Good Works spring/SUMMER 2010
H o m e g r ow n P h i l a n t h r o py Fo r e v e r P RESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Letter to the Community from Elizabeth Brazas
I
have been at The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina since the beginning of November and in my short tenure, I have learned something important about the people who support and care about this Foundation. You are passionate, willing to tackle difficult problems head-on and unafraid to speak your minds. In my first week here, I was challenged by a donor to carry the torch and maintain the momentum of our work but to think outside the box. This generous philanthropist has the passion and resources to continue to help but wants to give to an organization that is using creative solutions for solving difficult problems. What I heard him ask for was a willingness to challenge the status quo and partner with progressive nonprofits that are developing innovative programs which have the potential to transform our communities. In the 1970s, regional leaders felt that forming a community foundation would help individuals and families give back. The vision was that The Community Foundation would become a permanent resource that would encourage collaboration, provide funds to meet changing needs and respond to unanticipated crises. That vision has borne fruit and their Foundation is now the most trusted philanthropic resource in the region. With that trust comes an obligation to keep the Foundation growing in ways that will enable thoughtful, purposeful and flexible responses when a region-wide effort is called for.
Throughout the Foundation’s history are examples, such as the fundraising effort after the 2004 floods, the development of the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, the formation of the Women for Women giving circle to address the needs of women and families and, just recently, the Recession Response Fund that distributed Elizabeth Brazas more than $1 million to nonprofits CFWNC President addressing critical needs. It is our job to nurture vitality in our communities, to channel financial resources to local nonprofits and to support partnerships and promote collaboration. The Foundation lives at the crossroads of need and assets, and we work to engage our donors and partners to mobilize resources that can continue to support positive change for Western North Carolina. The Foundation’s assets currently stand at $148 million. These funds were placed here by donors to permanently benefit Western North Carolina. We serve these donors by ensuring that their hard-earned money continues to support the causes important to them during their lives and beyond. Other donors make unrestricted gifts and ask us to use our experience and regional knowledge to address the everchanging needs of our communities. Continued on page 2
Recession Response T
he Foundation’s Recession Response Fund announced its final $104,200 in grants in December. These grants bring the total raised and disbursed to more than $1.2 million in Western North Carolina during 2009 and include $100,000 committed by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The most recent grants funded $10,000 for start-up costs for the Good Samaritan Clinic of McDowell County, which will provide medical care to uninsured and underinsured residents. The Clinic will replace services that were lost when a clinic in Marion serving the same population closed, leaving many without access to treatment or medication. An additional $30,700 was granted to agencies providing heating assistance to low-income families in eight counties. Another $10,000 was directed
toward preventing homelessness and $8,000 provided fresh produce in some of the hardest hit WNC counties.
69% increase in demand for foreclosure prevention counseling. This grant provides vital counseling services for clients facing the stark reality of longterm reductions in income due to unemployment or underemployment. The funding also means that OnTrack can continue to offer free tax preparation to help low-income families file their income taxes at no charge. In the 2009 tax season OnTrack’s efforts yielded almost $700,000 in tax refunds, saving clients over $100,000 in tax preparation fees.”
OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling received a grant of $45,500 to maintain services that help people manage their finances through financial literacy education and one-on-one counseling. The additional funding will allow OnTrack to continue to serve all eighteen counties in Western North Carolina essentially providing 160 appointments per month that otherwise would not have been available.
…And Recovery
“The Recession Response Fund grant has helped Western North Carolina in two critical areas: foreclosure prevention counseling and free tax preparation,” said Celeste Collins, OnTrack Executive Director. “Comparing 2009 to 2008, we saw a
The business of The Community Foundation continues during this period of recovery. We are here helping donors, making grants and working in other ways to improve our mountain communities. The recession has been tough on everyone and Continued on page 5