The Community Foundation of WNC has been a community of givers since 1978. Working with individuals, families, and corporations, CFWNC built a permanent pool of charitable capital with which to make grants to nonprofit and public agencies across 18 WNC counties and the Qualla Boundary.

According to CFWNC Communications Director Lindsay Hearn, a community foundation has three functions: making grants, serving as a vehicle for philanthropy, and providing leadership for the region in which it serves. 

CFWNC awarded its first grants in 1980, which totaled $28,000. Last year, it facilitated $34 million in philanthropy with grants to 1,489 nonprofits in the region and beyond.

Some grants are awarded proactively through focus areas or initiatives. For example, an Emergency and Disaster Response Fund is activated in times of crisis such as natural disasters or in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Hearn. Another example is a $150,000 grant that was recently awarded to the Town of Canton to support recovery after Pactiv Evergreen’s plant closing. 

Other grants are awarded through a competitive process in which organizations submit an application and/or a Letter of Intent, and staff or advisory committees make grant recommendations to the Board that approves allocation of funds. Chosen applicants are then required to provide an end-of-grant report verifying use of grant funds and their results. 

Donor-advised funds are a vehicle to accomplish specific philanthropic interests and priorities. Donors recommend grants from their funds, subject to the approval of the Foundation’s board of directors. Flexible endowment funds are another option and may be a good fit depending on the donor's goals. A fund can be established by an initial gift of at least $10,000, and is fully tax-deductible in the year of the donation.

Corporate funds are a type of donor-advised funds created to facilitate corporate philanthropy. Using CFWNC to facilitate corporate giving provides professional guidance, businesses tax advantages, and more. A fund can be established with a donation of at least $10,000 and is tax deductible. 

Women for Women, a CFWNC initiative established in 2006, has a mission to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving. This initiative uses collective giving to make high-impact grants to support and enhance the lives of girls and women by addressing systemic injustices. A member of the national network Philanos, the initiative also aims to support women-powered philanthropy with other like-minded organizations.

Since its inception, Women for Women has awarded more than $5 million across more than 85 organizations that help women and girls in WNC. Members commit to an annual $1,200 gift for three years, and benefits include education about regional issues, connections with grantees, networking opportunities, and committee service.

In addition to contributing funds and making grants, CFWNC manages assets for more than 130 nonprofits across the region by offering administration and investment management expertise. Hearn said these partnerships enable nonprofits to access institutional-caliber strategies in a cost effective manner. Nonprofits can also access a full range of offerings such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts to complement their development efforts. This relationship offers organizations access to layers of supervision, investment diversity, benchmarks, and standards that their independent portfolio may not command on its own.

“Community foundations exist to provide permanent charitable resources for the regions they serve,” Hearn said. “Generous people want to give, and nonprofits need support. Numbers and grants are one measure, and they represent potential, but CFWNC’s greatest strength is its partnerships and willingness to build collective will to support issues facing the region as they change over time.”