woodworks and UpStaff Personnel. The enterprises offer paid transitional work experience to GO students and graduates, while generating revenue that supports programs and increases long-term financial sustainability.

In recent years, CFWNC has awarded more than $145,000 to GO through two People in Need grants that funded student programs and equipment purchases, a Capacity grant for strategic planning and two two-year Asheville Merchants Fund grants for training and job placement. GO is a strong community partner to other organizations and undertakes mutually beneficial collaborations.

A $20,000 People in Need grant to Givens Café purchased equipment for the on-site restaurant in the Givens Gerber Park apartment complex that serves low to moderate-income seniors while providing advanced career training and support for GO kitchen employees. This project addresses two WNC challenges: a shortage of affordable rental housing suitable for seniors and a lack of living wage jobs for area residents.

Homework Diners, a key strategy of the United Way’s Middle School Success Initiative and the Asheville-Buncombe Middle Grades Network to address the large disparity between the graduation rate of children from impoverished families and their more affluent classmates, received $50,000 from the Asheville Merchants Fund. Children and families receive tutoring from certified teachers and trained tutors as well as a nutritious meal prepared by GO culinary students.

“Thoughtful, meaningful collaboration with community partners and stakeholders has been a critical part of GO’s approach and success since our founding,” said J Hackett, executive director. “We partner intentionally with like-minded organizations, neighbors and businesses to create opportunities for GO graduates and build trust and personal agency in the communities we serve.”

GO improves the quality of life for people with the fewest economic opportunities. In 2018, GO doubled enrollment while launching new training tracks for Certified Peer Support Specialist and Early Childhood Education through its Ready to Work program.

WOMEN FOR WOMEN

Collaborative High Impact Grant Update In May 2018, Women for Women awarded its largest grant to date: $450,000 over three years to Buncombe Partners in Prevention, a collaborative involving Helpmate, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Our VOICE and Pisgah Legal Services. The goal of the prevention project is to promote healthy relationships where people live, learn, work, play and worship, ultimately reducing the perpetration of sexual violence, domestic violence and child abuse in Buncombe County. The project is off to a strong start.

With the goal of producing year-over-year comparative data to allow Buncombe County to track changes in community norms about violence, an Attitudes Toward Violence survey was developed. The Partners administered two baseline surveys with results sorted by zip code so that specific programming can be targeted to areas of high need.

In addition to changing community tolerances for violence, prevention work in the community creates an environment in which survivors feel comfortable disclosing their experiences and reaching out for support.

The Partners have provided educational programming to more than 7,500 people since July. Three prevention mini grants were awarded to organizations that provide programming to marginalized communities. The recipients were My Daddy Taught Me That, Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!) and De Mujer a Mujer.

Progress has also been made on a best practices tool for employers and schools focused on improving employee and student skills for building healthy relationships and effectively managing conflict. The Partners have worked with the Human Resources Department City of Asheville,

Buncombe Partners in Prevention, from left, Julia Horrocks, Pisgah Legal Services; Julia Akers, Women for Women Steering Committee Chair; Angelica Wind, Our VOICE; Barbara Norman, Women for Women Grants Committee Chair; Geoff Sidoli, Mountain Child Advocacy Center; and April Burgess-Johnson, Helpmate. Photo by Lynne Harty.

Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools and with multiple local bars and restaurants on anti-harassment policies and with Mars Hill University, Warren Wilson College and UNC Asheville on bystander intervention programs.

Advocacy is an important tool for the Partners. Pisgah Legal Services has compiled a draft list of prominent policy advocacy initiatives for prevention. A white paper outlining these strategies will be published in the near future that will guide our community members in these efforts The Partners acknowledge that, while direct service and intervention work can be measured in years, prevention work is measured by generations.

They are committed to a sustained effort toward the reduction of sexual and domestic violence and child abuse in Buncombe County.

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A Better Online Donor Fund Portal

Our Affiliates

CFWNC

Phone: 828-254-4960 Fax: 828-251-2258 www.cfwnc.org

On January 31st, CFWNC launched a new version of DonorCentral.

The updated portal provides detailed fund information and is very user friendly. If you are not familiar, DonorCentral is a convenient online way to track your giving, recommend grants, follow your fund balance and view and print quarterly statements.

If you already use DonorCentral to access your fund, you may notice some changes: • Your user ID will now be your email address. You can sign in with your email and your current password. If your email address changes, notify CFWNC so we can update our system.

• You control resetting or changing your password, just like any other online account.

• Submitting a grant recommendation is even easier.

• You can view your grant history and make grant recommendations from the history.

Management Team

Sheryl Aikman, Vice President, Development Philip Belcher, Vice President, Programs Elizabeth Brazas, President Lindsay Hearn, Communications Director Graham Keever, Chief Financial Officer Julie Klipp Nicholson, Chief Operating Officer

Officers

Board of Directors

Stephanie Norris Kiser, Chair Michael Fields, Secretary

Board Members Maurean B. Adams Caroline M. Avery Natalie Bailey Guadalupe Chavarria II William Clarke

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

Sarah Sparboe Thornburg, Vice-Chair G. Edward Towson, II, Treasurer Charles Frederick Connie Haire A.C. Honeycutt, Jr. Susan Jenkins Jean McLaughlin

Joanne Badr Morgan Lowell R. Pearlman Scott Shealy J. Chris Smith Stephen Watson

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OFFICE NEWS

Have We Met A new painting by local artist Barbara Fisher, Have We Met, now greets visitors to CFWNC’s offices. Fisher, working from a studio in the River Arts District, was part of a 2018 group show at the Asheville Arts Council, Pioneer Women Painters of the River District, curated by Sara LeDonne, highlighting five female painters working and supporting each other in the mid-90s.

Fisher says that transforming interior states into a visual language is what drives her as an artist. “Each painting hints at a narrative based on the way I envision energy, ideas, matter, psychic states, memories and other elements interacting,” said Fisher. “A blue atmospheric corner may represent a safe haven; a dark corner, a danger zone. A shape may be trying to reach or move through an area, encountering visual and/or psychic roadblocks; an image might disintegrate and be transformed into something new.”

Elizabeth Brazas and Office Administrator Angel Hines.

Photo courtesy of CFWNC.

She said that the figures in Have We Met represent the idea that you can be like someone else but also not like them and can still find common ground.

Fisher was recently awarded a prestigious Pollock-Krasner grant that provides financial assistance to working visual artists of established ability through the generosity of the late Lee Krasner, one of the leading abstract expressionist painters and the widow of American painter Jackson Pollock.