Press release from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina:
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) is announcing several adjustments to its focus areas. Since 2011, CFWNC’s four priorities for spending discretionary dollars have been Human Services, Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming, and Natural and Cultural Resources.
“While these areas remain critical for a thriving Western North Carolina, much has changed in the funding landscape since we identified our original priorities for grants,” said Elizabeth Brazas, CFWNC President. “Other funders, including Dogwood Health Trust and WNC Bridge Foundation, direct grant dollars toward issues that overlap with ours. Regional funders are collaborating to minimize duplication and ensure that resources are deployed strategically.”
Considering these factors and responding to survey and other responses from a wide spectrum of stakeholders via input during our strategic planning process, CFWNC will implement the following changes to its discretionary grantmaking:
· First, because CFWNC addresses educational issues in multiple ways, the Foundation’s work, including scholarships, the Learning Links teacher mini-grant program, and discretionary funding, will be aggregated under a broad Education heading. Discretionary grants under this Education focus area will continue to target Early Childhood Development through the end of the current fiscal year (June 30).
· Second, CFWNC will continue its emphasis on helping Western North Carolina residents meet their basic needs through the Human Services focus area, with some changes coming to this grant program next fall.
· Third, Food and Farming will no longer be a stand-alone priority. CFWNC will continue to address food insecurity through Human Services grants.
· Finally, Natural and Cultural Resources will be separated into two focus areas, allowing CFWNC to prioritize independently these two drivers of the economy and quality of life in Western North Carolina. In the coming weeks and months, CFWNC will share specific guidelines for the focus area grant programs with nonprofit partners and its other constituents.“CFWNC is a permanent charitable resource designed to adapt to changing needs and circumstances,” Brazas added. “As these focus area adjustments indicate, we will continue to be flexible and responsive in our grantmaking, to partner with fundholders, donors and other funders, and to use all of our funding methods to support nonprofit organizations across the region.”
CFWNC works with families, businesses and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, the Foundation manages over 1,200 funds and facilitated $34 million in grants last year bringing total distributions to more than $362 million since its founding in 1978. Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.