ILLUMINATING
THE FUTURE
THE W IN S TON- S AL E M F OU NDATION 2013 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY | 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
COMMUNITY GRANTS
COLLABORATING FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE
F
ORSYTH COUNTY has a wealth of unique community theatres that perform diverse shows ranging from “The Odd Couple” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” to “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Spring Awakening,” and their collaboration on a joint playbill has reaped benefits for the theatre community as a whole. Playbills typically hold information about the performances, cast members, and production staff — and the print advertisements help to support local theatre productions as well as to offset the cost of the playbills. Selling advertising takes time, says Cheri Van Loon, the artistic/educational director for The Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem at Twin City Stage. ”I think we felt we were all having the same challenge,” Cheri says. “It made sense: why not do it all in one fell swoop? Why not give the advertisers five times the exposure?” In 2011, Twin City Stage, Kernersville Little Theatre, The Stained Glass Playhouse, WinstonSalem Theatre Alliance, and Clemmons Community Theatre first worked together on a joint marketing effort in which advertisers would be featured in playbills for all the theatres. The effort proved to be efficient since advertisers were approached on behalf of all the theatres at one time and gained a wider reach for their ads. The joint playbill is called “Stagebill,” and its cover design changes with each show as do the details about particular performances. The middle
[ 1 4 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
pages hold upcoming schedules of other theatres, which enables theatre patrons to learn about other performance opportunities in the community. The same advertisements appear in all the playbills; sometimes additional specialized ads are targeted for specific performances of certain theatres. “Stagebill” has created a sense of community among the theatre groups and has built camaraderie in terms of ad sales, Cheri says. “I just feel strongly about all the groups,” Cheri says. “I want everyone to be successful. Everybody really has their own niche. Different theatres target different audiences with their productions and their approaches. Stagebill helps people know we don’t compete with each other: we share resources, we share costumes, and we share audiences.” Bev Fry, Vice President of Administration at Kernersville Little Theatre adds, “Sharing the playbill was the next in line.” “We felt like one big family,” Bev says. “It kind of brought us all together. We’re all in every playbill. It creates an awareness of other theatre opportunities. We hope it encourages people to support community theatre.” The Foundation provided a grant for the initial design and printing for the first year of the playbill, and in the second year the playbill not only covered its cost, but also paid for additional copies of “Stagebill” because of the increased ad sales. “Anything that strengthens one of us strengthens all of us,” Bev says.
IN 2011, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED A $25,000 Community Grant to support a collaborative playbill for five community theatres, including the Kernersville Little Theatre, Clemmons Community Theatre, The Stained Glass Playhouse, Twin City Stage, and the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance. Above: Youth performers from Twin City Stage’s children’s theatre
COMMUNITY GRANTS
COLLABORATING FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE
F
ORSYTH COUNTY has a wealth of unique community theatres that perform diverse shows ranging from “The Odd Couple” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” to “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Spring Awakening,” and their collaboration on a joint playbill has reaped benefits for the theatre community as a whole. Playbills typically hold information about the performances, cast members, and production staff — and the print advertisements help to support local theatre productions as well as to offset the cost of the playbills. Selling advertising takes time, says Cheri Van Loon, the artistic/educational director for The Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem at Twin City Stage. ”I think we felt we were all having the same challenge,” Cheri says. “It made sense: why not do it all in one fell swoop? Why not give the advertisers five times the exposure?” In 2011, Twin City Stage, Kernersville Little Theatre, The Stained Glass Playhouse, WinstonSalem Theatre Alliance, and Clemmons Community Theatre first worked together on a joint marketing effort in which advertisers would be featured in playbills for all the theatres. The effort proved to be efficient since advertisers were approached on behalf of all the theatres at one time and gained a wider reach for their ads. The joint playbill is called “Stagebill,” and its cover design changes with each show as do the details about particular performances. The middle
[ 1 4 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
pages hold upcoming schedules of other theatres, which enables theatre patrons to learn about other performance opportunities in the community. The same advertisements appear in all the playbills; sometimes additional specialized ads are targeted for specific performances of certain theatres. “Stagebill” has created a sense of community among the theatre groups and has built camaraderie in terms of ad sales, Cheri says. “I just feel strongly about all the groups,” Cheri says. “I want everyone to be successful. Everybody really has their own niche. Different theatres target different audiences with their productions and their approaches. Stagebill helps people know we don’t compete with each other: we share resources, we share costumes, and we share audiences.” Bev Fry, Vice President of Administration at Kernersville Little Theatre adds, “Sharing the playbill was the next in line.” “We felt like one big family,” Bev says. “It kind of brought us all together. We’re all in every playbill. It creates an awareness of other theatre opportunities. We hope it encourages people to support community theatre.” The Foundation provided a grant for the initial design and printing for the first year of the playbill, and in the second year the playbill not only covered its cost, but also paid for additional copies of “Stagebill” because of the increased ad sales. “Anything that strengthens one of us strengthens all of us,” Bev says.
IN 2011, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED A $25,000 Community Grant to support a collaborative playbill for five community theatres, including the Kernersville Little Theatre, Clemmons Community Theatre, The Stained Glass Playhouse, Twin City Stage, and the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance. Above: Youth performers from Twin City Stage’s children’s theatre
DONORS
FOCUSING ON
EDUCATION
Richard and Becky Davis
R
ICHARD AND BECKY DAVIS BELIEVE IN EDUCATION.
THE RICHARD AND BECKY DAVIS FUND FOR EDUCATION, a field of interest fund for education, was established in 2010 in honor of Mr. Davis’s service on the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust board. Mr. Davis is a past member of The Winston-Salem Foundation Committee as well as a past Advisory Committee chair of the Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Initiative. The Davises are also members of the Foundation’s Legacy Society.
“To me education is the key to our success,” Richard says, and he believes it generates further opportunities for individuals, not only with work, but also relating to a person’s housing, health, longevity, and overall quality of life. Their commitment to education is evident throughout their community work that spans decades with all sorts of age groups and nonprofits. Becky was a longtime volunteer at St. Philips Moravian Church Day Care for preschool children. “They were a lot of fun,” she says, then smiles and adds quietly, “I spoiled a lot of them.” Throughout Richard’s extensive service in the community, including membership on the boards of The WinstonSalem Foundation, the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Forsyth County, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and Appalachian State University, he has seen how education impacts the community. As board chair for both the Chamber and United Way, he was heavily involved in educational initiatives to positively impact school success and, ultimately, high school graduation rates.
In 2010, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust established a field of interest fund for education at The Winston-Salem Foundation to honor Richard’s board service, and the Davises have continued to add to it. Their fund gives the Foundation the flexibility to make timely Community Grants for educational programming. “The Foundation has the freedom to grant those funds to whatever organization it feels deserves it most or can have the most impact,” Richard says. “They know the needs and they review all the grant applications. They make the decision as to what is a wise investment and who would manage these grants well. They know this because that’s their business to know.” The Winston-Salem Foundation appealed to Richard, who studied accounting at the University of Maryland before working for the Internal Revenue Service and Wachovia Bank. “Nobody does it better,” he says. “They give donors total transparency regarding the funds that are invested there, and I do mean invested. Not only do you see that your funds are doing a whole lot of good, you see how well the funds are managed over the years. That fund will continue to grow and will be able to assist and help more people and more causes.” Both Becky and Richard learned the importance of giving back to their community when they were children. “My dad used to say, ‘The more you give, the more you will receive,’” Becky says. Richard’s grandmother taught him to always share. “If you have something and the next person has nothing, it’s your duty to share with that person,” he recalls. She told him to “always keep in mind you want to leave this earth a better place than you found it. I’ve always been the kind of person that if I see someone in need I try to help them. It’s just part of my life.”
Above: Becky and Richard Davis the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 1 7 ]
DONORS
FOCUSING ON
EDUCATION
Richard and Becky Davis
R
ICHARD AND BECKY DAVIS BELIEVE IN EDUCATION.
THE RICHARD AND BECKY DAVIS FUND FOR EDUCATION, a field of interest fund for education, was established in 2010 in honor of Mr. Davis’s service on the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust board. Mr. Davis is a past member of The Winston-Salem Foundation Committee as well as a past Advisory Committee chair of the Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Initiative. The Davises are also members of the Foundation’s Legacy Society.
“To me education is the key to our success,” Richard says, and he believes it generates further opportunities for individuals, not only with work, but also relating to a person’s housing, health, longevity, and overall quality of life. Their commitment to education is evident throughout their community work that spans decades with all sorts of age groups and nonprofits. Becky was a longtime volunteer at St. Philips Moravian Church Day Care for preschool children. “They were a lot of fun,” she says, then smiles and adds quietly, “I spoiled a lot of them.” Throughout Richard’s extensive service in the community, including membership on the boards of The WinstonSalem Foundation, the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Forsyth County, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and Appalachian State University, he has seen how education impacts the community. As board chair for both the Chamber and United Way, he was heavily involved in educational initiatives to positively impact school success and, ultimately, high school graduation rates.
In 2010, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust established a field of interest fund for education at The Winston-Salem Foundation to honor Richard’s board service, and the Davises have continued to add to it. Their fund gives the Foundation the flexibility to make timely Community Grants for educational programming. “The Foundation has the freedom to grant those funds to whatever organization it feels deserves it most or can have the most impact,” Richard says. “They know the needs and they review all the grant applications. They make the decision as to what is a wise investment and who would manage these grants well. They know this because that’s their business to know.” The Winston-Salem Foundation appealed to Richard, who studied accounting at the University of Maryland before working for the Internal Revenue Service and Wachovia Bank. “Nobody does it better,” he says. “They give donors total transparency regarding the funds that are invested there, and I do mean invested. Not only do you see that your funds are doing a whole lot of good, you see how well the funds are managed over the years. That fund will continue to grow and will be able to assist and help more people and more causes.” Both Becky and Richard learned the importance of giving back to their community when they were children. “My dad used to say, ‘The more you give, the more you will receive,’” Becky says. Richard’s grandmother taught him to always share. “If you have something and the next person has nothing, it’s your duty to share with that person,” he recalls. She told him to “always keep in mind you want to leave this earth a better place than you found it. I’ve always been the kind of person that if I see someone in need I try to help them. It’s just part of my life.”
Above: Becky and Richard Davis the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 1 7 ]
STUDENT AID
SUPPORTING
DREAMS
The Woodbine Agency
F
OR WOODBINE, big dreams matter. Big dreams have spurred the brand revitalization agency’s growth in Winston-Salem over the past 28 years, and they continue to play a key role in the team’s creative approach with their clients. When Woodbine was looking for a tangible way to give back to the community, the company turned to The Winston-Salem Foundation, where it established its Big Dreams Scholarship to support college students who dream of being the next generation of advertisers and marketers. “I don’t think you can start a company without having a big dream and thinking forward,” says Maureen Hall, Woodbine’s founder. “Woodbine grew and thrived in the Winston-Salem community, and we wanted to give back through a foundation that also grew out of this community and continues to support it. Students are right at that point where they’re dreaming about the rest of their lives. They’re dreaming about possibilities.” The scholarship exemplifies Woodbine’s five key values: ideas, interaction, intensity, integrity, and impact. “We really do want to raise up the next generation to have an impact,” Maureen says. “There’s no other way to do it than to help fund their dreams.” The scholarship is awarded to a graduating Forsyth County high school senior who intends
[ 1 8 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
to study in the communication arts field. After the first year of college, the recipient is offered a summer internship opportunity at Woodbine. Instead of a traditional plaque, students receive a journal in which to record their thoughts, dreams, and inspirations, says Peter Mitchell, president and CEO. “There are a lot of ways to give back,” Peter says. “At the heart of Woodbine is relationships. Building that relationship with the students was a big thing.” He also hopes that their scholarship recipients will be able to develop a community among themselves that will be beneficial in their future careers. East Forsyth High School graduate Sarah Rierson was inspired to study communications at UNC-Chapel Hill by her uncle, who majored in broadcast journalism there. She was surprised to learn during her 2012 high school awards ceremony that she had won the first Big Dreams Scholarship. “I was just really thankful for the scholarship,” Sarah says. “I had no idea I was receiving it. I was really surprised to see how they wanted to get to know me. I plan to do the same thing for some young person at a moment in my career.” During her summer internship, she has helped with research on social media projects and especially enjoyed working on blog posts. Peter encourages other businesses to follow this model of both supporting students financially while also building relationships with them. The support becomes more than a transaction, he says, “It’s transformational.” The theme of Woodbine’s 25-year anniversary celebration highlighted one of Maureen’s favorite African proverbs: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others.” “This sense of community and knowing you’re not alone is really important,” she says.
THE WOODBINE BIG DREAMS SCHOLARSHIP, established through a student aid endowment in 2011 by The Woodbine Agency, provides a $1,000 award to a graduating Forsyth County high school student who intends to major in communications, graphic design, journalism, public relations, creative writing, digital media or a related field at an accredited vocational/technical school, community college, or college/university. Woodbine also offers a summer internship opportunity to the scholarship recipient after his or her first year of college. Below: Peter Mitchell, Sarah Rierson, and Maureen Hall
STUDENT AID
SUPPORTING
DREAMS
The Woodbine Agency
F
OR WOODBINE, big dreams matter. Big dreams have spurred the brand revitalization agency’s growth in Winston-Salem over the past 28 years, and they continue to play a key role in the team’s creative approach with their clients. When Woodbine was looking for a tangible way to give back to the community, the company turned to The Winston-Salem Foundation, where it established its Big Dreams Scholarship to support college students who dream of being the next generation of advertisers and marketers. “I don’t think you can start a company without having a big dream and thinking forward,” says Maureen Hall, Woodbine’s founder. “Woodbine grew and thrived in the Winston-Salem community, and we wanted to give back through a foundation that also grew out of this community and continues to support it. Students are right at that point where they’re dreaming about the rest of their lives. They’re dreaming about possibilities.” The scholarship exemplifies Woodbine’s five key values: ideas, interaction, intensity, integrity, and impact. “We really do want to raise up the next generation to have an impact,” Maureen says. “There’s no other way to do it than to help fund their dreams.” The scholarship is awarded to a graduating Forsyth County high school senior who intends
[ 1 8 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
to study in the communication arts field. After the first year of college, the recipient is offered a summer internship opportunity at Woodbine. Instead of a traditional plaque, students receive a journal in which to record their thoughts, dreams, and inspirations, says Peter Mitchell, president and CEO. “There are a lot of ways to give back,” Peter says. “At the heart of Woodbine is relationships. Building that relationship with the students was a big thing.” He also hopes that their scholarship recipients will be able to develop a community among themselves that will be beneficial in their future careers. East Forsyth High School graduate Sarah Rierson was inspired to study communications at UNC-Chapel Hill by her uncle, who majored in broadcast journalism there. She was surprised to learn during her 2012 high school awards ceremony that she had won the first Big Dreams Scholarship. “I was just really thankful for the scholarship,” Sarah says. “I had no idea I was receiving it. I was really surprised to see how they wanted to get to know me. I plan to do the same thing for some young person at a moment in my career.” During her summer internship, she has helped with research on social media projects and especially enjoyed working on blog posts. Peter encourages other businesses to follow this model of both supporting students financially while also building relationships with them. The support becomes more than a transaction, he says, “It’s transformational.” The theme of Woodbine’s 25-year anniversary celebration highlighted one of Maureen’s favorite African proverbs: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others.” “This sense of community and knowing you’re not alone is really important,” she says.
THE WOODBINE BIG DREAMS SCHOLARSHIP, established through a student aid endowment in 2011 by The Woodbine Agency, provides a $1,000 award to a graduating Forsyth County high school student who intends to major in communications, graphic design, journalism, public relations, creative writing, digital media or a related field at an accredited vocational/technical school, community college, or college/university. Woodbine also offers a summer internship opportunity to the scholarship recipient after his or her first year of college. Below: Peter Mitchell, Sarah Rierson, and Maureen Hall
COMMUNITY GRANTS
TRANSFORMING A NEIGHBORHOOD The Enterprise Center of the S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation
F
OR YEARS, PATRICIA DEGRAFFINREAIDT has volunteered in her
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT SINCE 2006, the Foundation has provided funding to support the Winston-Salem Community Development Support Collaborative, or the Funders’ Collaborative, which includes 12 local funding partners that pool resources to provide operational support and technical assistance for six local Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and Community Development Enterprises (CDEs). During 2012, the Funder’s Collaborative worked with the following local CDCs and CDEs: S.G. Atkins CDC, Goler CDC, Liberty CDC, Rural Initiative Project, Inc., The Shalom Project, and Ujima CDC. The S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit supported by grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other funding institutions, such as the Funder’s Collaborative. S.G. Atkins strives to create community-based leadership and has focused on revitalizing the neighborhoods surrounding Winston-Salem State University through housing, community, and economic development programs. Prior to the Funder’s Collaborative, the Foundation also supported community development efforts by providing support through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation from 1998 to 2007.
million grant, which will enable the CDC to complete the renovation. neighborhood near Winston-Salem State University through the On the second floor, the Enterprise Center houses office spaces, 18 Southeast Neighborhood Association and through her church, Exodus of which are occupied by small businesses and nonprofits. The Center United Baptist Church, which provides hot soup during winter months also provides office support, meeting space, Wi-Fi and state-of-the-art and meals year-round to homebound neighbors. audiovisual equipment. The Center partners with Winston-Salem State When she became the event manager for the S.G. Atkins Community University, Wake Forest University, and Forsyth Technical Community Development Corporation’s Enterprise College to provide workshops that benefit the Center, the opportunity was a perfect way to businesses. match her vocation with her passion to serve “We include business education with the the neighborhood. office space and amenities that entrepreneurs “It was just a Godsend,” says Patricia, who need to be successful,” Carol says. had previously been a catering sales manager Located on the first floor is a virtual hosat a local hotel before starting her own event pital custom-designed for Winston-Salem planning business. She lives just two blocks State University’s School of Health Sciences. away from the Enterprise Center and from The former gymnasium reopened in 2012 as her church. a 4,700-square-foot conference center that is When S.G. Atkins’ Executive Director busy with special events, including business Carol Davis showed Patricia the opportunities networking, workshops, and community and the Center provides, “I was actually in awe of corporate events. Patricia Degraffinreaidt (l) and Carol Davis what this center offers the community,” she says. “It’s taken on a life of its own,” Carol says. “This is a jewel. There’s a lot of love in this building for the neighborhood “It’s a unique asset which supports a diverse community’s changing interand this community.” ests and needs.” The S.G. Atkins CDC started at Winston-Salem State University in A LEED-certified building that utilizes solar panels installed by a for1998, Carol says. The CDC’s first efforts focused on renovating and buildmer business tenant that outgrew the incubator, the Center is “a model of ing affordable homes, and then created a loan pool for small businesses. sustainability,” Carol says, and once 30,000 square feet of space is leased, In 2011, the CDC opened the Enterprise Center, a business incubator and it will generate enough income to pay for operating expenses. Outside, the community learning center that is housed in the former Salvation Army Center has a lush community garden space called Simon’s Green Acre, with Boys and Girls Club building on South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. individual gardens tended to by a number of different community groups. The CDC has renovated 25,000 of the 40,000 square feet in the Patricia calls it “a transformational place,” yet, she says, “It’s like fambuilding; recently the Economic Development Administration of the ily, too, here. My goal is to make as many people as possible aware of this U.S. Commerce Department awarded the Enterprise Center a $1.2 Center and what it offers.” the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 2 1 ]
COMMUNITY GRANTS
TRANSFORMING A NEIGHBORHOOD The Enterprise Center of the S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation
F
OR YEARS, PATRICIA DEGRAFFINREAIDT has volunteered in her
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT SINCE 2006, the Foundation has provided funding to support the Winston-Salem Community Development Support Collaborative, or the Funders’ Collaborative, which includes 12 local funding partners that pool resources to provide operational support and technical assistance for six local Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and Community Development Enterprises (CDEs). During 2012, the Funder’s Collaborative worked with the following local CDCs and CDEs: S.G. Atkins CDC, Goler CDC, Liberty CDC, Rural Initiative Project, Inc., The Shalom Project, and Ujima CDC. The S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit supported by grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other funding institutions, such as the Funder’s Collaborative. S.G. Atkins strives to create community-based leadership and has focused on revitalizing the neighborhoods surrounding Winston-Salem State University through housing, community, and economic development programs. Prior to the Funder’s Collaborative, the Foundation also supported community development efforts by providing support through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation from 1998 to 2007.
million grant, which will enable the CDC to complete the renovation. neighborhood near Winston-Salem State University through the On the second floor, the Enterprise Center houses office spaces, 18 Southeast Neighborhood Association and through her church, Exodus of which are occupied by small businesses and nonprofits. The Center United Baptist Church, which provides hot soup during winter months also provides office support, meeting space, Wi-Fi and state-of-the-art and meals year-round to homebound neighbors. audiovisual equipment. The Center partners with Winston-Salem State When she became the event manager for the S.G. Atkins Community University, Wake Forest University, and Forsyth Technical Community Development Corporation’s Enterprise College to provide workshops that benefit the Center, the opportunity was a perfect way to businesses. match her vocation with her passion to serve “We include business education with the the neighborhood. office space and amenities that entrepreneurs “It was just a Godsend,” says Patricia, who need to be successful,” Carol says. had previously been a catering sales manager Located on the first floor is a virtual hosat a local hotel before starting her own event pital custom-designed for Winston-Salem planning business. She lives just two blocks State University’s School of Health Sciences. away from the Enterprise Center and from The former gymnasium reopened in 2012 as her church. a 4,700-square-foot conference center that is When S.G. Atkins’ Executive Director busy with special events, including business Carol Davis showed Patricia the opportunities networking, workshops, and community and the Center provides, “I was actually in awe of corporate events. Patricia Degraffinreaidt (l) and Carol Davis what this center offers the community,” she says. “It’s taken on a life of its own,” Carol says. “This is a jewel. There’s a lot of love in this building for the neighborhood “It’s a unique asset which supports a diverse community’s changing interand this community.” ests and needs.” The S.G. Atkins CDC started at Winston-Salem State University in A LEED-certified building that utilizes solar panels installed by a for1998, Carol says. The CDC’s first efforts focused on renovating and buildmer business tenant that outgrew the incubator, the Center is “a model of ing affordable homes, and then created a loan pool for small businesses. sustainability,” Carol says, and once 30,000 square feet of space is leased, In 2011, the CDC opened the Enterprise Center, a business incubator and it will generate enough income to pay for operating expenses. Outside, the community learning center that is housed in the former Salvation Army Center has a lush community garden space called Simon’s Green Acre, with Boys and Girls Club building on South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. individual gardens tended to by a number of different community groups. The CDC has renovated 25,000 of the 40,000 square feet in the Patricia calls it “a transformational place,” yet, she says, “It’s like fambuilding; recently the Economic Development Administration of the ily, too, here. My goal is to make as many people as possible aware of this U.S. Commerce Department awarded the Enterprise Center a $1.2 Center and what it offers.” the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 2 1 ]
DONORS
SHARING A
SECOND CHAPTER OF GIVING Bill and Allan Womble
B
ILL AND ALLAN WOMBLE grew up surrounded by first-hand
examples of giving back to their community. Bill’s father was a state and community leader who instilled the importance of community service in his children. Bill’s “Aunt Nell Willingham” was the daughter of Colonel Francis Fries, who established The WinstonSalem Foundation in 1919 with the initial gift of $1,000; the Foundation has grown to more than $325 million in current assets. “We can only imagine how proud Col. Fries would be of that.” Bill says. “The Foundation has grown along with our whole community. Col. Fries was a remarkable example of that generation that rebuilt a devastated South. One gives back in lots of ways, not just with money, but with devotion of time and service as well. One of the things that makes WinstonSalem special is its culture of giving and volunteer service. It’s a wonderful part of our heritage.” Allan grew up in Mississippi, and she first learned about philanthropy from her father, who was a minister. At Christmas, he would ask each of his six children to pick one of their favorite presents for him to take to a family that lived nearby. During the summer months, Allan and her siblings often pulled a wagon laden with vegetables they had grown to share with their neighbors. “We had more than we needed,” she says. “That’s what you do — you share.” A native of Winston-Salem, Bill, now retired from active practice, is a long-time member of the Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice law firm. Bill helped found a number of nonprofits, including Experiment in Self Reliance, The Children’s Center (now The Centers for Exceptional Children) and Arbor Acres Retirement Community. He has also served in numerous state and local leadership positions, including service in the N.C. House of Representatives. The couple enjoys surprising people who learn they’re “newlywed old folks,” though they have more than 100 years of marriage between them.
Bill and his late wife, Jane, were married for 68 years; Allan and her late husband, Bill Hollan, were married 59 years. Bill and Jane established designated funds at the Foundation for Arbor Acres and Senior Services, and Jane set one up for St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Bill is an active Foundation donor advisor; he enjoys supporting a variety of nonprofits. Allan established the William and Allan Hollan Charitable Fund, a field of interest fund for human services, in Bill’s memory following his death in 2004. “We were always more interested in the human touch,” she says, “and the Foundation’s strong reputation is recognized throughout the community. It’s carrying out its purpose in a meaningful way.” Bill appreciates the Foundation’s accountability as it manages a wide array of funds and endowments, better enabling nonprofit organizations to perform their valuable work in perpetuity. Bill sums it up this way: “The Winston-Salem Foundation is a tremendous community asset. There’s no end to the good it can do. It is a blessing beyond compare.”
THE WILLIAM AND ALLAN HOLLAN CHARITABLE FUND was established in 2004 in Mr. Hollan’s memory as a field of interest fund to support human services. The William F. and Jane Gilbert Womble Fund for Arbor Acres and the William F. and Jane Gilbert Womble Fund for Senior Services were established at the Foundation in 2010. The Jane Gilbert Womble Fund was established as a designated fund in 2010 to support St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Mr. Womble also has a donor-advised fund and a charitable remainder trust at the Foundation, established in 1995. The Wombles are also members of the Foundation’s Legacy Society. Above: Allan and Bill Womble
[ 2 2 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
DONORS
SHARING A
SECOND CHAPTER OF GIVING Bill and Allan Womble
B
ILL AND ALLAN WOMBLE grew up surrounded by first-hand
examples of giving back to their community. Bill’s father was a state and community leader who instilled the importance of community service in his children. Bill’s “Aunt Nell Willingham” was the daughter of Colonel Francis Fries, who established The WinstonSalem Foundation in 1919 with the initial gift of $1,000; the Foundation has grown to more than $325 million in current assets. “We can only imagine how proud Col. Fries would be of that.” Bill says. “The Foundation has grown along with our whole community. Col. Fries was a remarkable example of that generation that rebuilt a devastated South. One gives back in lots of ways, not just with money, but with devotion of time and service as well. One of the things that makes WinstonSalem special is its culture of giving and volunteer service. It’s a wonderful part of our heritage.” Allan grew up in Mississippi, and she first learned about philanthropy from her father, who was a minister. At Christmas, he would ask each of his six children to pick one of their favorite presents for him to take to a family that lived nearby. During the summer months, Allan and her siblings often pulled a wagon laden with vegetables they had grown to share with their neighbors. “We had more than we needed,” she says. “That’s what you do — you share.” A native of Winston-Salem, Bill, now retired from active practice, is a long-time member of the Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice law firm. Bill helped found a number of nonprofits, including Experiment in Self Reliance, The Children’s Center (now The Centers for Exceptional Children) and Arbor Acres Retirement Community. He has also served in numerous state and local leadership positions, including service in the N.C. House of Representatives. The couple enjoys surprising people who learn they’re “newlywed old folks,” though they have more than 100 years of marriage between them.
Bill and his late wife, Jane, were married for 68 years; Allan and her late husband, Bill Hollan, were married 59 years. Bill and Jane established designated funds at the Foundation for Arbor Acres and Senior Services, and Jane set one up for St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Bill is an active Foundation donor advisor; he enjoys supporting a variety of nonprofits. Allan established the William and Allan Hollan Charitable Fund, a field of interest fund for human services, in Bill’s memory following his death in 2004. “We were always more interested in the human touch,” she says, “and the Foundation’s strong reputation is recognized throughout the community. It’s carrying out its purpose in a meaningful way.” Bill appreciates the Foundation’s accountability as it manages a wide array of funds and endowments, better enabling nonprofit organizations to perform their valuable work in perpetuity. Bill sums it up this way: “The Winston-Salem Foundation is a tremendous community asset. There’s no end to the good it can do. It is a blessing beyond compare.”
THE WILLIAM AND ALLAN HOLLAN CHARITABLE FUND was established in 2004 in Mr. Hollan’s memory as a field of interest fund to support human services. The William F. and Jane Gilbert Womble Fund for Arbor Acres and the William F. and Jane Gilbert Womble Fund for Senior Services were established at the Foundation in 2010. The Jane Gilbert Womble Fund was established as a designated fund in 2010 to support St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Mr. Womble also has a donor-advised fund and a charitable remainder trust at the Foundation, established in 1995. The Wombles are also members of the Foundation’s Legacy Society. Above: Allan and Bill Womble
[ 2 2 ] I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
the winston-salem foundation annual report
COMMUNITY GRANTS
STRENGTHENING
NONPROFITS, ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS
HandsOn Northwest North Carolina
N
HANDSON: A VALUABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE HandsOn NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA was formed in 2007 when Non-Profit Connections, which provided nonprofit capacity building services, merged with Volunteer Connections, which had grown out of the volunteerism committee of the ECHO Council, originally incubated by the Foundation. HandsOn strengthens the community through a blended mission of building nonprofit capacities and increasing volunteerism. It provides resources and training to strengthen nonprofits to effectively meet their missions, and it seeks to increase civic engagement by managing a Web-based volunteer matching portal, by offering volunteer trainings, and by organizing community-wide volunteer recognition events. In 2013, HandsOn was also chosen to manage corporate volunteer projects for local Belk department stores, as part of their “125 Days of Service,” celebrating Belk’s 125th anniversary. In 2012 HandsOn was awarded a $60,000 Foundation Community Grant. The Foundation has also provided ongoing support to HandsOn and to its predecessor organizations since 2005. HandsOn also serves as an important Foundation partner: the two organizations have recently collaborated to offer development opportunities for nonprofit staff, including a peer philanthropy network and a succession planning workshop. Above: HandsOn program participant Nikki Burris
IKKI BURRIS, Director of Admissions for Salemtowne Retirement
Community, knows HandsOn Northwest North Carolina strengthens local nonprofits through both training and volunteer connections. “HandsOn has benefited me personally by offering different classes that help continue my learning in the areas of management and leadership,” says Nikki, who completed its Women’s Emerging Leaders (WEL) program, which was begun in 2010 with a seed grant from the Women’s Fund. Participants completed an in-depth workshop to determine their leadership styles, strengths and weaknesses, and they developed a plan to strengthen their skills. The program had classes in essential subjects for nonprofits and followed up to check on participants’ progress on their goals. “Overall, it was an empowering series that I would highly recommend for leaders to get to know themselves better and to strengthen their skill set,” Nikki says. She also sought guidance and partnered with HandsOn to create Salemtowne’s Senior Volunteer Service Award, and, in turn, Salemtowne has donated meeting space for many HandsOn events. “Salemtowne strives to be a strong community partner with greater Winston-Salem, and this is one way that we can give back,” Nikki says. “It is refreshing to collaborate so easily with a great organization.” HandsOn’s capacity-building programs are designed to help an organization meet the challenge of its mission in the most effective and efficient way possible, says Amy Lytle, HandsOn’s executive director. In 2012, 126 different nonprofits benefitted just from their workshops, which include Board Basics and Leadership Development classes, Best Practice Breakfasts, and Nonprofit Essentials workshops taught by Wake Forest University faculty. In total, HandsOn touches more than 350 nonprofits through its training programs, communications, and volunteer portal. “Research has shown that one of the most effective ways to increase an organization’s capacity is to invest in its leadership, which is exactly what
our programs are designed to do,” Amy says. “Our Organizational Assessments provide an opportunity for leadership — both board and staff — to get ‘on the same page’ about the most critical investments that an organization needs to make in RSVP Volunteer Mary Alspaugh their infrastructure.” Another key aspect of HandsOn’s work is matching community members with options for meaningful volunteer service. In 2012, using its Hands On Connect volunteer matching portal and other methods, HandsOn mobilized 3,447 volunteers who contributed approximately 46,855 service hours. In 2013, HandsOn took over the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) which has been in the community for 30 years; it provides an additional mechanism through which Salemtowne and other nonprofits can recruit senior volunteers. Ongoing support from The Winston-Salem Foundation has been crucial to HandsOn’s continued success. Amy says, “They see the value in how the work we do builds the infrastructure of the community as a whole,” Amy says. “All of our programs help organizations become more effective and efficient. We try to make sure we focus equally on both ‘halves’ of our mission — capacity building and volunteer engagement — while also nurturing the vast areas where they overlap.”
the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 2 5 ]
COMMUNITY GRANTS
STRENGTHENING
NONPROFITS, ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS
HandsOn Northwest North Carolina
N
HANDSON: A VALUABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE HandsOn NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA was formed in 2007 when Non-Profit Connections, which provided nonprofit capacity building services, merged with Volunteer Connections, which had grown out of the volunteerism committee of the ECHO Council, originally incubated by the Foundation. HandsOn strengthens the community through a blended mission of building nonprofit capacities and increasing volunteerism. It provides resources and training to strengthen nonprofits to effectively meet their missions, and it seeks to increase civic engagement by managing a Web-based volunteer matching portal, by offering volunteer trainings, and by organizing community-wide volunteer recognition events. In 2013, HandsOn was also chosen to manage corporate volunteer projects for local Belk department stores, as part of their “125 Days of Service,” celebrating Belk’s 125th anniversary. In 2012 HandsOn was awarded a $60,000 Foundation Community Grant. The Foundation has also provided ongoing support to HandsOn and to its predecessor organizations since 2005. HandsOn also serves as an important Foundation partner: the two organizations have recently collaborated to offer development opportunities for nonprofit staff, including a peer philanthropy network and a succession planning workshop. Above: HandsOn program participant Nikki Burris
IKKI BURRIS, Director of Admissions for Salemtowne Retirement
Community, knows HandsOn Northwest North Carolina strengthens local nonprofits through both training and volunteer connections. “HandsOn has benefited me personally by offering different classes that help continue my learning in the areas of management and leadership,” says Nikki, who completed its Women’s Emerging Leaders (WEL) program, which was begun in 2010 with a seed grant from the Women’s Fund. Participants completed an in-depth workshop to determine their leadership styles, strengths and weaknesses, and they developed a plan to strengthen their skills. The program had classes in essential subjects for nonprofits and followed up to check on participants’ progress on their goals. “Overall, it was an empowering series that I would highly recommend for leaders to get to know themselves better and to strengthen their skill set,” Nikki says. She also sought guidance and partnered with HandsOn to create Salemtowne’s Senior Volunteer Service Award, and, in turn, Salemtowne has donated meeting space for many HandsOn events. “Salemtowne strives to be a strong community partner with greater Winston-Salem, and this is one way that we can give back,” Nikki says. “It is refreshing to collaborate so easily with a great organization.” HandsOn’s capacity-building programs are designed to help an organization meet the challenge of its mission in the most effective and efficient way possible, says Amy Lytle, HandsOn’s executive director. In 2012, 126 different nonprofits benefitted just from their workshops, which include Board Basics and Leadership Development classes, Best Practice Breakfasts, and Nonprofit Essentials workshops taught by Wake Forest University faculty. In total, HandsOn touches more than 350 nonprofits through its training programs, communications, and volunteer portal. “Research has shown that one of the most effective ways to increase an organization’s capacity is to invest in its leadership, which is exactly what
our programs are designed to do,” Amy says. “Our Organizational Assessments provide an opportunity for leadership — both board and staff — to get ‘on the same page’ about the most critical investments that an organization needs to make in RSVP Volunteer Mary Alspaugh their infrastructure.” Another key aspect of HandsOn’s work is matching community members with options for meaningful volunteer service. In 2012, using its Hands On Connect volunteer matching portal and other methods, HandsOn mobilized 3,447 volunteers who contributed approximately 46,855 service hours. In 2013, HandsOn took over the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) which has been in the community for 30 years; it provides an additional mechanism through which Salemtowne and other nonprofits can recruit senior volunteers. Ongoing support from The Winston-Salem Foundation has been crucial to HandsOn’s continued success. Amy says, “They see the value in how the work we do builds the infrastructure of the community as a whole,” Amy says. “All of our programs help organizations become more effective and efficient. We try to make sure we focus equally on both ‘halves’ of our mission — capacity building and volunteer engagement — while also nurturing the vast areas where they overlap.”
the winston-salem foundation annual report
I L L U M I N AT I N G T H E F U T U R E [ 2 5 ]
860 West Fifth Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101-2506 Telephone (336) 725-2382 Toll-free (866) 227-1209 Fax (336) 727-0581 www.wsfoundation.org
Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations