Impact Alamance 10-Year Impact Report

10-YEAR

REPORT

Impactful

Investments

$5,698,543

$3,056,389

$2,646,961

$1,437,607

Enriching Community Infrastructure through Active Spaces

Fostering Community Engagement and Solutions

$2,653,500

Investing in Early Childhood Success

Strengthening Nonprofit Organizations

Enhancing Educational Excellence

$934,933

Cultivating Community Leaders

$852,686

Strategic Advocacy for Lasting Change

$854,526

Responding to Critical Community Needs

$442,268

Opening Doors by Advancing Equity and Belonging

$325,000

Supporting Partnerships to Drive Innovation

Healthier

I

mpact Alamance was created when Alamance Regional Medical Center became a part of Cone Health. From the start, we asked ourselves and the community what investments we could make that would make a difference in people’s lives by preventing illness and creating a community where health and healthy people thrive.

Much of our focus has been on building and strengthening the scaffolding that helps people live healthier lives. That includes building playgrounds, pathways and parks that make it easier for people to be outside and active.

In the last decade, we’ve poured more than $2 million — and used those funds to leverage millions more in matching funds and other grants — into building healthier spaces. Those investments have ranged from our very first major grant — $500,000 to build the Burlington Splash Park — to a $72,470 grant last year to purchase lifesaving automatic external defibrillators for ABSS schools.

But health isn’t just about having parks and playgrounds to help people be active. We’ve also invested directly in health care, such as more than $100,000 in investments in health and dental clinics, plus significant investments at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to support basic necessities, including food for our county’s most vulnerable families.

Because the biggest changes happen when people come together, all of our grant investments have been made

in collaboration with local government agencies and nonprofit organizations. For example, we worked with ABSS leaders to open up all elementary school playgrounds for public use outside school hours.

We’ve also sought to catalyze and support important policy changes to make Alamance County a healthier place. Those include helping to implement tobacco-free policies in many public parks, on Alamance Community College campuses, and at other public properties.

Our investments in healthy spaces and health-supporting policies will continue. Each year, we hold a Wellness Summit where residents and leaders gather to connect, discuss ideas, and collaborate on

innovations to support and improve everyone’s health. Investments like building playgrounds and supporting health care services are important. All of Impact Alamance’s investments are aimed, ultimately, at building a healthier community for all.

We know that when individuals and families are better educated, they’re better able to support their own health and also better able to get jobs with good health benefits. We know that when communities are stronger, with a robust grid of resources to support everyone’s well-being, families and children are healthier.

And we know that when civic engagement is high, we can better address the challenges we face and create healthier lives and healthier communities for all.

Smarter

L

earning is the foundation for thriving individuals and strong communities, and we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure every child has the opportunities and support they need to succeed.

That commitment begins with building a seamless educational pipeline that nurtures learners at every stage, from early childhood literacy to career readiness. Over the last decade, we’ve invested more than $1.5 million in early childhood and K-12 education, often leveraging those funds to unlock additional grants and partnerships that amplify those investments.

One of the most powerful ways we’ve reached young learners is by expanding the Dolly Parton Imagination Library countywide. This program gives more than 5,700 children access to free books each month and sparks a love of reading before they even set foot in a classroom. As students grow, we’ve supported them with access to leading-edge learning environments, like the STEM lab at Graham High School, which our $250,000 in matching funds made possible as part of a $1.2 million Golden Leaf Foundation grant.

But education isn’t just about what happens inside the classroom. When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to widen learning and digital divides, we stepped in with a $200,000 grant, funding hot spot connectivity, Chromebooks, and literacy software so students could continue learning remotely. Since hunger was a huge obstacle to learning, we invested $50,000 in an Alamance-Burlington School System food truck. This mobile solution delivered meals to children throughout the summer months.

We know that real, lasting change happens when people work together. That’s why we partner with schools, families, and community organizations to strengthen the entire educational system. Our collaboration with Alamance Community College created the Biotechnology Center of Excellence, where our $200,000 investment in equipment and furnishings is helping prepare students for careers in this fast-growing field.

Our investments don’t just encourage smarter students; we also invest in those who teach and inspire them. We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Teacher Leadership Academy to provide professional development for numerous ABSS educators each year. In

2016 we launched Alamance Achieves to support clear, evidencebased pathways from cradle to career and ensure every child in our community has a fair shot at success.

In 2021, we took a bold step toward making education more inclusive and responsive by introducing the Community Voice Project, a year-long effort that brings families, students, and community members into the conversation about education priorities. When communities engage in education, they don’t just create smarter individuals — they create a stronger, more resilient future for everyone.

Children who start school ready to learn are more likely to thrive academically and professionally. Well-supported teachers, equipped with innovative tools and training, can transform lives. And when we invest in education, we invest in the future of Alamance County.

Stronger

I

mpact Alamance believes that strong communities are built on exceptional leadership, thriving nonprofits, and meaningful connections. For over a decade, we’ve strategically invested in local leaders, strengthened nonprofit organizations, and created collaborative spaces where people unite to address shared challenges.

Leadership development has been a primary amplifier of our mission. Since 2016, the annual Leadership Institute program has empowered 127 nonprofit and government leaders with the skills, networks, and confidence to drive meaningful change. In partnership with

Elon University, our Year of Service Fellows Program strategically places recent graduates in community organizations, cultivating the next generation of civic leaders. And the Alamance County Racial Equity Collaborative (ACRE Co-Lab) has guided three cohorts of diverse leaders through intensive seven-month journeys to address racial inequity and design systemic solutions.

Strong nonprofits form the backbone of community resilience. Since 2015, we’ve helped local organizations secure $7.7 million in external grants, supported board development training, and transformed the Cammack Building into a dedicated community meeting space. Our targeted progress and enhancement grants have funded critical resources, like the $30,000 skid loader for Habitat for Humanity, which accelerates home construction for families in need.

When COVID-19 upended our community, we responded decisively with $502,500 in emergency relief funding, directing over 70% to Black and Brown communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. We also spearheaded remote learning initiatives like the YMCA Connectivity Learning Site, helping vulnerable students maintain educational continuity during uncertainty.

Our commitment also extends beyond financial investment.

The Harwood Institute Initiative (2022-2023) created structured opportunities for residents to connect, collaborate, and address collective challenges. Through Community Forward Grants, we’ve funded innovative programs prioritizing equitable access to essential resources. Recognizing the importance of cultural heritage, we invested $50,000 to restore the historic McCray School and another

$50,000 in the African-American Cultural Arts & History Center, preserving the narratives that shape our community.

Initiatives like Empodera-Te Latina, a dynamic networking group for Latina/Hispanic women, and the Digital Navigation and Inclusion Expansion Project, which provided technology and training to bridge the digital divide, reflect our effort to empower all residents.

Strength doesn’t come from a single effort — it grows over time, through relationships, shared goals, and collective action. By investing in leadership, nonprofits, and community connections, we’re helping to create a stronger, more united Alamance County — where everyone has the tools and opportunities to thrive.

Years in

Quotes “ When I think of Impact Alamance, I think of the word ‘hope.’ Hope drives change, and seeing one person or organization’s impact on a community is powerful.”

Dr. Connie Book “ Impact Alamance has helped put people in the same room who might not have been before. And that has led to real collaboration—real solutions.”

Shineece Sellars “ We can’t just say, ‘We’re going to fix this.’ We have to build trust. With trust comes opportunity, and with opportunity comes hope. It’s a cycle that strengthens the community.”

FD Hornaday “ The political divides in our community are deep, but Impact Alamance has opened doors to productive conversations. That’s what change looks like.”

Susan Watson

“ We wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do without Impact Alamance. From transportation to program resources, their support makes a real difference in the lives of the kids we serve.”

Tara Nager “ Diversity is always our superpower. The more voices we have around the table, the richer the conversation is, the better, deeper, and more effective the solutions are.”

Connie Wolfe

“ When we come together, bringing our different voices and experiences, we create real, lasting change. Impact Alamance exemplifies this in everything they do.”

Nikki Ratliff “ It’s remarkable to me that we have this foundation in Alamance County. I travel across the country working with my peers, and when I have the opportunity to talk about Impact Alamance, many of them are blown away. They don’t have access to something like this in their communities.”

Reagan Gural

“ Impact Alamance isn’t just looking for the usual leaders; they’re inviting new voices to the table.

That’s how real change happens—by lifting up people who haven’t had a seat before.”

Kurt Ward

“ The most rewarding part of partnering with Impact Alamance is seeing these projects come to life—seeing people using them and knowing we’re creating memories and impacting everyday life.”

Bobbi Ruffin-Alston

823

Total number of investments made since 2015

$7,499,860 Invested in Stronger initiatives

$7,672,737 Leveraged through grant writing support

$5,427,192 Invested in Smarter initiatives

Total dollars invested since 2015

82

10

Advocacy wins across Alamance County

$19,340,892

Years by the

Numbers 134

Unique organizations funded since our first investment in 2015

$6,413,839 Invested in Healthier initiatives

Outdoor spaces (playgrounds, greenways, trails, & connectors) created or enhanced

3,253

Community meetings held in Impact Alamance’s conference center

Creating a healthier, smarter, stronger community, together.

impactalamance.org

133 East Davis St., Burlington, NC