Powered by individual donors and corporate funders, charitable giving in the U.S. grew 3.5 percent to $316.23 billion in 2012, or an increase of 1.5 percent adjusted for inflation, a new report says.

Giving by foundations also grew, while giving by bequest fell, according to Giving USA, an annual report on giving in the U.S. from the Giving USA Foundation and its research partner, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Still, at its current pace and adjusted for inflation, giving overall likely will take six to seven years to regain the peak it reached in 2007, the year before the economy crashed, says Patrick M. Rooney, associate dean of academic affairs and research at the School of Philanthropy.

Individuals give most, still struggling

Giving by living individuals grew 3.9 percent to $228.93 billion in 2012, or an increase of 1.9 percent adjusted for inflation, and represented 72 percent of all giving.

Including giving through bequests and family foundations, giving by individuals represented 86 percent of all giving.

The slight inflation-adjusted increase in giving by living individuals may reflect "the fact that the average household is still struggling in some areas,” Patrick M. Rooney, associate dean of academic affairs and research at School of Philanthropy, says in a statement.

Giving to religion, which accounted for nearly a third of overall giving, was virtually flat, while giving to the arts, culture and humanities surged after plunging in 2008 and slowly growing through 2011.

Giving to environmental and animal charities also surged, while international giving flattened.

Corporate giving grows

Giving by corporations grew 12.2 percent to $18.15 billion, or an increase of 9.9 percent adjusted for inflation, and represented 6 percent of all giving.

Corporate giving consisted of cash, in-kind donations and grants from corporations and their foundations, and included $131 million they gave to nonprofits for relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Corporate giving is strongly tied to profits, says Giving USA, which cited data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing an increase of 16.6 percent in corporate pre-tax profits.

Giving by bequests fell 7 percent to $23.41 billion, or a decline of 8.9 percent adjusted for inflation, and represented 7 percent of all giving.

And giving by foundations grew 4.4 percent to $45.74 billion, or an increase of 2.3 percent adjusted for inflation, and represented 15 percent of all giving.

Giving by community foundations grew 9.1 percent, while giving by operating and private foundations grew 3.5 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

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North Carolina House Releases Budget Proposal
Friday Report, Public School Forum of North Carolina, June 14, 2013
The North Carolina House released its two-year budget proposal with a $20.6 billion spending plan. The House’s two-year budget proposal is slightly less than the Senate’s proposal but overall the House spends more ($66 million) on K-12 education than the Senate budget. Highlights of the K-12 public education section for the House proposed budget include: READ MORE…


Education Department Releases State Numbers for Preschool for All Proposal
Friday Report, Public School Forum of North Carolina, June 14, 2013
To support the adoption of President Obama's Preschool for All proposal, the Education Department has released fact sheets for every state letting them know what they stand to gain if the proposal is adopted. Although the preschool proposal has yet to be introduced in Congress, lawmakers and representatives are responding to the department release and beginning to evaluate their interest in supporting the plan. READ MORE…


Increase in College Attainment Rates Not Enough to Meet Goal 2025, Report Finds
Philanthropy News Digest, June 14, 2013
The rate of college attainment is improving across America but not fast enough to meet future workforce needs, while educational achievement gaps by race, income, and other socioeconomic factors persist, a report from the Lumina Foundation finds. According to the report, A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education (218 pages, PDF), 38.7 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 in 2011 had a two- or four-year college degree, up from 38.3 percent in 2010 and 38.1 percent in 2009. However, the rate of improvement in degree attainment is insufficient to meet Goal 2025, the foundation's aspirational goal to boost the percentage of Americans with a college degree to 60 percent by 2025. READ MORE…


UNC system looks at growing its out-of-state student population
News and Observer, June 13, 2013
CHAPEL HILL — An always controversial debate has resurfaced among UNC system leaders – whether to enroll more out-of-state students at North Carolina’s public universities. On Thursday, the UNC Board of Governors discussed whether and how to increase the numbers of non-North Carolina residents at some campuses. The goals, UNC leaders say, are to boost the overall talent pool in North Carolina, to strengthen historically minority campuses, and to grow border universities that have the space to accommodate more students and the ability to draw from neighboring states. READ MORE…


N.C. ranks 27th when it comes to higher education
Charlotte Business Journal, June 13, 2013
North Carolina ranks 27th when it comes to college attainment — and it could leave the state unable to meet its future work-force needs, according to a report by the Lumina Foundation. READ MORE…

Common Science Standards Deserve 'C' Grade, Think Tank Says
Education Week Online, June 13, 2013
The existing science standards in 12 states and the District of Columbia are "clearly superior" to the Next Generation Science Standards developed by a coalition of states and national organizations, a think tank concludes in a new report. READ MORE…


States Seek Flexibility During Common-Test Transition
Education Week Online, June 11, 2013
With the debut of common assessments less than two years away, states and districts are worried about the accountability systems that hinge on those tests. A growing chorus of policy groups is urging more flexibility in how states evaluate teachers, label schools, and enforce other high-stakes consequences during what's likely to be a messy transition. READ MORE…


Cobey wants technology for public schools
WRAL.com, June 10, 2013
Raleigh, N.C. — Bill Cobey is a former Republican state party chairman, city manager, congressman, athletic director and teacher who now finds himself chairman of the North Carolina Board of Education at a time when the GOP-led legislature is putting forward policies to overhaul North Carolina's K-12 system. READ MORE…


Obama pushes plan for fast Internet in US schools
WRAL.com, June 6, 2013
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Touting the need to give every child the tools for success, President Barack Obama on Thursday toured a North Carolina school where every student has a laptop and called for 99 percent of American students to be connected to super-fast Internet within five years. At a middle school in Mooresville, Obama announced he was directing federal regulators to turn the nation's classrooms into digital learning centers by equipping schools with broadband and high-speed Internet connections — at a cost of several billion dollars. READ MORE...

For the 2013-2014 academic year, Community Foundation of Henderson County awarded $208,650 in scholarship assistance to 128 students. Awards were made to 64 new applicants for scholarships totaling $101,150 and the Community Foundation renewed 64 scholarships representing $107,500 in assistance. Since 1984, the inception of the Community Foundation’s scholarship program, over 1,000 students have received assistance reflecting over $4.2 million paid to colleges and universities for the purposes of higher education.

Scholarships are open to students pursuing community college, college or university degrees. Scholarships are primarily for students graduating or who have graduated from high schools within Henderson County, North Carolina and includes home school and private school graduates. Criteria for scholarships vary by donor. Generally, the scholarships available are categorized by financial need, academics, affiliation and field of study or place of study, and range in award amounts. Available scholarships are announced in December of each year and information can be obtained at any Henderson County high school guidance office, at the Community Foundation office or online at www.CFHCforever.org.

"Scholarships serve our community in a number of different ways. Through scholarships, students are given the opportunity to pursue higher education because of the generosity of a person they may have never met. Scholarships provide relief from the rising financial burden of obtaining a college education. It also means someone has recognized the student’s hard work, his or her talents and individual interest areas. Additionally it sends the message that someone cares and wants to see the people of our community succeed through continued education. For the donor who established a scholarship, it provides them with a way to leave a legacy for future generations (perhaps even remember a loved one by naming a scholarship fund in their memory), a way to pass their values forward and support hope in future generations. Simply put it offers the donor a way to give back to a community that has been good to them. As the Community Foundation of Henderson County continues each year to build our vital scholarship program, we have the honor of connecting the donor with the desire to give back to students who are pursuing higher education,” stated McCray Benson, President/CEO of the Community Foundation.

For more information about the Community Foundation scholarship program or other services call the Community Foundation office at (828) 697-6224, visit our office at 401 N. Main Street, Suite 300, in Downtown Hendersonville or review our website www.CFHCforever.org.

Since 1982, the Community Foundation of Henderson County has offered people a variety of ways to touch our community through philanthropic giving. We accept gifts from individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create a pool of charitable dollars from which grants are awarded to address community needs.

Doug Warf, Vice President of Marketing for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes and Executive Director of the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation, today announced that the Kids ‘N Community Foundation has completed its 2012-13 year of funding and has donated a total of $436,600 to 26 different children’s charitable organizations in the Triangle and North Carolina. This grant cycle brings the Foundation and team’s donation totals to $11 million in cash and in-kind services since 1997.

GOAL (Growing Opportunities and Leaders) Grants are distributed each fall to two children’s non-profit organizations that focus on the health or educational needs of underserved populations. The Kids ‘N Community Foundation introduced GOAL Grants in 2012, and two organizations, Triangle Family Services and Marbles Kids Museum, each received two-year commitments of $100,000 ($50,000 per year). In addition, InterAct of Wake County and the YMCA of the Triangle each received three-year, $150,000 commitments. In the Fall of 2013, and each Fall afterwards, two non-profits will be awarded a new three-year, $150,000 GOAL Grant.

The Foundation issued 15 Game Changer Grants during their spring grant cycle, totaling $150,000. The Game Changer Grant recipients are: Assistance League of the Triangle, Flashes of Hope, Miracle League of the Triangle, Orange County Rape Crisis Center and Voices Together at the $5,000 level; Autism Society of North Carolina, BackPack Beginnings, Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate, Emily K Center and Hospice of Wake County at the $10,000 level; Children’s Flight of Hope, East Durham Children’s Initiative, North Carolina Amateur Sports, Read and Feed and Wake Education Partnership at the $15,000 level.

Future Canes Grants, awarded to seven youth hockey organizations, totaled $86,600. Future Canes Grants are provided to grow the sport of hockey throughout North Carolina, and the funds go towards scholarships and program costs to ensure that children who suffer financial restraints or disabilities are able to play ice hockey. Future Canes Grant recipients are: Carolina Lightning Hockey, Cape Fear Youth Hockey Association, Raleigh Youth Hockey Association, Triangle Special Hockey Association, Triangle Youth Hockey of North Carolina, Wilmington Icehawks and Winston-Salem Youth Hockey Association.

The Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much needed funding to children’s charities and education programs throughout North Carolina. The Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other children’s related initiatives. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of more than $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina. Every member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in community activities and the Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in our state.

For more information on the Kids ‘N Community Foundation, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com/foundation.

The Duke Endowment has released its 2012 Annual Report, detailing the work of its grantees and partners.

In Ideas to Impact, you’ll read about a telepsychiatry network that improves the way patients receive treatment; a child welfare reform project that promotes family well-being; and a program that helps pastors tend to their mental and physical health. Through stories and photographs in its online annual report, The Duke Endowment hopes you’ll enjoy learning about these initiatives and their impact on the Carolinas.

To request a printed copy of our 2012 report, please contact The Duke Endowment and provide your name and address.

Duke University has announced a $5 million grant from the Duke Endowment to its law school in support of the Center for Judicial Studies.

The grant — which will count toward the law school's goal of raising $85 million as part of the $3.25 billion Duke Forward campaign — will fund an endowment to support the operations of the center, which was established in 2011 to enhance judicial education and the quality of the judiciary as well as Americans' understanding of judicial institutions. To that end, the center has launched a master's degree program in judicial studies and supports scholarly research and conferences on judicial institutions and decision making.

"Ultimately, our aim is to protect and improve our judicial institutions through strengthening the education of individual judges and by qualitatively improving collective knowledge about judicial decision making and judicial institutions," said David F. Levi, dean of the law school and a former chief U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of California. "Judges participating as students will become more capable; JD students as research assistants will become more knowledgeable about judicial institutions, processes, and law reform; research into judicial studies by scholars will be of higher quality, greater relevance, and accuracy; and the legal profession will be better coordinated in its efforts to improve the law. This long-term funding from the Duke Endowment will help us realize these important results."

"Judicial Studies Center Receives $5 Million Grant From the Duke Endowment.” Duke University Press Release 6/04/13.

The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded $4.6 million in grants to Charlotte-area nonprofits, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Announced at the foundation's annual Day of Caring event, the grantees include Safe Alliance, which was awarded $250,000 toward a $10 million campaign to build and operate a new shelter for battered women; the Center for Employment Services, which received $100,000 in support of its workforce development and employment programs; Freedom School Partners, which was awarded $85,000 to create a summer reading program at Reid Park Academy; and Friendship Gardens Community Farm, which received $75,000 to develop a mobile fresh food market.

The foundation awarded a total of $1.4 million to thirteen groups working to revitalize a stretch of the West Boulevard Corridor. The foundation, which consulted with city officials about focusing some of its giving on an area in need of help — an approach known as geo-targeting — chose West Boulevard because of the opportunity it presented to build on projects already under way. "We looked at West Boulevard and saw the effort by organizations there to make a difference, and we understood what they were trying to accomplish," said Kendall Alley, president of the bank's Charlotte division. "We want to throw gas on that fire and make what they're doing bigger and faster. I don't know that we'd be effective if we went into a community without that kind of drive and said: 'Here's some dollars, go try this.'"

Price, Mark. "Wells Fargo Foundation Targets West Boulevard for Grant Help.” Charlotte Observer 6/01/13.

By: Karen Chavez

The multi-year Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest Management Plan revision, a multi-year project which kicked off earlier this year, just got a little conservation boost.

The Western North Carolina Alliance and The Wilderness Society have won $45,000 in Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources Focus Area from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

The grants will allow the conservation groups to build regional engagement in the U.S. Forest Service planning for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources is a focus area for the Foundation, which serves 18 WNC counties.

"The new forest plan will dictate the management direction for the highest mountains in eastern North America,” said Tara Scholtz, CFWNC Senior Program Officer. "These mountains provide drinking water for millions of Americans and are a global hotspot for biodiversity. A solid plan is important to our local economy and will impact the experience for millions of visitors.”

The Forest Service is in the beginning stages of revising the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests under a new forest planning rule, which is more ecologically driven than its predecessor and emphasizes ecosystem services, cultural resources, landscape context and protection of special areas. It also places great weight on community collaboration.

The Asheville-based WNCA received $30,000 for a three-pronged approach of scientific research, public engagement and citizen volunteerism. WNCA will analyze and characterize current forest conditions using state-of-the-art conservation planning tools, engage citizens in the planning process and train volunteer "Forest Keepers.”

The Sylva-based The Wilderness society's $15,000 grant will be used to engage Tom Hatley, a facilitator dedicated to environmental work, to lead a community-based collaboration for the plan revision. TWS laid groundwork for this collaborative process over the last three years by publishing North Carolina's Mountain Treasures, a consensus-based proposal outlining the need for permanent protection of 330,000 acres of wildlands.

The Community Foundation focuses discretionary resources on People in Need, Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming and Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources. It facilitates $11 million in charitable giving annually. For more information, visit www.cfwnc.org.

Cone Health Foundation has released its 2012 Annual Report, detailing the work its grantees are doing to make Greensboro a healthier place to live. Their stories capture just a portion of the work that Cone Health Foundation has being doing for 15 years. A timeline celebrating some of the Foundation's achievements and grantee stories are also available.

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust announced grants of nearly $1.3 million this month to improve the health and quality of life of financially disadvantaged residents in Forsyth County. The Trust began to make strategic investments in dental health—a funding focus for its Forsyth County grant making—by making a two-year, $113,300 commitment to the North Carolina Dental Health Fund to operate a free dental clinic for homeless and financially needy residents in the area.

"The Trust’s commitment to free and low-cost dental health options in our community is in line with Mrs. Reynolds’ vision to ensure everyone has access to quality health care regardless of financial resources,” said Karen McNeil-Miller, president of the Trust. "This clinic is just one way to begin addressing the shortage of affordable dental care. Moving forward, we will be working with the community to assess how to increase low-cost dental care options and provide comprehensive care to those who need it most.”

The Trust also made a small investment in a free dental clinic for low-income older adults in Kernersville and will be participating in a Forsyth County community planning process around dental health care needs for financially disadvantaged individuals long-term to help guide future funding.

In addition to investing in dental health, the Trust granted $192,500 to The B.E.L.L. Foundation, Inc. to expand a summer school program for low-income students in middle school and $143,000 to Winston-Salem State University to expand the STARS (Students Taking Action and Reaching Success) Program, a life skills and mentoring elective, to two additional low-income middle schools.

The Trust is also excited to continue its Great Expectations work—a long-term initiative to help ensure all children in Forsyth County are ready for success in life and school by the time they finish Kindergarten—through a $236,500 grant to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education to invest in Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers at financially disadvantaged schools.

"Improving education outcomes for financially needy students continues to be a core focus of the Trust’s Forsyth County funding,” said Joe Crocker, director of the Trust’s Poor and Needy Division. "We invested in Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers this past year to help them purchase supplies and curriculum for their classrooms. We also provided opportunities for those teachers to become members of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (NCaeyc) and attend the NCaeyc conference to network and learn from early childhood experts. The teachers told us that these investments made a significant difference in their abilities to teach our youngest generation, and we’re excited to continue this work.”

For a complete list of recent grants approved by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust’s Poor and Needy Division, see the attached list.

Duke University has announced a $5.74 million gift from the Duke Endowment to extend the work of its Clergy Health Initiative.

Awarded as part of the university's $3.25 billion Duke Forward campaign, the gift will be used by the Duke Divinity School to expand the initiative, which aims to improve the health and well-being of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina and was launched in 2007 with a $12 million lead gift from the endowment. Research conducted as part of the initiative has identified a critical need for health programs targeting clergy in the state, who have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and depression than other North Carolinians.

The new gift from the endowment will enable the initiative to extend a longitudinal study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina and further analyze the data. The gift also will support the continued implementation of Spirited Life, a multiyear health intervention program offered to pastors in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences of the United Methodist Church. Among other things, the program offers weight loss and stress management services, with the aim of reducing metabolic syndrome, stress, and depression among clergy while enhancing their spiritual vitality.

"We greatly appreciate the leadership of the Duke Endowment in ensuring that this important research will continue," said Duke University president Richard H. Brodhead. "Duke's Clergy Health Initiative is contributing valuable expertise toward this complex issue, reflecting two of the core priorities of the Duke Endowment — health care and the Methodist church in North Carolina. Protecting the health of pastors helps to sustain the health of communities across our state."

In Raleigh, legislators are considering three competing tax reform proposals, each of which alters giving incentives and tax treatment of nonprofits. The Senate Republican plan would cap sales tax refunds that reimburse nonprofits for the sales taxes they pay, require nonprofits to charge sales tax on many services they offer, and eliminate incentives for businesses and low-income North Carolinians to give to nonprofits. A bipartisan Senate plan would maintain nonprofit tax exemption, restructure charitable giving incentives, and require some nonprofits to charge sales taxes on "entertainment and recreational” services, such as admission to arts, summer camps, and some charity fundraising events. The House plan would maintain nonprofit tax exemption and charitable giving incentives for businesses, but cap charitable deductions and eliminate North Carolina’s non-itemizer tax credit for charitable contributions. All three plans would lower income and sales tax rates, eliminate some deductions, credits, and exemptions, and broaden the sales tax base to include some services that aren’t currently taxed. The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits has prepared a chart comparing the nonprofit provisions in the three plans.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation is partnering with the North Carolina Council of Churches to provide equipment for 20 faith-based organizations to bring healthier food to their members and communities. More than $90,000 in equipment grants is being used to provide canning and cooking supplies, expand church community gardens, and increase storage for fresh produce at a food pantry among other initiatives. The BCBSNC Foundation focused the 2013 Healthy Eating Equipment grants in 16 counties to help advance thePartners in Health and Wholeness Initiative, a North Carolina Council of Churches effort to create healthy and whole congregants by connecting them with quality health programs and resources in the community.

"The NC Council of Churches is a strong ally to empower North Carolinians to improve their overall health,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the BCBSNC Foundation. "These healthy eating equipment grants are helping the Council bring access to healthy foods to congregations in North Carolina that have embraced health as part of their mission.”

Grants of up to $5,000 were open to faith-based organizations in 16 counties that have initiatives to increase access to healthy food for their communities. One of the grant criteria was that the applicant had to participate in the Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative certification program.

Some of the grants include:

• Old Zion Wesleyan Church Food Ministry in Columbus County will help increase access to quality, healthy food through a food pantry, community garden, and food preservation.
• Sacred Pathways in Robeson County will expand their food pantry for produce storage and increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables for needy families, children, and seniors in their community.
• St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Forsyth County will improve the nutritional health of children in their child care center by serving fresh fruits and vegetables, including some from the community garden.
• The Ward Street Mission in Guilford County will provide local, fresh food in a low-income neighborhood by building individual, home-based, raised-bed fruit and vegetable gardens, as well as cultivating and maintaining community gardens at the Ward Street Mission United Methodist Church.
• Laurinburg Presbyterian Church in Scotland County will increase their community garden outreach by adding three scholarship plots, increasing sustainable garden production with new bee hives, and unifying diverse stakeholders through their youth service learning program.

The 20 faith-based grantees are:

• Church of God of Prophecy Bible Place – Anson County
• Greater St. Matthews – Anson County
• Pathway To Peace Ministries – Anson County
• Old Zion Wesleyan Church – Columbus County
• Mount Zion A.M.E. Zion Church – Cumberland County
• St. Anne's Episcopal Church – Forsyth County
• United Metropolitan Baptist Church – Forsyth County
• Fairmont Park Baptist Church – Guilford County
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church – Guilford County
• Shalom Community Christian Church Disciples of Christ – Guilford County
• St. James Baptist Church – Guilford County
• Starmount Presbyterian Church – Guilford County
• Ward Street Mission – Guilford County
• Faith Community Christian Center – Robeson County
• First Baptist Church – Robeson County
• Sacred Pathways Inc – Robeson County
• The Third Day Community Garden - First Baptist Church Mayodan – Rockingham County
• Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church – Scotland County
• Laurinburg Presbyterian Church – Scotland County
• Piney Grove Baptist Church – Surry County

About BCBSNC Foundation:

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is a separate, independent, nonprofit Foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. The Foundation's focus areas include: Health of Vulnerable Populations - improving health outcomes of populations served by safety net organizations; Healthy Active Communities - increasing physical activity and access to healthy local foods; and Community Impact through Nonprofit Excellence - increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and their leaders. BCBSNC Foundation invests in programs and services in response to grant requests and proactively creates initiatives or partners with organizations to address specific needs. It also coordinates several Signature Programs, among them, Be Active Kids® and Healthy Community Institute for Nonprofit Excellence.More information is available at www.bcbsncfoundation.org. Since its founding in 2000, the BCBSNC Foundation has invested nearly $89 million into North Carolina communities through more than 650 grants.

About the North Carolina Council of Churches:

Founded in 1935, the North Carolina Council of Churches is a statewide organization representing 18 Christian denominations and committed to the twin goals of ecumenism and social justice. More than 1.5 million North Carolinians are members of congregations under the Council’s umbrella. The Council’s faith-based health initiative, Partners in Health and Wholeness, is designed to promote health as a faith issue and to improve the health of clergy and congregants through increased physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco use prevention and cessation. To learn more about Partners in Health and Wholeness, please visit www.healthandwholeness.org. More information about the North Carolina Council of Churches is available at www.ncchurches.org.

Since Triangle North Healthcare Foundation changed its name from Maria Parham Healthcare Foundation in November, 2011, its Board of Directors has been methodically moving the organization from a fundraising department of the local hospital to a regional healthcare grantmaking
organization.

"This has been quite an eventful year and a half,” said the Foundation's Executive Director Val Short, although most of the work has been done behind the scenes by board members and committees.  "At last, we are ready to begin giving grants to organizations that can help us fulfill our mission,” she said.

That mission is, according to Short, "To encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North Region.” This region includes Vance and Warren counties, which have been designated as Tier One counties, in addition to Franklin and Granville counties.

The Foundation's Board of Directors has established funding priorities for the coming year, which include Chronic Disease Prevention; Reproductive Health; Nutrition and Physical Fitness; Mental Health and Substance Abuse; and Success in School as it relates to Health and Wellness.

Short invites any non-profit, governmental agency, or school that shares these priorities to begin the grant application process immediately.

The first step in the process will be submitting a Letter of Interest, utilizing the form provided on the Foundation's website, www.tnhfoundation.org/. The Foundation's Board of Directors will review all Letters of Interest and select the organizations that will be invited to submit a grant application. Letters of Interest are due on or before June 14, 2013.

The final application will be due on August 9, 2013. Grants will be awarded by the end of September, 2013.

Since Short's arrival as executive director last March, the Foundation has made a number of changes, including relocating from Maria Parham Medical Center to its present office location on Garnett Street in downtown Henderson. "We wanted to have a visible location downtown in a building that could also serve as a meeting place and resource center,” said Short.

Funding for the Foundation and for its mission will come from the endowment that was established after the merger of Maria Parham Medical Center with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint. "This Foundation Board has been given the awesome honor, privilege, and responsibility of investing the proceeds of this endowment into the health and wellness of the current residents of our region and ultimately, future generations. I am so very proud to be a part of it!” said Short.

Information for grant seekers is available on the Foundation's website, www.tnhfoundation.org or by contacting Short at 252-430-8643.

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation has launched a new website for the Foundation - www.ncgskfoundation.org.

The website is a valuable resource for information on all programs and grants the foundation offers and makes it easy to locate the foundation's contact information and Twitter handle.

The new website has a password protected area where Board Members can review grants and information - a significant green advancement, as the foundation no longer needs to print and send lengthy documents. In the future, nonprofits will be able to apply electronically for grants.

The deadline for nonprofits to apply for the next round of Community Foundation of Henderson County’s competitive General Grants is 5 p.m., Monday, June 3.

The Community Foundation’s general competitive grants program makes a significant difference in the community by awarding grants to tax-exempt, 501(c) 3 organizations that operate programs in Henderson County or that operate programs for the benefit of the residents of Henderson County.

Interest areas addressed by the Community Foundation’s general competitive grants are arts and culture, civic affairs, conservation, education, health, and human services. The Community Foundation also gives special consideration to proposals which affect the following impact areas: challenges and opportunities afforded by growth in Henderson County; poverty and its effects on Henderson County; access to health and human services; and public access to the arts. The Community Foundation has four competitive grants cycles a year.

Web pages with more details about the general grants application process can be found at www.CFHCforever.org under the "Grants and Scholarships” tab in the navigation bar or by contacting Vice President of Community Philanthropy Kathryn McConnell at (828) 697-6224 or kmcconnell@CFHCforever.org.

Since 1982, the Community Foundation of Henderson County has offered a variety of ways to impact the community through philanthropic giving. Individuals, families and organizations establish funds at the Community Foundation to carry out their charitable giving now and in the future.

This past fiscal year, the Community Foundation distributed more than $2.3 million to nonprofit organizations and scholarship seekers in the Henderson County area and beyond. With assets of more than $78 million, the Community Foundation manages more than 505 funds, each with its own unique purpose which is usually specified by a donor. Most are permanent funds called endowments, which provide philanthropic support forever. Learn more about and connect with the Community Foundation by calling (828) 697-6224 or by visiting www.CFHCforever.org or the Foundation’s Facebook page.

There is no doubt that our work would be more fluid if our supporters would realize that we almost always need operating income more than special project grants and it would help to have some year-to-year security in the form of multi-year grants. A recent send-out by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy addresses the state of both types of funding, and it contains both good and bad news.

In a paper that breaks this issue down by geography, and even to some extent by individual foundations, NCRP has found that foundations gave 83% more operating grants in 2011 than they did in any of the years between 2008 and 2010. They found that 22% of grantmakers gave at least 50% of their grants to cover core costs in 2011. Additionally, they found that Family foundations, Southern foundations and funders giving between $5–10 million were the most likely to provide general operating support.

On the other hand, multi-year grant dollars are generally on the decrease unless you happen to be a Gates grantee. In 2008, $6.9 billion was given in multi-year grants, and this comprised 44 percent of all authorized grant dollars. In 2009, multi-year funding declined to $5.5 billion, or 25 percent, of grant dollars and though multi-year support was estimated at $7.2 billion in 2011—then 29 percent of grant dollars—the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was the source of 60 percent of that money.

By: Michael Barrett

Gastonia leaders say they're closer to creating a vibrant arts community here that would also become an economic and creative boon to the city.

The Community Foundation, Gaston County's leading philanthropic organization, signed a pre-development contract Wednesday with Artspace, a nonprofit that creates affordable property where artists of all types can live and work. The partnership involves a commitment to date of almost $1 million in private, local donations that will go toward the effort over the next four years.

It's the culmination of a two-year effort to convince Artspace that Gastonia would be an ideal location for such a development.

Here's a rundown of questions and answers about the project as it stands:

What is Artspace and what does it do?

Artists — from painters and sculptors to dancers — like to live and work in buildings with lots of natural light and open space. But those fitting the "starving artist” mold often can't afford or even find locations fitting that description.

Artspace, based in Minneapolis, Minn., strives to help them as the leading real estate developer for the arts. To date, it has completed 32 affordable live-work developments in cities around the country, and has four under construction.

How does it work?

When a city documents a market that could support an Artspace development, the nonprofit raises 80 to 85 percent of the money needed to make it happen. The community must raise the remaining 15 to 20 percent.

Much of the local portion typically comes from private donations. But a larger chunk must come from state and federal tax credits and other housing and urban revitalization programs, such as Community Development Block Grants.

That will require the city's cooperation, since it must apply for those competitive funds and then pass them on to Artspace. Gastonia City Council members pledged their support Tuesday night.

"You have to show that the city is on board to get the state to support these projects,” said Artspace Senior Vice President Wendy Holmes.

What's happened so far?

At the request of local leaders, Artspace first paid a visit to Gastonia in 2010, scouting potential buildings for one of its developments.

In October 2011, 568 area artists completed a community survey about whether they would benefit from an Artspace project. Based on those results, Artspace determined Gastonia could support a development with housing for 30 to 40 artists, additional day studios, and ground-floor commercial space.

It would be the first Artspace project in North Carolina and the third in the South, coming on the heels of ventures in New Orleans and Memphis.

Where would it go?

That's still uncertain. But a site for the development will be pinned down within three to six months, Holmes said Wednesday.

The goal is to do it in downtown Gastonia. Two years ago, Holmes and other Artspace officials toured a number of empty, historic buildings downtown to gauge their potential. Several are still being considered, though it's often tough to find a building with the layout and natural light an Artspace project requires.

"We don't want a dungeon,” Holmes said Wednesday. "We need very open, flexible space.”

About 50,000 to 70,000 square feet are needed. Creating that could involve using a combination of historic preservation and new construction. Or it may have to involve building everything from the ground up.

"We have to look at all the options on the table,” Holmes said.

How much is it going to cost?

It will cost $12 million to $15 million to build the development here, Holmes said. Artspace will tap into its vast fundraising network to cover its share of the expense.

The Community Foundation's support has become critical to producing the local share. It has committed $400,000 over the next four years to the venture, said Community Foundation President Richard Rankin.

Over that same period, additional pledges have been made of $250,000 from the David Belk Cannon Foundation and $250,000 from Pamela Kimbrell Warlick. The Glenn Foundation has offered $25,000 this year and may give more later.

There's more work to be done, Rankin said.

"We have to raise at least another $1 million to $1.5 million through private philanthropy,” he said.

If all goes well, the project could be completed as soon as 2016 or 2017, Rankin said.

"We're behind this,” he said. "This is a major project and a big deal for the Community Foundation.”

Nominations are being accepted for the Richard C. and Vina L. Sauer Charitable Leadership Award, presented each year by the Community Foundation of Henderson County to honor a local philanthropist who makes a difference in our community.

The Sauer Award is the only and most prestigious award given by the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The award, first given in 1994, is named after Richard and Vina Sauer, who generously supported many local charities in our area. Past Sauer Award recipients include Frank Ewbank, Kenneth Youngblood, Morris Kaplan, Kermit Edney, William E. "Jamie” Jamison, William "Bill” Stokes, Jr., Marcia Caserio, Eleanora Meloun, Tom and Sue Fazio, Frank Byrd, Colin E. Thomas, Dot Marlow, Duane and Peggy McKibbin, Jeff Miller, Dr. Kathleen McGrady Family, Robert and Doris Eklund, Teddi Segal, Marian Lowry and Dr. Stuart and Carola Cohn.

Criteria for nominees include: Provides outstanding leadership through personal philanthropic efforts, primarily focusing on personally engaged philanthropy, they must be living residents of Henderson County, and may not include committees, corporations or organizations. The committee is looking for those who give beyond traditional volunteer hours to those who have made significant contributions toward raising funds for charitable projects, providing leadership to solve community problems or to meet community needs.

Nomination forms are available at the Community Foundation office, located at 401 North Main Street, Ste. 300, Hendersonville or on our website www.CFHCforever.org. Nominations are due by June 7, 2013 in the Community Foundation office. The Community Foundation will make a $1,500 grant to the charity of the recipient's choice.

Stuart B. Dorsett has been appointed chairman of the statewide board of directors of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF), according to James W. Narron, immediate past chairman.

Dorsett is only the fifth board chairman in NCCF’s 25-year history. "This is a key role for the Foundation during a milestone period in the organization’s growth and development,” according to Narron, whose four years as board chair ended last month. He remains a member of the board.

Dorsett is an estate attorney and leader of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group for Ward and Smith, PA. He has been a member of NCCF’s statewide board since 2004 and is a past president of the boards of advisors of the Craven County Community Foundation and the Wake County Community Foundation, both affiliates of NCCF.

NCCF CEO and President Jennifer Tolle Whiteside said that the Foundation would benefit from Dorsett’s professional stature as a leading estate attorney and thorough knowledge of North Carolina’s communities. "I speak for the entire board and staff when I say we are excited about Stuart’s new role as board chair,” she said. "His experience, expertise, commitment and energy combine to make him the right leader at the right time.”

Dorsett is certified by the North Carolina State Bar in estate planning and probate law and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Some of his honors include being named among the "Best Lawyers in America” from 2001 to the present; "Lawyer of the Year” in 2013; and among Business North Carolina’s "Legal Elite” from 2002 to 2013. Dorsett received his juris doctorate from the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, where he has served on the board of trustees and as president of the alumni association.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County announced its annual grant awards at its "5^th Year of Giving” membership celebration on Thursday, May 16. The grant awards for 2013 total $58,050. The selected grants focus on supportive services for homeless women and children through crisis management and life management priorities.

Since inception, the Giving Circle has awarded a total of $233,390 in grants to nonprofit organizations in Cumberland County for the benefit of women and children in need.

To celebrate its "5^th Year of Giving,” the Giving Circle has developed a new membership category for young women. This new Junior Membership will be for women age 35 and under with a 50% reduced annual membership fee. These members will participate in a WGC committee and commit to membership one year at a time. This membership will enable young women to learn more about our community’s needs, the granting process, and the importance of collaboration and leveraging to solve community needs.

Founded in 2008, the Women’s Giving Circle is an organization of women whose purpose is to impact substantial, positive change for women and children in Cumberland County through philanthropy and education. The Circle has grown to include more than 130 women. Funds are held and maintained by the Cumberland Community Foundation. Membership is open to all women in Cumberland County.

More information is available at http://www.cumberlandcf.org/WomensGivingCircle.php or by calling Susan Barnes, Giving Circle Coordinator, Cumberland Community Foundation, 483-4449.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County is pleased to celebrate its 5^th year of giving in 2013. Founded in 2008 by 14 dedicated women leaders, the circle has grown to more than 130 members and has granted more than $233,000 to programs that impact, positive change for women and children in our community.

2013 Grant Awards

Better Health of Cumberland County is awarded $25,000. This grant will provide medication, preventive products, medical supplies, eye exams and glasses, etc. to medically underserved homeless women and children. This is a collaboration grant with the Cumberland County Medication Assistance Program (CCMAP) and Cape Fear Valley Health’s Coordination of Care Department.

Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network is awarded $20,000 for expansion of their emergency shelter program through an on-site renovation of an existing day center at Ashton Woods. This is a matching grant.

The Fayetteville Police Department is awarded $3,000 to provide materials for workshops for victims of domestic violence and/or rape.

The Salvation Army is awarded $6,050. This grant will provide emergency food vouchers for their clients, and will also provide camp experiences to homeless children at the Salvation Army’s week long Camp Walter Johnson in Denton, NC.

St. Ann’s Neighborhood Youth Center is awarded $4,000 to provide funds for food and fuel for their afterschool program that serves homeless and impoverished children.