The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina 2025 Annual Report
When communities come together to lift up others, the entire region benefits.
Photo by Michael Oppenheim
As you know, a major weather event seismically shifted land, water, and life in Western North Carolina during our last fiscal year. Helene upended our schedules, routines, and priorities. It destroyed infrastructure, homes, and, in many cases, lives.
With the support of donors, fundholders, and our Board, CFWNC stepped up to fund nonprofits and public agencies helping communities recover, rebuild, and heal, ultimately awarding nearly $40 million. In September, we shared a report and website, WE RISE, that includes detailed information, including a directory of grants and stories. The content highlights the work of organizations that provided critical services and the waves of volunteers who supported them.
When communities come together to lift up others, the entire region benefits. While responding to Helene in partnership with many, we witnessed a broad and inclusive spirit of generosity that was outwardly focused and deeply collaborative. People wanted to help and did what they could without complaint or question. They showed up for their neighbors and communities, and for people they had never met.
This willingness to give is central to the daily work of community foundations. We support the philanthropic goals of people who want to be present, who educate themselves and ask questions, and who offer encouragement and resources.
Looking back at fiscal year 2025, we are fortunate to be in alliance with people who are quick to give, who operate from kindness and empathy, who presume good intent, and who celebrate the success of others.
It’s our hope that we can continue to foster the spirit of generosity and the culture of care that so buoyed us over the last year. It was inspiring to experience, witness and support.
Onward in generosity,
Elizabeth Brazas President
Joanne Badr Board Chair
CFWNC Grantmaking in 2025
CFWNC’s relationships with nonprofits, funders, and regional leaders enabled a first and fast response to Hurricane Helene that was supported by donations from across the country. Our role as a philanthropic first responder was enabled by the Board who delegated grantmaking authority to staff to keep funds flowing quickly to support distressed communities and citizens.
Over 10,000 gifts to the Emergency and Disaster response Fund, totaling more than $40 million, were received. Grants were processed twice daily and then weekly for almost a year. It was all-hands-on-deck as our small staff accepted gifts and awarded grants at an unprecedented pace.
Flexibility, Communication, and Collaboration
In the midst of the storm response, many grant programs continued and existing funding commitments were upheld. Applications submitted prior to the storm were awarded with the understanding that organizations could be flexible in responding to changing needs; current grantees were also given the option to adapt as needed. CFWNC funded the Human Services & Education competitive grants of more than $2 million by accessing additional funds, so that donors and fundholders could focus their giving on relief and recovery.
Simplified processes for applicants reduced the burden on nonprofits working on the frontlines. CFWNC worked closely with partners, consulted with those closest to the needs, trusted the expertise of our communities, and shared strategies and lessons with others.
Fundholder Generosity
CFWNC fundholders contributed more than $2,500,000 to support EDRF grants. One donor has given eight times; another has made two gifts totaling $600,000. Whether it is a pandemic or a devastating natural disaster, CFWNC fundholders support WNC communities and families in times of crisis and on an ongoing basis.
Pivots and Consistency
We witnessed flexibility with other funders and nonprofits, as relationships and trust underpinned the hurricane response in WNC broadly. Our commitment to being a dependable partner to our constituents meant that nonprofit partners could pivot to short term relief knowing that CFWNC’s permanent resources are here for the long haul. The community foundation model is designed to be flexible and forever.
focus area grants
Cultural Resources $289,000
John C. Campbell Folk School received $50,000 to upgrade the sound system in its outdoor venue and support a concert series celebrating its centennial in 2025-2026. The project will have a direct economic impact on Clay and Cherokee counties while attracting visitors from southern Appalachia and nationwide.
Co-Investors: Gretchen Batra Fund and Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund
Land of Sky Regional Council (LOSRC), as fiscal sponsor for WNC Upscaling Creative Manufacturing Project, received $100,000 to expand business support services for creatives in Helene-affected areas. The project, supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission, is collaboratively led by LOSRC, Center for Craft, Mountain BizWorks’s Craft Your Commerce, ArtsAVL, and Southwestern Commission.
Co-Investors: Gretchen Batra Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, and one anonymous fund
CULTURAL RESOURCES GENERAL OPERATING
Craft Organizations - $40,000
Asheville Glass Art School, dba North Carolina Glass Center Center for Craft
Clay County Historical and Arts Council
Local Cloth
Open Hearts Arts Center
Rutherford County Visual Artists Guild
The Bascom
Tryon Arts and Crafts
Co-Investors: Terrence Lee One Love Fund and one anonymous fund
Performing Arts - $99,000
Asheville Area Piano Teachers Forum
Asheville Chamber Music
Asheville Community Theatre
Asheville Jazz Council
Photo courtesy of John C. Campbell Folk School
Photos courtesy of Montford Park Players, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Trillium Arts
Asheville Music School Sound Education
Asheville Symphony Society
Brevard Music Center
Flat Rock Playhouse
Haywood Community Band
Hendersonville Ballet
Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra
Highlands Community Theatre
Education $679,196
Twenty-five grants totaling $554,196 were awarded to support early childhood development, K-12, and adult education in Western North Carolina.
Asheville City Schools Foundation
Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County
Buncombe County Schools
Burke County Literacy Project
Center for Participatory Change
Children & Family Resource Center
Delta House Life Development of Asheville
First United Methodist Church of Waynesville
Full STEAM Ahead Carolina
Getting Back to the Basics
Gordon Center for Children
International Friendship Center
Isaac Homes Youth Shelter
Jewish Community Center of Asheville
JMPRO Community Media
McDowell Technical Community College
Montford Park Players
MusicWorks
North Carolina Stage Company
Parkway Playhouse of Burnsville
Rare Bird Cultural Arts
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre
The Montford Moppets Youth Shakespeare Company
Trillium Arts
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe
Rise and Shine – Neighbors in Ministry
Transylvania Christian Ministry
Umoja Health, Wellness, and Justice Collective
Valley River Arts Guild
Western Carolina Community Action, dba WNCSource
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
YTL Youth Training Programs
The Western North Carolina Regional Education
Foundation received $1 million to provide direct financial assistance to school system staff in the following counties devastated by Helene: Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania, and Yancey. The A. J. Fletcher Foundation awarded $125,000 to CFWNC’s Fund for Education to address education needs related to Hurricane Helene; $875,000 was awarded from the EDRF.
Photos courtesy of Asheville City Schools, Madison Middle School, and Bounty & Soul
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION
Fifty-two Learning Links grants totaling $108,111 were awarded to regional schools to provide local teachers with up to $1,000 per classroom for activities to make required coursework engaging and relevant for their students in Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Swain counties.
Funding is provided through the Ben W. and Dixie Glenn
Farthing Charitable Endowment, Cherokee County Schools Foundation Endowment Fund, Leon C. and Grace E. Luther Charitable Fund, Fund for Education, and Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund. The Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund co-invested in this cycle.
“I’ve spent ten years teaching five different grade levels in elementary and middle school in Madison County, and I’ve recognized the impact Learning Links grants have had on me and my students. Recently, I watched students deeply engaged in a science experiment, working independently, using tools correctly, and cooperating in a way that made me pause. Many of the materials they were using had been purchased over years with your support. The resources have reached far beyond a single classroom or year, they have helped students build confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.”
- Joy Allen, NBCT, 6th Grade Science Teacher
Human Services
$1,635,792
CFWNC awarded sixty-three Human Services grants totaling $1,435,792. Nonprofits submitted grant applications to meet an August 2024 deadline before Hurricane Helene swept through the region.
AdventHealth Hendersonville
All Souls Counseling Center
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Asheville Poverty Initiative
Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry
Babies Need Bottoms
Beacon of Hope Services
Black Mountain Counseling Center
Blue Ridge Community Health Services
Bounty & Soul
Bryson City Food Pantry
CareReach
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in Asheville
Center for Domestic Peace
Child Medical Collaborative
Children’s Center of Transylvania County
Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers
Community Housing Coalition of Madison County
Crossnore Communities for Children
CFWNC approved scholarships totaling $586,500 to 94 WNC students in 59 schools in 20 counties. More than 50 volunteers from the community worked to review applications and select recipients.
Eblen Charities
Food Connection
Glen Alpine Food Pantry
Grahamtown Team
Haywood Pathways Center
Haywood Street Congregation
Photos courtesy of JMPRO Media, Bounty & Soul, Babies Need Bottoms, and Murphy Elementary School
Helpmate
Henderson County Habitat for Humanity
High Country Caregiver Foundation
Homeward Bound of WNC
Hope Chest for Women
Housing Assistance Corporation
Hunger Coalition of Transylvania County
Irene Wortham Center
Jewish Family Services of WNC
Latino Advocacy Coalition of Henderson County
Lord’s Harvest for the Hungry
MANNA FoodBank
Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County
Mitchell County SafePlace
Mount Zion Community Development
Mountain BizWorks
My Father’s Storehouse dba The Storehouse
NC MedAssist
New HOPE of McDowell
New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae College
North Carolina School for the Deaf at Morganton Foundation
Open Hearts Art Center
Organic Growers School
Rolling Start NC
Root Cause Farm
Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity
Safelight
Salvation Army-Asheville Corps
SeekHealing
St. Gerard House
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry
The Center for Native Health
The SPARC Foundation
Thrive Asheville
Transylvania Habitat for Humanity
United Community Development of NC
WAMY Community Action
A proactive $200,000 grant was awarded to OnTrack
Financial Education and Counseling to continue the SECURE Matched Savings program that offers a 4:1 match and financial education to low-income people to help them build emergency savings and financial literacy.
CFWNC Janirve Sudden and Urgent Needs grants were paused during FY 25 to direct maximum funds to disaster response. The program is now open for applications.
Natural Resources
$507,000
American Rivers received $150,000 over two years to build a queue of ready-to-fund dam removal projects leading to design and implementation stages of river restoration efforts providing climate change resiliency, community safety and health, and ecological and economic benefits.
Co-Investors: Mandler / Tambor Family Fund, White Pine Fund, and Little Acorn Fund – W
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation received $50,000 to support collaborative efforts to analyze land in 11 NC counties and the Qualla Boundary connected to the Parkway to help prioritize landowner outreach and voluntary land conservation. The future of the Parkway’s plants, animals, migration corridors, and scenic views depends significantly on thousands of private land parcels.
Photos courtesy of Community Care Clinic, Friends or the WNC Nature Center, and Center for Native Health
Co-Investors: John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, White Pine Fund, Little Acorn Fund - W, Trillium Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, and Stewart Fund for Life & Love
Camp Grier received $44,000 to build out a Salesforce customer relationship management system (CRM) to manage volunteers, donors, customers, and partners. The
CRM will enable coordination with partners: the G5 Trail Collective, the Worx Project, Tanawha Adventures, Pisgah Productions, and the future Grier Village development.
Co-Investor: Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund
Friends of the WNC Nature Center received $35,000 to purchase native pollinator plants to be installed at a new, immersive butterfly garden at the Nature Center.
Co-Investors: Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Concord Mountain Charitable Fund, and Gretchen Batra Fund
MountainTrue received $51,000 to develop a Long-Term Conservation Plan for Jackson County’s District 4, which includes six Townships and the headwaters of three critical watersheds. The plan recommended the creation of a conservation plan identifying critical natural areas, steep slopes, green spaces, and scenic views to be protected. It was recently completed and adopted.
The Pisgah Conservancy received $60,000 to fund a crew leader for the first and only Invasive Plant Management Crew fully dedicated to working in Pisgah National Forest. Increasing visitation and regional population growth have led to significant environmental stress, including erosion, pollution, and the spread of invasive species, among the most destructive threats to ecosystems due to a lack of resources and public knowledge.
Co-Investors: Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Concord Mountain Charitable Fund, John and Janet Garrett Charitable Fund, and Stewart Fund for Life & Love
Polk County Appearance Commission received $24,000 to create a kudzu inventory that will be mapped and coupled with outreach and education services to expand efforts to eradicate the non-native invasive species. Kudzu in Polk County dramatically threatens biodiversity and causes lost forest productivity, infrastructure damage, and adverse effects on tourism and property values.
Co-Investor: Trillium Fund
Wildlands Network, as fiscal sponsor for the Safe Passage Fund Coalition, received $93,000 to continue improving wildlife habitat connectivity and human safety in WNC by creating safe passages for animal migration patterns, thereby reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. It collaborates with regional and community stakeholders to find solutions for Interstate 40, Interstate 26, and other roadways.
Co-Investors: Gretchen Batra Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Rick and Bridget Eckerd Charitable Fund, Nash Duquet Family Fund, Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund, White Pine Fund, and an anonymous fund
Photos courtesy of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and MountainTrue
supporting water quality, habitat, and resiliency
The Pigeon River Fund supports environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, and expand public use and access to waterways in Buncombe, Haywood, and Madison counties. Last year, the Fund awarded more than $560,000 in water quality grants; the fall cycle funded projects that were submitted prior to Helene, while spring grants supported ongoing work with the added urgency of removing debris from waterways, repairing damaged streambanks, and increasing flood resiliency.
With these grants and since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed $10,244,191 in grants.
FALL 2024 GRANTS $352,204
$35,000 to Asheville Botanical Garden to enhance native plantings, wildlife habitat, visitor access, and educational features at the confluence of Reed and Glenn’s Creeks.
$35,000 to Asheville GreenWorks toward design work for Hominy Creek Greenway.
$50,000 to Asheville GreenWorks to enhance and expand its Youth Environmental Leadership and StreamKeeper programs.
$45,000 to Environmental Quality Institute to help fund its VWIN and SMIE programs, supporting volunteer stream monitoring in Haywood, Buncombe, and Madison counties.
$26,250 to Haywood Waterways Association to help restore approximately 600 linear feet of Shingle Cove Branch, a tributary to Richland Creek.
Photo by Michael Oppenheim, courtesy of Haywood Waterways Association
$50,000 to Haywood Waterways Association for program and administrative support.
$13,454 to Haywood Waterways Association for a stormwater control project at Grace Church in Waynesville.
$17,500 to Junaluska Sanitary District for repairs needed along the Cedar Park residential community adjacent to the Pigeon River.
$50,000 to Mountain Valleys RC&D Council for its Ivy River Partners program addressing water quality in the Ivy River Watershed and Madison County waterways.
$30,000 to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy toward the permanent protection of 293 acres of productive farm and forest land along Scenic Byway 209 and Betsy’s Gap Road.
SPRING 2025 GRANTS $208,110
$35,000 to Asheville GreenWorks to support cleanup of the influx of litter to waterways and riparian areas of the French Broad River and its tributaries following Helene.
$5,000 to Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District to support hands-on environmental education programs.
$27,000 to Haywood Waterways Association for the Town of Clyde’s Flood Resiliency Project.
$12,750 to Haywood Waterways Association to stabilize and restore a section of the West Fork Pigeon River, upstream from Lake Logan.
$12,500 to Lake Junaluska Assembly for a storm system renovation from Hoosier Court to Lake Junaluska.
$30,860 to MountainTrue for bacteria monitoring for public safety, source point pollution identification, and streambank stabilization needed post Helene.
$35,000 to RiverLink to fund two 11-month AmeriCorps positions working in Buncombe and Madison counties.
$25,000 to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to cover due diligence costs associated with the acquisition of a 23-acre tract in Haywood County that could provide an alternative access point for Chestnut Mountain Park to further separate bike and pedestrian users.
$25,000 to The Richard L. Hoffman Foundation for the acquisition of the 75-acre West Farm in the Town of Mars Hill (contingent on securing other funds).
Photos courtesy of Asheville GreenWorks, RiverLink, and Haywood Waterways Association
women for women approach, grants, and membership
Women for Women’s (WFW) mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving. Since 2006 and with additional support from the Women’s Fund, WFW has invested more than $5.5 million in grants in WNC.
The giving circle pivoted in 2025 to award eleven grants totaling $258,974 to increase economic stability for women and girls in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The grants supported organizations addressing nutrition, housing, and childcare.
NUTRITION
DigIn! Yancey Community Garden - $25,000 to help restore a local food supply and increase the supply of fresh food in Yancey County.
Equal Plates Project - $25,000 to provide nourishing meals for single parent families with ingredients sourced from women-run farms.
Food Connection Inc. Mobile Meals Program - $25,000 to provide nutritious meals through direct service, partnerships, and community-driven initiatives in Buncombe, Henderson, and McDowell counties.
HOUSING
Rutherford Housing Partnership - $25,000 to assure safe, affordable housing for low-income, women-led households in Rutherford County.
Thrive - $25,000 to empower individuals with mental health and housing needs to thrive in a supportive community in Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.
The International Friendship Center of Highlands$25,000 to serve 50 low-income Hispanic women-led households and their children through their Mujeres Seguras, Hogares Seguros (Safe Women, Safe Homes) program in Macon and Jackson counties.
Pisgah Legal Services - $16,987 to help low-income women in WNC keep decent, safe, and affordable housing services.
Thrive Asheville - $16,987 to assist low-income, women-led families in Buncombe County through the Landlord-Tenant Partnership Program.
Photo by Michael Oppenheim, courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services
CHILDCARE
Children First/Communities In Schools - $25,000 to provide region wide support for childcare programs post Helene through the WNC Early Childhood Coalition.
Verner Center for Early Learning - $25,000 to support high quality educational and relationship-based learning environments in Buncombe County from prenatal to pre-kindergarten.
Woodson Branch Nature School - $25,000 to support their after-school program and plans to add two programs that will serve girls from low-income families in Madison County.
GET INVOLVED
Join the Giving Circle - members make a tax-deductible contribution of $1,200 that can be renewed annually; $1,000 is granted out and $200 supports operations. Membership currently exceeds 200 women.
Give to The Women’s Fund – endowment proceeds help to fund the Women for Women grant program. This year, the Fund added $73,510 to grant pool.
Give to the WFW Endowment Fund that provides for the Giving Circle’s activities and sustainability.
“Food Connection received a $25,000 grant from WFW to sustain and expand our Mobile Meals Program, enabling us to deliver chef-prepared meals to economically disadvantaged women and girls across WNC. This support has allowed us to reach women facing a wide range of challenges and provide nourishing meals so they can focus on their health, their families, their work, and their recovery. We deeply value WFW’s commitment to reducing inequities in our region, and we are profoundly grateful for the partnership and trust in our mission.”
“Many of my colleagues, myself included, believe The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina has been an incredible partner leading the way in trust based philanthropy and allowing our organizations to adapt and be flexible to the changing conditions in our communities.”
-Kavita Hardy, DigIn! Yancey Community Garden
Grant Awards Celebration, photo by Camilla Calnan
Photo courtesy of Food Connection
Photo courtesy of DigIn! Yancey Community Garden
When Hurricane Helene struck, CFWNC was able to disburse funds quickly to support relief work and critical immediate needs due to an outpouring of support from generous people and partnering funders. More than 525 grants totaling more
Economic Impact
Immediate Emergency Needs
Immediate Emergency Needs
Water/Medicine/ Food/Clothing
First Responder Equipment/Vehicles
FEMA Application Assistance
Household Mucking/ Tarping/Gutting
Crisis Communications/ Internet Access
Emergency Heat/Power
Public Health/Safety
Children and Families
Housing
Children and Families
Health/Mental Health
Children and Families
Substance Abuse
Youth Support During Out of School Hours
Support for Schools/ Colleges/Childcare Centers
Elder Care/Services
Addressing Domestic Violence/Child Abuse
Economic Impact
Economic Impact
Economic Impact
Environment
Staffing Costs for Hurricane Response
Financial Assistance to Farmers/Craftspeople/ First Responders
FEMA-Ineligible/ Hospitality Workers/ Educators and School Staff
Small/Rural Business Support
Car Repair/Car Replacement/ Transportation
Infrastructure
Offsetting Costs for Volunteer Groups Assisting in Recovery
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Photos courtesy of Bounty & Soul, Buncombe Partnership for Children, and Mountain BizWorks
than $39.6 million have been awarded to support relief and recovery. Each grant represents enormous effort and resilience on the part of nonprofits and public agencies working in their communities. Detailed information is available at cfwnc.org.
Infrastructure
Housing
Road and Bridge Repair
Site Stabilization
Nonprofit Facility Repair/Remediation
Temporary Laundry/ Shower Facilities
Distribution Hubs/ Facility Modification/ Increased Overhead
Damage Assessments/ Resiliency Planning
Economic Impact
Preliminary Engineering Reports
Environment
Infrastructure Environment
Immediate Emergency Needs
Streambank Restoration
Downed Tree and Debris Removal
Forest Management
Community Garden/ Farm Remediation
Trail Remediation
Conservation Stewardship
Water Quality Assessments/ Improvements
Infrastructure
Children and Families
Temporary Shelter/ Permanent Housing
Home Repair/ Remediation/ Demolition
Replacement of Household Contents
Rent/Utility Assistance
Photos courtesy of Chimney Rock Village, Carolina Climbers, and Transylvania Habitat for Humanity
regional affiliate funds
Starting in 1992, CFWNC encouraged the growth of affiliate funds to build charitable capital across the region to address local needs. In fiscal year 2025, CFWNC’s nine affiliates conducted grant cycles totaling $880,935 that supported local efforts with local philanthropy.
Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund
Established in 1999; June 30 assets* surpassed $2.9 million
Advisory Board Members: Jon D. Brooks (Chair), Amy Berry (Vice Chair), Betsy Warren (Secretary), Sylvia Bassett, Jose L. Bello, Mary Anna Belz, Margaret Fuller Hurt, Rodney L. Lytle, Cory Partlow, Julie Rasku, and Sheila H. Showers.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Buckner Family Endowment Fund, Helen S. and Jerry M. Newbold, Jr. Endowment Fund, Forbes Fund for Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley, and Standaert Family Endowment Fund.
Cashiers Community Fund
Established in 1992; June 30 assets* surpassed $4.1 million
Advisory Board Members: Melissa Warren Hudson (Chair), Laura Moser (Vice Chair), Joyce Wellman Fisk (Secretary), Lisa Bates, Tim Boeve, Scott Dunbar, Christopher Dyer, Paiden Hite, Leah McKell Horton, Kati Miller, Scott Turner, Herron Weems, and Susan Weltner Yow.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Lyn K. Holloway Memorial Fund.
The Fund for Haywood County
Established in 1994; June 30 assets* surpassed $1.7 million
Advisory Board Members: Chris Kuhlman (Chair), Bill Cole (Vice Chair), Amy C. Spivey (Secretary), Angela Bleckley, Kim Ferguson, Susan Hooper, Travis Howard, Joan Kennedy, Jeff Lee, Kristina Proctor, Kevin Sandefur, Greg Shuping, Jonathan Song, and Eric Yarrington.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the J. Aaron and Adora H. Prevost Endowment Fund, Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund, and Jane Cole Endowment Fund.
Highlands Community Fund
Established in 1996; June 30 assets* surpassed $2.3 million
Advisory Board Members: Colleen Kerrigan (Chair), George Manning (Vice Chair), Florence C. Holmes (Secretary), Lisa Armstrong, Anne D. Bailey, Cantey P. Callaway, Scott Carter, Gerry Doubleday, Cherry Hudgins, Libby Lanier, Donna Lathem, John Mitchener, Kelly Tandy, and Allison M. Tate.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Mildred Miller Fort Charitable Fund.
Photos courtesy of McDowell Arts Council, Rutherford Habitat for Humanity, South Mountain Christian Camp, and Special Olympics Rutherford County
The McDowell Endowment
Established in 1995; June 30 assets* surpassed $1.3 million
Advisory Board Members: Ryan Kelley (Chair), Vicki Burton (Vice Chair), Kim Effler (Secretary), Jim Burgin, Nakia Carson, Simeon R. Cross, Courtney Morris Gardner, Ann Harkey, Elizabeth House, Steve Jones, Hope Murdock, Rob Noyes, Sharon Parker, Arthur Parks, and Sandra Precoma.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Margaret Westmoreland Gibson Memorial Fund, Greenlee Family Fund, A.C. Hogan Family Fund, and Daniel I. and Joy Q. Shuford Fund.
The Fund for Mitchell County
Established in 1999; June 30 assets surpassed $1.2 million
Advisory Board Members: Geraldine Plato (Chair), Christopher Day (Vice Chair), Kathey Hollifield (Secretary), Robin Buchanan, Katie Elkins, Stuart Jensen, Cindy Lindsey, Andy Palmer, Suzanne B. Russell, Zan Sistare, Diane W. Walker O.D., and Dwight Willett.
Rutherford County Endowment
Established in 1996; June 30 assets surpassed $2.2 million
Advisory Board Members: Michelle Yelton (Chair), Tommy Miller (Vice Chair), Jean Gordon (Secretary), David Eaker, Nancy Giles, Jackie Hampton, Eddie Holland, Marla Machado-Arce, Wilfred McDowell, Jill W. Miracle, Pell Tanner, Dennis Tarlton, and Robin Van Jura.
Transylvania Endowment
Established in 1998; June 30 assets* surpassed $2.5 million
Advisory Board Members: John Shoemaker (Chair), Chuck Megown (Vice Chair), Rob Lee (Secretary), Khaled Khiyar, Beth Lastinger, Caroline McKenzie, Jason Ramsey, Nancee Salyer, Mark Shevory, Mark Visk, Amber Webb, and Paul Welch.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Aleen Steinberg Endowment Fund, Richard G. Adamson Memorial Fund, DuncanBicknell Endowment Fund, Burlingame Charitable Fund, Lake Toxaway Charities Endowment Fund, Bobby Orr Memorial Fund for Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department, Karen Wilde Memorial Fund for Brevard Police Department, Holbrook-Nichols
Transylvania Housing Assistance Fund, My Brother’s Keeper Fund, Connie Boylan Fund, and Tim and Wanda Barrett Transylvania Growth Fund.
The Yancey Fund
Established in 1998; June 30 assets* surpassed $2.9 million
Advisory Board Members: Jim Gentry Jr. (Chair), Dr. Monica Carpenter (Vice Chair), Olivier Calas (Secretary), Jim Ashton, Jill Austin, Melissa Flattery, Jayne Ellen Hunt, Heidi Meyer, Mark Mitchell, Sandra U. Saunders, Julia Silvers, Tina Veitch, and Bob Wyatt.
*The Advisory Board also makes grants from the Bailey-Hilliard Fund.
Photo courtesy of Bounty & Soul
Photos courtesy of Campbell Animal Sanctuary, Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, and Transylvania Christian Ministry
Working with Donors
GIVING
CFWNC is here to support you in giving effectively. We offer charitable solutions and tax-advantaged strategies. We can help you create a plan that meets your current or future charitable goals.
BECOMING A FUNDHOLDER
You choose your level of involvement and timing and decide whether to include others in giving decisions. Your giving will be acknowledged or can remain anonymous.
WHAT TO GIVE
You can give cash, marketable securities and mutual fund shares, closely held stock, retirement accounts, interest in a limited liability partnership, life insurance, real estate, or private foundation assets. Your professional advisors can be involved, ensuring coordination across your charitable, financial, and estate planning.
SOUND INVESTMENT
Every fund is professionally invested, so gifts grow over time, supporting more giving.
GRANTS
Donor advised fundholders can make secure, online grant recommendations and monitor your fund activity at any time. Staff is also available by phone and email.
ADVICE AND OPPORTUNITY
Upon request, we can share information about community issues and needs and make you aware of funding opportunities that align with your interests.
Photos by Michael Oppenheim
LEARN MORE
finding connection
“We opened a donor advised fund with the Foundation in 2018 as a helpful “hub” for our charitable giving. It has been a great tool for streamlining our philanthropic efforts over the years.
Our giving is motivated by what we see around us. Mostly, we are motivated by our boys – we want to help the community they grow up in to be strong, healthy, happy, and thriving. Any part we can play in that effort, we’re glad to do it! As financial and legal professionals, we also like to support organizations providing financial and legal support and resources to those who need them most.
CFWNC gives us many opportunities to plug-in with nonprofits serving the region. Co-investing with CFWNC gives us an opportunity to learn about new nonprofits or be reintroduced to the work others are doing – especially when we may not be exposed to their work in our day to day. And, Women for Women is a wonderful way to connect with smart, motivated, and impactful women in the community. Working within the scope and regional reach of CFWNC, the giving circle leverages the Foundation’s experience and history.
Together, we’re able to “punch above our weight” when it comes to philanthropy and to tailor our efforts to support families, women, and girls in our community.
This past year, in particular, we were wowed by the Foundation’s response to Helene. With its deep history and relationships, the Foundation was able to get money in the door and out again so quickly to those helping after the hurricane – it was truly a feat highlighting CFWNC’s many strengths, connections in the community, and reputation for integrity.
We hope that our boys grow up understanding the connections between themselves and their broader community – in WNC and beyond. We hope they will experience and understand the importance of finding ways to support that community with their time, talents, or treasure.”
Jenny and Travis Boyer Fundholders
Jenny is also a Development and Engagement committee and Women for Women member.
Working with Nonprofits
GRANT FUNDING
CFWNC fundholders provide financial support to nonprofits through donor advised and designated funds. Grants from discretionary funds and field of interest funds are made in alignment with donor intent and CFWNC programmatic guidance.
View a grants directory at cfwnc.org.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FUNDS
CFWNC manages more than 215 funds for 137 nonprofit organizations across the region. Nonprofit assets under management total $113 million and account for about a quarter of all assets under management. Partnership with CFWNC allows nonprofits access to a high-caliber investment program with multiple levels of oversight in the investment process that many organizations and clients find difficult to emulate in the for-profit financial services marketplace.
CFWNC handles all investment management and oversight, including accounting, financial reporting, and an annual audit. Nonprofit organization funds can be an important tool to build an endowment.
Contact: Becky Davis, Senior Development Officer, 828-367-9905, bdavis@cfwnc.org
WNC NONPROFIT PATHWAYS
Pathways is a funders collaborative that helps nonprofits become stronger and more sustainable. Pathways supports regional nonprofit leaders through workshops, trainings, coaching, forums, cohorts, and capacity grants. Funders include CFWNC, Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Dogwood Health Trust, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, and WNC Bridge Foundation with generous support from The Duke Endowment. nonprofitpathways.org
Photo
philanthropy is our only business
PARTNERSHIP WITH PROFESSIONAL
ADVISORS
We are grateful to regional advisors for their frequent client referrals. Our goal is to help your clients give in the way that works best for them. CFWNC can help you integrate your clients’ charitable goals into their business, personal, and financial planning.
As a trusted philanthropic partner, CFWNC can connect clients with effective nonprofits, strategic giving opportunities, and other fundholders who share their interests. CFWNC is a resource when someone wants to give now or define a legacy for the future. We provide charitable planning advice, confidentially and without a fee.
Professional Advisory Committee
L. Daniel Akers, Jr., Beacon Pointe Advisors
James W. Baley, Baley Law Firm PLLC
Vincent D. Childress, Jr., Roberts & Stevens P.A.
R. Walton Davis, R. Walton Davis, III, P.A.
Evan Gilreath, Gilreath Shealy Law PLLC
Matthew L. Groome, Colton Groome Financial
Rollin Groseclose, DMJPS PLLC
BJ Kilgore, Coffield Heedy Kilgore PLLC
Harris Livingstain, McGuire, Wood & Bissette Law Firm
Shon Norris, Gould Killian CPA Group, P.A.
Harli L. Palme, Modera Wealth Management LLC
Allison Quigley, Begley Law Firm, P.A.
Ashley Saville-Amtower, Roberts & Stevens P.A.
Townsend Tanner, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, CFP®
Carter Webb, The Van Winkle Law Firm, Chair
CFWNC is grateful to the Committee for its co-investment in the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund and recent Human Services grants.
33rd Annual Professional Seminar, May 2025, photos by Michael Oppenheim
generosity multiplied
Photos courtesy of Asheville Jazz Council, Mountain BizWorks, and Friends of WNC Nature Center
BUILDING PERMANENT RESOURCES FOR WNC
Gifts to CFWNC’s endowments are long-term investments in WNC. These endowments are permanent charitable resources built to address regional needs as they change over time. Each year, grants are made that align with the stated purposes, supporting grantmaking.
The Fund for Western North Carolina addresses broad needs in 18 counties, including the Qualla Boundary. Having unrestricted funds to direct toward projects and issues is key to effective and strategic grantmaking as priorities and needs change over time.
The Fund for Human Services supports grants meeting basic needs. Addressing the needs of vulnerable people is a key focus of our work.
The Fund for Animal Welfare focuses on rescue and adoption programs, spay/neuter services, care for injured or orphaned wildlife, and prevention of cruelty to animals.
The Fund for the Arts makes grants for the visual and performing arts and programs that expand or improve regional opportunities. Small operating grants are awarded on a rotating schedule. Unrestricted support, especially to smaller and more rural organizations, can be stabilizing and has allowed more giving in some counties.
The Fund for the Environment supports preservation and protection of natural resources and scenic spaces, critical work that has grown in importance since Helene. A dedicated network of nonprofits working in land and water conservation and protection performs work that is critical to the recreational economy and the well-being of residents.
The Fund for Education improves educational opportunities in public schools. Funds are awarded through focus area and Learning Links grants.
The Fund for Health improves access to quality health care.
The Fund for Scholarships supports scholarships for students across WNC.
The Fund for Strong Communities improves our region’s civic and economic vitality.
Gifts of any size to these funds build support and resiliency and help WNC forever.
LEARN MORE
Financials
$69 MILLION
Total Grants
$73.7 MILLION
Total Gifts
$481 MILLION
Total Assets as of and Scholarships 6/30/2025
A Diversified Portfolio
The goal of the investment program is to preserve and enhance the real value of assets over time by pursuing diversified asset allocations and utilizes an Investment Committee, comprised of local professionals with investment and financial expertise.
Investment Performance
CFWNC has a sound record of risk-adjusted returns that has served the Foundation and its donors well over the long term. The performance objective for CFWNC’s investment activities is to achieve a total return of CPI + 4.5% over a full market cycle. The CFWNC Investment Committee manages multiple portfolios in pursuit of this objective.
CFWNC also maintains valued investment management relationships with the following firms: Altamont Capital Management, Ameriprise, Beacon Pointe Advisors, Boys Arnold & Company, Colton Groome & Company, Merrill Lynch, Modera Wealth Management, Raymond James & Company, Wilmington Trust, and UBS Wealth Management.
View audited financial statements, tax returns and learn more about our investment program at cfwnc.org.
Annualized Investment Returns Through 6/30/25
Asset Allocation as of 6/30/25
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
Note: Standards of financial accounting for nonprofit organizations affect the reporting of charitable remainder trusts and certain endowment funds managed by CFWNC for other nonprofit organizations. Among the categories of revenue and expense impacted by these reporting requirements are Contributions and Program Services, which includes grant distributions. References to Contributions and Grants in other parts of this report reflect total contributions received and total grants disbursed.
Board of Directors Foundation Staff Credits
Joanne Badr, Chair
Francisco
Castelblanco, Vice-Chair & Secretary
Heather P. Norton, Treasurer
Natalie N. Bailey
Carla Barnard
Milton Butterworth
Ellen O. Carr
Yolanda Fair
Lauren Pierce
Flickinger
Constance M. Haire
Himanshu Karvir
Matthew T. Lee
Harris M. Livingstain
Jochen Lucke
Jean McLaughlin
Scott Peterson
L. Ashley SavilleAmtower
Sharon Fouts Taylor
Carter B. Webb
Lynn M. Wilson
Daniel Bascuñan-Wiley Program Associate
Elizabeth Brazas President & CEO
Spencer Butler Senior Donor Relations Officer
Diane Crisp Senior Grants Manager
Melissa Crouse Finance Associate
Becky Davis, CFRE Senior Development Officer
Naomi Davis Finance and Human Resources Officer
Virginia Dollar Senior Program Officer
Melissa Edgington Development Associate
Angela Farnquist Donor Relations Officer
Amber HarrelsonWilliams Scholarship Officer
Lindsay Hearn Communications Director
Laura Herndon Vice President, Development
Graham Keever Chief Financial Officer
Julie Klipp Chief Operating Officer
Jeremy Lett Program Officer
Meagan McNairy Office Administrator
Alana Nottage Leadership Associate
Eliana Rodriguez Donor Relations Associate
Tara Scholtz Vice President, Programs
Janet Sharp Senior Staff Accountant
Sally Weldon Director of Information Technology
2024 - 2025 Annual Report: Design
Indigo Design/Sheri Lalumondier
Printer
BP Solutions Group
Front cover photos: top left and right by Tanya Triber, bottom left by Travis Bordley, bottom right courtesy of Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
join us
Are you interested in joining our community of givers? Whether you would like to learn more about opening a fund, are a nonprofit seeking funding or services, or want to learn more about the initiatives and funds that CFWNC supports, we are available for a conversation or to share resources with you.
cfwnc.org
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Photos, top left, courtesy of Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, other photos by Tanya Triber
