In 2011, Early Childhood Development (ECD) was selected as one of CFWNC’s funding priorities. Since then, the ECD Task Force, the Distribution Committee and the Foundation’s Board have been grappling with how best to achieve regional impact and work toward the focus area’s vision of supporting every child in realizing her or his full potential. Our goal is to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children in Western North Carolina, particularly at-risk children who are not in formal early childhood programs. We have been making grants and, at the same time, exploring how to move forward given the modest financial investment we can make and our desire to have donors and other funders co-invest with us in this essential work.

I have long believed that one of philanthropy’s most important tasks—and its most difficult—is influencing public understanding. In addition to making a concrete difference in the lives of individuals and communities, enhancing public understanding of issues and models for making permanent progress is equally necessary. Problems in our communities exist because of insufficient resources, but also because we do not agree on what the issues are or how best to address them. In North Carolina, as elsewhere, if some collective understanding of the issues and solutions does not become part of the intellectual and moral currency of our state, gains under one administration may simply be reversed by the succeeding one. One North Carolina legislator, was quoted recently opining that early childhood development was no more than glorified babysitting. As ill-informed as I believe that opinion to be, that an elected representative harbors that suspicion suggests much work needs to be done to make progress in improving the lives of our youngest residents.

No single approach will suffice. Simultaneous investments are necessary to change public perceptions, affect public policy and eventually make high-quality early child care and education a cultural norm. One of those investments must be in programs that are effective in improving early childhood outcomes. Our grant in May 2012 to Reach Out and Read (www.reachoutandreadsc.org) is a good example. An investment of $25,000, made in partnership with two fundholders, is expected to expand this program to an additional 3,500 children and their families. This type of programmatic investment, although essential, is not sufficient. Combining all of the philanthropic dollars in North Carolina would comprise only a fraction of the investment that must be made in our children if we are to improve their quality of life. Public investment is an economic, social and moral imperative.

Good WorksPEOPLE PL ACE PROSPERIT Y SPRING 2013

P R E S I D E N T ’S M E S S A G E

CFWNC celebrates 35 years of service to Western North Carolina this year. As we mark this milestone, our organization is strong and streamlined. We’ve invested time and effort to ensure that CFWNC remains sustainable, responsive and vibrant. As part of that process, we have changed the way we operate, focused our discretionary grantmaking and transitioned to owning our office space.

In January, CFWNC moved into offices in the historic Biltmore School, the Foundation’s fifth location. Many generous donors helped with the purchase and renovation. Our new offices are conveniently located, have ample parking and include room for growth. We were pleased to commit to this restoration project early and to play a role in bringing this landmark building back into public use. You’ll find images and information about our new space and the generous donors who made it possible on pages 4-5.

With our four focus areas – People in Need, Food and Farming, Early Childhood Development and Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources – guiding our discretionary grantmaking, we are building connections and supporting effective coalitions and partnerships.

As an organization, we continue to refine strategies for each focus area while learning from the process.

A year ago in March, we made our first Food and Farming Focus Area grant to TRACTOR, an alliance supporting farmers in Mitchell and Yancey counties. Our $25,000 investment in rental equipment for farmers was part of a bigger framework that is helping to build a food hub, create jobs and support local economies in two of our rural counties. There is an important role for CFWNC to play in terms of funding, bringing partners to the table and helping to strengthen momentum.

As we further flesh out opportunities in other focus areas, we know that we have to be realistic about our limitations, and we acknowledge that our grants cannot fill holes left by government budget cuts. We can and have expanded our approaches to address pressing issues. Advocacy is one critical tool we can employ. Philip Belcher, our Vice President of Programs, leads the Early Childhood Development Focus Area and his article below explores how we can best help more children enter school prepared for success.

With a grant to HandMade in America, the Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources Focus Area is targeting rural communities and working to leverage other sources of funds. CFWNC support for the WNC Nature Center honors a donor’s wishes and is helping to enhance exhibits and educational programming. We continue to define our strategy for this broad focus area that represents much of what is distinctive in our region.

Just two years after the Janirve Foundation entrusted $10 million to CFWNC, the People In Need grant program is deploying significant resources to nonprofits supporting our region’s most vulnerable populations. With CFWNC

Elizabeth Brazas, President

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E A R LY C h I L D h O O D D E v E L O P M E N T F O C u S A R E A

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Philip Belcher, Vice President of Programs

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F O O D A N D FA R M I N G F O C u S A R E A

Grant Supports Major Expansion of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Appalachian Grown Program A $35,000 grant from the Food and Farming Focus Area is helping expand Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's (ASAP) Appalachian Grown regional food branding and certification program. Appalachian Grown labels and promotes locally-grown farm products in the marketplace to enable consumers to easily identify and act on their desire to support local food and farmers.

ASAP launched the Local Food Campaign in 2000 to build markets for locally-grown food. With increasing demand in 2006, ASAP launched the Appalachian Grown program to engage larger-scale markets in the region and increase distribution and availability. In 2012, sales of Appalachian Grown certified products exceeded $100 million.

“The Appalachian Grown effort addresses sustainability and economic development across our region,” said Senior Program Officer Tim Richards. “The expansion of this proven program will contribute to the revitalization of our food system and maximize opportunities for local farmers and food entrepreneurs.”

The plan for growth includes a campaign to increase the visibility of the logo and drive consumers to markets that stock local produce and products. These and other efforts, including consumer education and a bulk purchasing program for cooperative marketing materials, will be conducted in tandem with branding for farms and cooperative farm groups.

The program ties sales of local foods to the region’s farms, protecting the integrity of the market and providing consumers with a trusted brand. Since 2007, the first full year of the effort, participation has increased by more than 60 percent. In 2012, 560 farms were certified and 300 individual businesses participated.

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The Appalachian Regional Commission launched its Appalachian Foodways Tour initiative during a visit to a Candler farm in March. Senior Program Officer Tim Richards, pictured here with Earl F. Gohl, federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, was part of the fourth annual gathering of the Appalachian Funders Network Conference, which brings together public and private grant makers, bankers, entrepreneurs and local and regional economic development practitioners to identify shared strategies for accelerating the economic transition of central Appalachia.

discretionary dollars, funds from our affiliates, support from individual fundholders and Janirve resources, nearly $900,000 (see page 3) was distributed to nonprofits in all 18 counties. In step with our focus area work, our other activities continue. We serve as philanthropic advisors to our 960 fundholders and donor advised grants, more than $8.5 million last year, supported nonprofits across the region and beyond. We run ten competitive grant programs and support WNC scholars. We help nonprofits by managing their endowments and enabling capacity building and best practices. Our Women for Women giving circle enjoys steady membership and makes smart, substantial grants supporting economic security for women and girls. The 2013 Women for Women grants will be announced at the sold-out Power of the Purse event taking place Thursday, May 23, and featuring Anna Deavere Smith. In our 35th year, we have $200 million of permanent charitable capital under management. Already this fiscal year (between July 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013), CFWNC has distributed $8.6 million in grants and scholarships. North Carolina has 20 community foundations. By asset size, CFWNC is the third largest in our state. Since 1978, giving people – some with modest means and some with great wealth – have given back and left a permanent legacy. You are part of this legacy, and our gratitude is profound. Please visit us in our beautiful new offices, join us in our work and celebrate what we have accomplished in 35 years … together.

President’s Messagecontinued from page 1

TRACTOR Project Plows AheadThe first Food and Farming grant of $25,000 purchased shared rental equipment used by farmers in Yancey and Mitchell counties working together to build a local food hub. A total of 28 growers used the equipment in 2012 to cultivate, maintain and expand production on 41 acres. The TRACTOR project has attracted an additional $400,000 in funds, which includes $14,400 in donations from two CFWNC fundholders. TRACTOR hired a director in August and anticipates having more than 50 growers participating for the 2013 season. TRACTOR has recently secured funding for a refrigerated truck to enable them to serve fourteen Ingles stores, two Lowes Food Stores and three Sav-Mor Stores, as well as Ingles and MIDI warehouses willing to buy all additional quality produce.

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$893,784 in Focus Area Grants Awarded In November, the Foundation awarded $893,784 to nonprofits serving people in need in 18 counties across Western North Carolina. A list of all 56 grants can be found on our website. Grants funded dental clinics, literacy programs, food pantries, parenting skills classes, affordable housing, access to health care, programs to develop job skills and much more.

A $20,000 People in Need grant is supporting Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow Geoffrey Barton (left). The program places some of the nation’s finest young architects with training and experience in community design work with local organizations to help address affordable housing issues. Barton’s fellowship is co-hosted by Mountain Housing Opportunities and the Asheville Design Center. Barton will be working on the New Mountain House, a new design prototype for workforce housing and Eagle Market Place development projects.

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The Yancey Foundation and CFWNC awarded a $20,000 grant to Southern Reconciliation Ministries, Inc., the Reconciliation House, to support hunger relief in Yancey County. Executive Director John Miller, pictured here with Bill Cullom of the Yancey Foundation, said, “Due to decreasing employment, low wages, job layoffs and low fixed incomes, Reconciliation House is seeing increased need from families as they struggle to sustain themselves. Families that have historically needed help only once over the last 10 years are now coming back more often.”

Funding from the Janirve Legacy Fund, our nine affiliate funds, CFWNC discretionary funds and our partners made these grants possible. Donor advised funds that supported this grant cycle were the Gretchen Batra Fund, Luther and Ruth Barnhardt Charitable Fund, Connestee Falls Endowment Fund, Gerald R. and Cornelia C. De Land Fund, Delphinium Fund, Dogwood Charitable Endowment Fund, Lipscomb Family Foundation Fund, MAC Mountain Fund, Oliver Family Fund, Penny Fund, Peterson Endowment Fund, Sycamore Fund, Wasson-Stowe Charitable Fund and an anonymous endowment fund. The next grant cycle will begin in August 2013.

Blue Ridge Free Dental ClinicTwo affiliate funds – the Cashiers Community Fund and the Highlands Community Foundation – funded a $20,000 grant that expanded the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, serving uninsured residents of Macon, Jackson and Transylvania counties who have incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. In this largely rural area, many people are underemployed and without health care or insurance. Medicare does not provide any dental services; and while Medicaid provides limited dental assistance, these services are not accessible to the working poor.

The clinic sees many patients who have gone for years, or even a lifetime, without preventive dental care, which leads to tooth decay, infection and advanced dental disease. The Clinic’s waiting list ranges from 300 to 500. Emergency patients—people in pain—are seen as soon as possible; but patients generally have a significant number of other issues, and it can take months to complete a treatment plan. The clinic expansion allows it to provide more services and to fully accommodate all available volunteer dentist hours.

Many patients' lives are transformed by the care they receive at the clinic. From the elderly couple who were gradually starving to death because they couldn’t chew solid food, to the 52-year-old man who had suffered a dental infection-induced heart attack, to the domestic violence victim who had most of her teeth kicked out by her abusive ex-husband, many patients arrive at the clinic in crisis. Most patients see the downward spiral of their lives reversed by the professional services and compassionate care the clinic provides.

SuN Grants AwardedCFWNC offers Janirve Sudden and Urgent Need (SUN) grants of up to $10,000 to assist nonprofits experiencing an unforeseen crisis that impacts their ability to continue to provide critical services. Recent grants of $54,483 included repairing a freezer for ReCreation Experiences Mission and Ministries, funding necessary repairs to a homeless shelter for McDowell Mission Ministries, purchasing a new cooler and paying for roof repairs for Gods Way Fellowship Food Pantry serving Transylvania, Jackson and Haywood counties and repairing a truck for The Outreach Center in Burke County. Applications for SUN grants are accepted on a rolling basis.

2013 Melvin R. Lane Finalists SelectedThe Melvin R. Lane Fund makes grants of $150,000 over three years supporting collaborative approaches and capacity building for human service nonprofits. Letters of Intent from 44 nonprofits were submitted in December. In early January, the Lane advisory board selected twelve finalists and expects to fund five or six grants. The finalists are Avery County Habitat for Humanity, Black Mountain Pastoral Care & Counseling Center, Blue Ridge Literacy Council, Children First/Communities in Schools of Buncombe County, The Council on Aging of Buncombe County, The Free Clinics of Henderson County, Haywood Street Congregation, Homeward Bound of Asheville, Irene Wortham Center, Marketing Association for Rehabilitation Centers, The Mediation Center and The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Buncombe County.

All finalists benefit by participating in an assessment involving board members and executive directors. Each organization is assigned a consultant who compiles a report detailing organizational strengths, challenges and recommendations. The consulting process results in a full application to the Lane fund. Advisory board members review applications, conduct site visits and attend presentations to make final funding decisions. Funding decisions will be announced in July.

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At the end of January, CFWNC moved into new offices in the historic Biltmore School building. Purchasing office space was a strategic goal of the Foundation and helps to ensure our sustainability and future. These offices include room for growth and provide access and parking for all our constituents. We look forward to welcoming you here.

Generous donors and friends (listed on page 5) helped to make the purchase and renovation possible. Donations of $1,000 or more are acknowledged on beautiful ceramic tiles, created by Weaverville artist Kathy Triplett.

Work from other local artists enlivens the new space. Woodworker Lang Hornthal used wood salvaged from the building to create a beautiful reception desk. A painting by Dawn Rentz hangs in the Cooper Community Room under original restored light fixtures. A Bee Sieburg landscape pays tribute to Pat Smith’s tenure as president in the CFWNC Conference Room. And, gorgeous landscape photographs by Wes Harkins hang in the gallery, thanks to the support of Phyllis Penley Patton.

The building renovation was undertaken with sensitivity to the school’s history. Architect Alan McGuinn led the restoration. Local contractors Rick Grant, Allen Peele and Chris Smith of Beverly-Grant led the construction. The conversion upgraded all major systems including plumbing, electrical and high-efficiency HVAC, with the addition of fire protection, elevators and parking.

The beloved Biltmore School building, at 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, was completed in 1927. William H. Lord designed the 57,000 square-foot Classical Revival style structure and many private residences and public buildings in the area. In its earliest days, it housed Biltmore High School, Biltmore Elementary School and Buncombe County Junior College. Later, it served as office space for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and the 911 Call Center. It stood empty for more than a decade after the Sheriff’s Department vacated in late 1999.

CFWNC’s New Home

Renovation of the Biltmore School was led by Chris Smith of Beverly Grant and Alan McGuinn of ARCA Design, pictured with Intern Architect Megan McGuinn and Elizabeth Brazas.

CFWNC fundholders Ted and Terry Van Duyn with CFWNC Vice President for Programs Philip Belcher. Terry serves on the CFWNC Board and is a Women for Women member.

Phyllis Penley Patton with photographer Wes Harkins.Donor Relations Officer Spencer Butler and fundholder Chuck Cole.

Fundholder Ruth Barnhart with Candy Shivers, CFWNC Board Member and Development Committee Chair.

C F W N C N E W S

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A Bee Sieburg painting honors Pat Smith’s tenure at CFWNC. Left to right: Elizabeth Brazas, Pat Smith, CFWNC Board Chair Ernest Ferguson.

Photos by Michael Oppenheim.

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Waynesville artist Kathy Triplett created CFWNC’s custom donor wall recognizing contributions of $1,000 and more.

Don and Lisbeth Cooper and Elizabeth Brazas. Lisbeth is a Women for Women member and Don is a former CFWNC Board Member. The large conference room is named in their honor, recognizing their work in the community and support of CFWNC.

Joel & Marla AdamsMaurean Adams John & Annie Ager, honoring James & Elizabeth McClure, James & Elspeth ClarkeBlan & Kay Aldridge Louise Baker Dr. Luther Barnhardt, in honor of his wife Ruth W. BarnhardtGeorge & Sandra BeverlyTom & Betsy BoltonBoys Arnold Charitable Fund, honoring Waring Boys Brazas Family Ellen Burgin Jones & Sandra ByrdPhil & Ruth CarsonBill & Mimi CecilCFWNC StaffChuck Cole, in memory of Nancy Yeager Cole Don & Lisbeth CooperRebecca Cross Rosemary & Jerry Crow, honoring Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Crow Paul (Bubba) & Susan CrutchfieldCharlie & Jeanne CummingsCarol & Bob Deutsch, in honor of CFWNC Staff & BoardJennie Eblen & Rick PerkinsIris & Durward Everett Charitable FundErnest & Shirley FergusonTom & Kay FingerJohn & Amy FlemingCharles & Sandy FrederickJeff & Barbara GouldHowell & Beverly Hammond Darryl Hart, in memory of Louise and Osborne HartJohn Hickman, in honor of William P. Hickman & his descendantsThe A.C. Honeycutt FamilyKen HughesStell Huie Janirve Foundation John Kelso Barry Kempson Art Kiser William & Barbara LewinThe LitzenbergersWood Lovell

Greg Lucas, in loving memory of Daniel James Lucas Charlotte Lunsford Berry, in memory of Dr. Lewis Lunsford, Jr.John & Dee MasonThe McClinton FamilyHugh & Carol McCollumCharlie & Shirley Anne McCulloughTina McGuire, in honor of CFWNCRay & Diane McPhailStephen P. & Deborah L. MillerCharlie & Cary OwenCharlie & Eleanor OwenPhyllis Penley PattonLowell Pearlman Bob Peterson, in memory of Myron C. Peterson Doris Phillips Loomis, in memory of Ruth PaddisonChuck & Dini PickeringJim & Bitsy PowellWinston PulliamMaloy Rash Sally Rhoades, in fond memory of Ray Hust & Maury WingerCharlie & Ramona RoweGeorge W. SaengerLary & Jan SchulhofAl & Candy ShiversPhil & Pat Smith, in honor of CFWNC’s wonderful staffRay Spells, in memory of Ned S. DornWorth, Hart & Mark Squires, in memory of Chick & ElizabethJack & Cissie StevensJim & Robin StickneyJerry Stone William C. SwordMike & Lynne TannerEd & Cindy TowsonPam Turner Ted & Terry Van DuynLaura Webb & John HoskinsLarry Weiss John & Cindy WinkenwerderWomen for WomenStephen Woody Diana Gayle Wortham

Building Fund Donors

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G I v I N G B A C k

IRA Assets are Great for Giving With IRA assets, there are ways to make gifts now as well as strategies to consider for the future. Some options are outlined here, and we hope you will contact Sheryl Aikman (aikman@cfwnc.org) or Becky Davis (bdavis@cfwnc.org) in CFWNC’s development office to learn more about giving options for your situation.

IRA RolloverIn 2013, donors age 70½ and older can make cash gifts of up to $100,000 from an IRA (up to $200,000 for a couple with separate accounts) without paying federal income tax on the transfer. IRA rollover gifts count towards your 2013 required minimum distribution amount (RMD). Giving directly from your IRA may be a sound strategy if you:•  support several charities on an annual basis, and expect to continue this

support•  do not itemize deductions on your tax return•  are already giving 50% of adjusted gross income to charity, OR •  are subject to phased out exemptions because of your income level.

Although rollover contributions cannot be made into donor advised funds, CFWNC can help you meet your charitable goals using IRA assets in many ways:•  Designated Fund: Support one or more specific organizations, such as

a nonprofit group, school or congregation, specified when the fund is established. This type of fund may be endowed or assets may be spent down over time.

•  Field-of-Interest Funds: Endow a fund to support a broad charitable purpose or category of interest, such as people in need, women and girls or one of CFWNC’s geographic affiliates.

•  Scholarship Funds: Establish an endowed scholarship fund with a minimum gift of $100,000. You determine the criteria used to select scholarship recipients, a committee recommends recipients and CFWNC handles administration of the award.

IRA Bequest A bequest of some or all of your IRA is an easy way to make a future charitable gift, executed with a simple change to your beneficiary designation form. In a taxable estate, your gift will qualify for an estate tax charitable deduction. If your estate falls below the tax threshold, a bequest of IRA assets helps secure your charitable legacy without any change to your current assets or future lifestyle.

IRA Contingent Beneficiary BequestYou can designate a charity as a contingent beneficiary of your IRA. Many individuals choose children as primary beneficiaries of IRAs. A contingent beneficiary receives assets only if children are not able or choose to disclaim their portion.

IRA to a Charitable Remainder unitrust (CRT) or Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA)In some situations, transferring an IRA at death to a CRT or CGA may be a more effective way to provide continued income to a surviving spouse, child or loved one.

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Late last year, The McDowell Foundation received a bequest that doubles the permanently endowed assets available for grants to benefit McDowell County. The generous gift comes from the estate of Nancy Greenlee, a longtime resident who had deep roots in McDowell County and wanted to support the region in perpetuity. The funds from the Greenlee estate mean that The McDowell Foundation can make approximately $14,000 in additional grants annually, beginning this year.

Greenlee served on The McDowell Foundation Board from 2002 to 2007. She worked with her advisors to plan her legacy in 2003. At that time, she created the Greenlee Family Fund, advised by The McDowell Foundation Board. She also perpetuated her name and legacy of caring by creating the Quaker Meadow Cemetery Fund benefitting the Historic Burke Foundation and the Hillary Animal Fund to support the McDowell County Animal Shelter.

“We are delighted that Ms. Greenlee chose to remember McDowell County in this way,” said Board Chair Laura Dover Doran. “We don’t know what changes will take place in our community in a decade or a generation, but thanks to generous people who care about McDowell County, we are building permanent resources to help meet needs, now and in the future.”

Like other affiliates, The McDowell Foundation is an endowed fund designed to meet changing needs in a specific community. Every gift is added to the principal to be preserved and invested; returns are used to support nonprofits. Since 1995, The McDowell Foundation, in partnership with The Community Foundation, has awarded 72 grants totaling $593,897 to 39 organizations.

The McDowell Foundation Announces Major Gift A F F I L I AT E N E W S

Are YOU

Older then 70 1/2?

Do you have an IRA?

In 2013, would you like up to $100,000

to go to charity, count as RMD* and

not count as INCOME?

Contact CFWNC We can help!

YES

YES

YES

*Required minimum distribution.

P R E S E R v I N G N AT u R A L A N D C u LT u R A L R E S O u R C E S F O C u S A R E A

Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources Grant Supports HandMade in America

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Other Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources grants this year include:•  $50,000 to the WNC Nature Center to fund interpretive enhancements to the red wolf exhibit

and build a covered pavilion, two priority projects in the 2020 Vision and Master Site Plan for the beloved Asheville nature park that serves the region.

•  $4,000 grant to the Mountain Resources Commission to aid in the distribution of the WNC Vitality Index, which uses 160 statistical metrics to measure the environmental, economic, social and built characteristics of North Carolina’s western counties.

In September, CFWNC awarded a $75,000 Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources Focus Area grant to HandMade in America (HIA). The funds are earmarked for the enhancement and expansion of HIA’s Small Towns Revitalization program for rural communities and allowed the nonprofit to create a new position to build on its 19-year history of community economic development.

Western North Carolina’s small towns contribute significantly to our culture, but in many cases these towns are also where unemployment and poverty levels are the greatest. HIA’s community economic development model builds a strong framework for communities to tackle future development projects and build long-term commitment for involvement and mobilization. The Small Town Revitalization Program now serves 14 rural communities, with the recent addition of Columbus, NC, the first town added to the program since 2008.

Initial steps for Columbus, the county seat of Polk County, include identifying a steering committee and completing a community assessment. HIA staff is working with leaders in Columbus to undertake the crucial assessment process in May, which will lead to the development of a work plan. The plan will help the town develop a cohesive community development strategy.

Columbus’ historic downtown, founded in 1855, is home to a beautiful courthouse built in 1857, one of the oldest functioning courthouses in the state and the oldest in Western North Carolina. A variety of local businesses, including several restaurants, the Flower Cottage and an antique shop, are located downtown, and Columbus benefits from its proximity to natural amenities, including scenic drives, waterfalls and the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

“Our investment in HandMade is about creating opportunities and recognizing the distinctive assets and potential of many small communities in Western North Carolina,” said CFWNC President Elizabeth Brazas. “We strive to be truly regional in our focus areas.

HandMade has a track record that makes it an ideal partner in our effort to attract other funds, build communities and drive revitalization.”

HandMade has been a leader and innovator in creative placemaking and asset-based economic development in Western North Carolina since 1993. A focus on leadership development and planning will help small communities access opportunities for funding from sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the NC Arts Council and the NC Rural Center, among others.

Philip Belcher continued from page 1

Combining all of the philanthropic dollars in North Carolina would comprise only a fraction of the investment that must be made in our children if we are to improve their quality of life. Therefore, public investment is an economic, social and moral imperative.

Evidence-based approaches, proven to be effective, are widely known. Practitioners know how to address poor developmental outcomes. What is required is capturing imaginations so people demand that public resources be devoted to early childhood development. Our recent investment of $65,000 in the North Carolina Partnership for Children’s Champions for Children effort is one example of how we are raising public awareness in our region.

In a day when measurable results—often quick ones—are demanded, the generally slow work of advocacy and policy change may seem out of step. In words attributed to the late South Carolina industrialist and philanthropist Roger Milliken, “if you’re not measuring, you’re just practicing.” Measuring the effectiveness of advocacy, especially in the short term, is almost as difficult as proving prevention. At CFWNC, we are working to find ways to ensure that our investments are making a difference in the lives of young children. As complex as this work is, we know that our impact can be magnified by continued co-investment by fundholders, new donors and other investors. ECD is a big issue that affects all of us—now and in the future.

If you are interested in investing in or learning more about our early childhood development work, contact us at info@cfwnc.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Downtown Columbus, NC. Photo courtesy of Town of Columbus.

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Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations

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Board of Directors 2012-2013

P O W E R O F T h E P u R S E

CFWNCPhone: 828-254-4960 | Fax: 828-251-2258 | www.cfwnc.org

Our AffiliatesBlack Mountain-Swananoa Valley FoundationCashiers Community FundThe Fund for Haywood CountyHighlands Community FoundationThe McDowell FoundationFoundation for Mitchell CountyRutherford County FoundationTransylvania EndowmentYancey Foundation

OfficersErnest E. Ferguson, Chair James W. Stickney, IV, Vice-ChairTerry Van Duyn, Secretary G. Edward Towson, Treasurer

Board Members

Executive StaffSheryl Aikman, Vice President, Development Philip Belcher, Vice President, Programs Elizabeth Brazas, PresidentLindsay Hearn, Communications DirectorGraham Keever, Chief Financial Officer

Marla Adams Maurean B. Adams Louise W. BakerDavid S. DimlingJennie EblenThomas Lee FingerJohn N. Fleming

Charles FrederickHowell A. HammondDarryl HartA.C. Honeycutt, Jr.John G. KelsoVirginia LitzenbergerT. Wood Lovell

Tina McGuireLowell R. PearlmanRamona C. RoweGeorge W. SaengerAnna S. (Candy) ShiversJerry StoneLaurence Weiss

4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300Asheville, NC 28803

Return Service Requested

Anna Deavere Smith to Perform at Power of the PurseAward-winning playwright, actor and professor Anna Deavere Smith will perform at the sold-out 2013 Power of the Purse luncheon on Thursday, May 23, at the Crowne Plaza in Asheville. The afternoon includes the announcement of the 2013 grants from the Women for Women giving circle.

Smith writes and performs one-woman, multi-character plays exploring issues of community, character and diversity in America. She is the 2013 winner of the prestigious Lillian Gish Prize and was declared “the most exciting individual in American theatre” by Newsweek magazine. The prestigious MacArthur Foundation awarded Smith the “Genius” Fellowship for creating “a new form of theatre — a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie.” Interviewing subjects from all walks of life, Smith recreates their words in her performances, transforming herself into an astonishing number of characters.

Smith also appears as Mrs. Akalitus on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie. Her television credits also include The West Wing and All My Children. She has appeared in films including Rachel Getting Married, Philadelphia and The American President.

Proceeds benefit The Women’s Fund, a permanent endowment of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina that supports the unmet needs of women and girls across the region. Income from The Women’s Fund is granted through the Women for Women grant program.

Anna Deavere Smith

Ramble Run Benefits CFWNC’s Women’s FundOn May 11, 2013 (Mother’s Day Weekend), runners and walkers will participate in the 3rd annual Ramble Run at Biltmore Park presented by Mission Health. The race is organized by the Asheville Track Club and offers 12K and 5K routes. Starting and finishing at Biltmore Park® Town Square and running through The Ramble® Biltmore Forest, both races are scenic and enjoyable, yet challenging. One runner described it as “running on the Blue Ridge Parkway without the cars.”

The Ramble Run offers mother/child teams, cash prizes, free childcare, a kids’ fun run and fabulous pre and post-race festivities. Online registration ends at midnight on Thursday, May 9. On-site registration takes place Friday, May 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. and on race morning from 6 to 7:30 a.m. For information, to register or to volunteer, visit www.ramblerun.com.

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