C o mm un i ty
matters the winston-salem foundation
Community Newsletter | Dece m be r 2 008
Meals-on-Wheels Volunteers Making Connections
WFUBMC Photography
Volunteers can surely be deemed the driving including hot meals, groceries and frozen meals. Since 1962, force behind most nonprofits, and the Meals-on-Wheels provolunteers here have delivered more than 3.5 million meals. gram of Senior Services is no exception. This year the dedicaPerhaps volunteer Jack Stack’s response exemplifies what tion of their volunteer base was greatly challenged. other Meals-on-Wheels volunteers thought. “It never occurred Last April, veteran Meals-on-Wheels volunteers Anne and to me that I would stop doing this,” says Stack, who is starting Bill Magness walked in on a robbery in progress. Tragically, his 18th year delivering meals and whose great aunt benefited program recipient Bob Denning and Anne Magness lost their from the program in another community. lives, and Bill Magness was left critically Gottlieb says that volunteers’ commitment injured. The senseless, random act shook underscores another important aspect of Mealsand saddened the entire community. What on-Wheels: “It speaks to the bond that develhappened in the days that followed is truly ops between the volunteer and the recipient.” remarkable. It’s that “connecting” that The Winston“I still get goose bumps thinking about Salem Foundation wants to nurture, according that day after when every volunteer showed to President Scott Wierman. The Foundation up at this pick-up site, and volunteers who encourages people to form new relationships were not scheduled came by to see if we and build relationships across boundaries, and needed any help,” Senior Services’ President the hands-on approach of Meals-on-Wheels and CEO Richard Gottlieb says. “We have volunteers does just that. not lost any volunteers. This really is a com“Meals-on-Wheels is a superlative examBill and Anne magness munity of good people.” ple of how people can become connected,” He acknowledges that the tragedy shows, “It’s even more he says. “It’s not just the delivery of the meals. It’s the formation important for all of us to help others and make this a better of the relationships with the meal recipients and the volunteers. place. What is inspiring to us is not only the dedication of our It’s a very tangible way people can cross boundaries.” volunteers, but the fact that Mr. Magness and his family have Stack understands what Wierman describes. “I get way come through this tragedy and still believe that doing good in more out of it than I feel that I give,” he says. “I think you get the community is important for all of us to do.” the sense of helping somebody that needs some help; it gets you To deliver Meals-on-Wheels, Senior Services depends to visit somebody you wouldn’t ever come in contact with.” on 1,672 volunteers who ensure that 1,200 meals each day are “Volunteerism is a part of the fabric of this community,” taken to elderly people who are homebound and shut-in. The Wierman says. “Senior Services’ devoted volunteers are Meals-on-Wheels program provides nutrition in three ways, certainly reflective of that tradition.” continues on back cover
Foundation News The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem Announces Grants > Empowering Girls in Real Life Situations: $30,000 for a Nearly 400 members and friends of The mentoring and education program for girls ages 11 to 19 Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem celebrated women’s > Experiment in Self Reliance: $5,000 for the Financial philanthropy at the third annual luncheon on October 16. Empowerment for Women and Girls program Emmy award-winning story teller Willa Brigham spoke inspir> Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: $28,436 to fund ingly about the power of collective giving, and the Fund’s 2008 a bilingual community outreach worker for Latina teen mothers grant awards were announced. These nine diverse grants totaling > Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute: $30,000 for the $182,276 will help create change in the lives of women and girls Girl-to-Girl program in Forsyth County. > Bethesda Center for the Homeless: $20,000 for the Toward Independent Living program > Carver School Road Branch Library: $3,220 to support the Girls with a Purpose program > Center of Excellence for Research, Teaching, & Learning at Wake Forest University School of Medicine: $15,620 for hands-on science education for girls > Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina: $20,000 to train guardian ad litem volunteers for girls > Crisis Control Ministry: $30,000 for the Breaking the Cycle program Grant recipients at the October 16 luncheon.
BPI Announces First Grants Cycle from Black Philanthropy Fund
YGA Members Attend Statewide Youth Conference
The Black Philanthropy Fund was created in 2007 through fundraising efforts of the Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI), which was established in 2000 to celebrate and expand the traditions of sharing in the African-American community. The Fund’s first grant application process was announced in October, with a focus on programs that support AfricanAmericans in the area of education. Nonprofit organizations seeking to implement or enhance programming serving AfricanAmerican youth were encouraged to apply. Applicable examples included afterschool programs, mentoring programs, and programs designed to improve graduation rates. The Black Philanthropy Initiative will make up to five grants of $5,000 each this year. Grant recipients will be announced in December.
On October 25, eleven students from Youth Grantmakers in Action (YGA) attended the 2008 NC Youth Giving Summit in Greensboro. This third annual day-long conference, entitled The Art of Giving: Time, Talent & Treasure, was attended by over 300 youth from 16 youth philanthropy groups across the state. The conference consisted of speakers and workshops led by both youth and adult facilitators, with topics ranging from “The Art of Public Speaking” to “Trust and Teambuilding.” Members from the Foundation’s YGA group planned and facilitated the workshop “Coming to Consensus” — providing suggestions for other youth-led organizations to help overcome differences while coming to a consensus for the good of the community. YGA participants will be able to put this knowledge into action as they look ahead to reviewing grant applications for their upcoming fourth grant cycle. Great job YGA!
Bill Johnson Trust Boosts Volunteerism in Stokes County Bill Johnson loved Stokes County. The former county manager was known for his vision, and when he died in 1999, he left behind a legacy of service for the people he loved and resources that would continue those efforts. bill johnson kayaking The Bill Johnson Trust to on the dan river. Benefit Stokes County, a donor advised fund of The Winston-Salem Foundation, provides community grants on an annual basis to Stokes County grant seekers. The Trust encourages leadership development and programs that will inspire others. The wide range of program areas it impacts include education, arts, environmental protection and recreation, historical preservation, government and community services, health and organizations impacting minorities and low resource communities. “We set up the Trust to honor Bill’s leadership and vision,” says his sister Lenora Johnson Brown. “We wanted something that reflected the kind of person Bill was. With the model we have, people can have a great idea and benefit Stokes County with their idea.” Senior Program Officer Betty Gray Davis notes, “It’s really wonderful that we have this Trust and that we get to know the Stokes County community. Stokes County’s natural treasures include the Dan River, where Johnson enjoyed kayaking and canoeing, and Hanging Rock State Park. Johnson was known for caring about “what is right and what is fair,” Brown reads from a letter she received. He was an avid outdoorsman despite being paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident. Helping youth was also one of Bill Johnson’s priorities. He loved children, and would answer their questions about his wheelchair and even take them for rides and pop wheelies. He taught youngsters how to cut intricate paper snowflakes. “He reached to the curiosity that we all have,” Brown says. “He touched that part of everyone he met.” The Trust is a funding source for the Stokes Volunteer Center, which had been Johnson’s dream. For years, he worked to develop an organization that could serve as a clear-
inghouse where Stokes County residents could share information about opportunities and resources. In 2007 alone, 100 retired and senior volunteers and 121 registered Stokes Volunteer Center volunteers provided an estimated 72,842 hours of service.
“We set up the Trust to honor Bill’s leadership and vision.” — Lenora Johnson Brown Susan Maxey, director of the Stokes County Volunteer Center for four years, describes Bill, “He was so active in the good of the community. He was always bringing people together to make things stronger; he was always looking out for the underdog and the oppressed.” One Volunteer Center focus area is programming for at-risk youth and one of these, the Juvenile Justice Program, offers many opportunities, including Ladybugs and All About Respect for girls and boys aged 12-18. Classes are provided on first aid and safety, violence and self esteem, as well as field
Participants at a summer Ladybugs camp at the Stokes Family YMCA Program Center in Danbury.
trips to places such as Discovery Place and a YMCA summer camp. The program also partners with the Buffalo Creek Literacy Project to train Juvenile Justice staff and provide ongoing literacy support for children who participate. These are a few of the many ways that Bill Johnson’s legacy continues to shine in the county he so cherished. community matters [2–3]
Student Aid: Helping Make Dreams a Reality The origin of the Foundation’s 85 year-old student aid program reaches back to 1923, when the first student loan fund was established at the Foundation. The Leo Caldwell Fund was started in 1923 with an outpouring of memorials for Leo Caldwell, a local student athlete who died in a high school football game. City newspapers published an editorial two days later, asking citizens to honor this
How to Apply for Student Aid at The Winston-Salem Foundation Students who wish to apply for a scholarship (most merit-based and some consider family income), grant (family income considered), or student loan for the 2009/2010 academic year may apply online now.
young man with a memorial “that will bear his name and live on through time, one that will build better citizens.” Led by a $2,000 contribution from a local Civitan club, the fund, made possible by community donations large and small, was initially established with almost $10,000 — a very large sum at the time. From that point on, the community has come together under the Foundation’s guidance with the common goal of helping local students attend college — over 12,000 students have been helped since the program’s inception.
Most student aid applications are initiated through a one-time online process. Rather than requiring a student to sift through numerous listings of aid opportunities available, the Foundation’s online application system will identify those opportunities for which one appears to be eligible, based on preliminary information entered.
Application deadlines are: > March 31, 2009 for scholarships (outside committee scholarship deadlines vary) > August 15, 2009 for grants and loans
For a complete listing of scholarships and grants available, and for more complete information on the student aid application process, please go to www.wsfoundation.org/students.
student aid: quick facts > For the 2008-2009 school year, the Foundation’s 115 student aid funds provided 451 students with $805,401 in scholarships and grants, and 35 students with $153,550 in low-interest loans. > Scholarship recipients are attending over 35 different colleges — from Furman University to Dartmouth College, from Wake Forest University to UNC-Asheville. > Students are attending 12 of the 16 constituent universities of the University of North Carolina system.
Scholarship Celebration: Bright Young Minds Meet Generous Donors In early August, a Scholarship Celebration was held to honor and connect the Foundation’s generous scholarship fund donors with current scholarship recipients. Over 150 donors and students were present to hear Jamie Hester, a 2005 recipient of the Elizabeth T. Williams Scholarship and a senior at UNCChapel Hill, speak about the scholarship’s impact on her life.
Dr. Harold Martin, senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of North Carolina system and vice chair of The Winston-Salem Foundation Committee, also gave attendees an overview of the Foundation’s student aid program, as well as new developments in the application process.
Art and Dannie Weber Scholarship recipient John Schwabe and Dannie Weber
William H. and Lena M. Petree Scholarship Katherine Petree, Sarah Smith (Petree Scholarship recipient), Bill Petree, and Crystal Gray (stanley michael Elrod Scholarship Recipient)
Flow Automotive Companies Scholarship Dennis Chriss of Flow Automotive Companies with recipients Christina Karathanas and Tom Karathanas
Gray W. Mock Family Scholarship Recipient Sha-Keieam Downs and Richard Mock elizabeth t. williams Scholarship speaker Jamie Hester
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Angels Races Benefit Education Mick Gunter merged his grief over the loss of his mother do otherwise. “The students would have a richer education and with his passion for triathlons to make a difference in the lives richer experience in learning,” he says. “(Education) is a fundaof many students and teachers. mental element of building a stronger community.” He moved to Winston-Salem in the mid-1990s, and a few The Karla Bolen Memorial Fund provides grants to teachers years later started competing in triathlons. He began working to reward them for excellence in teaching and to enrich the curricat Primo Water, where he met Billy Prim, who had estabulum. Schools in Forsyth County, Thomas Jefferson Elementary lished the Dean Prim Scholarship with The Winston-Salem in Falls Church, VA (where his mother taught) and other schools Foundation to honor his own father. Gunter recalls, “I had in central Virginia have received grants. this idea of doing the triathlon as a fundraiser.” Prim encourThe fund’s largest grant to-date was a three-year commitaged him to think big and told him to try to do something ment to West Forsyth YMCA for a tutoring program. Other that was different. Gunter ultimately established the Karla Bolen Memorial Fund at The Winston-Salem Foundation, which honors his mother’s memory by providing grants to elementary school teachers. The Fund is a beneficiary of two sprint triathlons, aptly named Angels Races that are held each year — one at Tanglewood Park Mick Gunter addresses Race crowd in Forsyth County and another in Lynchburg, VA. A unique component of the right and below: Angels Race event is that participants honor Participants their own “angels,” whose names are written on their arms before the race. This past September, 550 people participated in the N.C. Angels Race that raised more than $20,000. “I do this for the spiritual and education impact,” says Gunter, Executive Director of the Angels Foundation, which organizes the two races. His mother, who was killed in a car accident while he was in college, had taught fourth fund grants have purchased smart boards, reading and syllable grade in Virginia for 13 years. Gunter had seen first-hand the cards, listening centers and audio books, butterflies, aquariums impact she had on her students’ lives. “My mom wanted to teach and tadpoles. Gunter says, “It’s all about, how can we take a love of learning to her students,” Gunter says, and he knew he something that’s pretty good and make it great? It’s just that wanted to continue sharing her passion in some way. love of learning.” After talking with principals and teachers, Gunter decided to offer grants to teachers for things they wouldn’t be able to
message from the president INVESTMENTS: TAKING THE LONG-TERM VIEW In these challenging economic times, we’re all concerned about the overall volatility in our economy today. The corporate sector is unstable, unemployment is up, home mortgage default rates are rising and the stock market has been fluctuating as never before. Although no one can accurately predict when the economy, and more specifically the stock market, will recover (nor to what extent) we do want to reassure you that funds entrusted to the Foundation will grow over time and provide a steady stream of grantable income to accomplish philanthropic goals. We invest our pools of assets with perpetuity in mind, employing the best long-term strategy that will generate positive annual returns while taking a prudent amount of risk. Our Finance and Investment Committee, made up of knowledgeable and experienced individuals, work closely with indepen-
dent consultants to evaluate quarterly investment results. Our proactive process helps to ensure that short- and longterm objectives are being met and all necessary adjustments are being made when market conditions change. As we approach our 90th year of serving as your community foundation, we have historically shown that we have consistently met our investment goal: to produce long-term returns that will protect the value of our community’s funds against inflation and fees, while supporting a desired level of grantmaking. We have accomplished this by adopting an investment strategy designed to give strong performance in up markets, balanced by capital preservation in down markets. We appreciate the trust donors have placed in the integrity of this organization, and we will continue to rise to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Now more than ever, the Foundation honors and appreciates our donors’ generosity as we move forward together to create an even brighter future for our community. — Scott wIErman, president
Hands On Northwest North Carolina: Connecting Volunteers and Nonprofits Many in our community have an interest in volunteering, but have no idea where to begin. HandsOn Northwest North Carolina (formerly Nonprofit and Volunteer Connections) matches individual interests and needs with great opportunities to get involved in our community. They also work with nonprofits, businesses, schools, churches and other groups to strengthen their impact in the community, providing a connection to nearly 300 different volunteer opportunities in Winston-Salem.
HandsOn Northwest North Carolina strengthens our community by building the capacity of local nonprofit organizations while increasing volunteerism in Winston-Salem as well as in Davie, Davidson, Surry and Yadkin counties. Visit www.handsonnwnc.org or call (336)724-2866 for more information.
community matters [6–7]
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage paid Winston-Salem, NC Permit No. 406 8 60 W est Fifth Stree t W insto n -Salem, NC 271 0 1-25 0 6 Telep ho n e 336- 72 5- 2382 To ll Fr e e 866-227- 12 0 9 F a x 336-72 7- 0 581 w w w .w sfoundation.org
Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
meals-on-wheels, continued from page 1
Anne and Bill Magness Meals-onWheels Fund
Meals-on-Wheels Fund. The Foundation offers such matches to non-profits to help them leverage additional financial support from a broader base of new and existing donors.
To honor Anne and Bill Magness and their dedication to Meals-on-Wheels, the Senior Services Board of Trustees
So far, the endowment has enough funds to permanently
has established an endowment with
endow Meals-on-Wheels service for two seniors, and
The Winston-Salem Foundation.
Senior Services would like the endowment to grow to fund many more.
Through its Endowment Match Program, the Foundation will
for more information, contact richard gottlieb at senior
provide a 1:4 match, up to $20,000,
services at (336) 725-0907 or www.seniorservicesinc.org.
for the Anne and Bill Magness
Contributing writer: Kathy Norcross Watts