Community Foundation of Davie County Awards Grants

The Community Foundation of Davie County announced its first round of grant awards from unsolicited requests in May. These awards were selected by the Grant Distribution Committee from proposals submitted in what will now be an annual grant cycle with a March 1^st deadline.

The focus for 2005 grants was youth and/or literacy projects. “The Community Foundation chose these two focus areas because issues were consistently raised in both of these areas in community surveys and interviews,” said Jane Simpson, Community Foundation president. “This focus can and will change in future grant cycles. One of the important aspects of any community foundation is its ability to change as community needs change. This will be very important in twenty, or thirty, or fifty years from now. We do not know what issues Davie County will face in the future. The only thing we do know for sure is that they will be different than they are today.”

Grant dollars were awarded from the Community Unrestricted Fund, the Abe and Miriam Brenner Unrestricted Fund, and “Let Your Money Talk” funds contributed at the end of 2004. “We are pleased to make our first round of grants,” said Simpson. “We know that this is the beginning of continued support for projects within the county. We look forward to the day when the Foundation can award even greater dollars for community causes. We continue to work to grow the endowment, especially unrestricted dollars. As the endowment grows, so do the funds available for Davie County.”

The following five awards were made to organizations for projects impacting youth and/or literacy in Davie County:

Big Brothers Big Sisters – Big Buddy Program – Matches volunteers with elementary children during the 2005-2006 school year. $3,500

YMCA – Davie County Literacy Initiative – Trains volunteers to work one-on-one with adult non-readers in a comfortable setting to improve their ability to read. $3,000

Davie County Public Library – Youth Advisory & Book Review Board – Purchase books for teens, meeting expenses & guest speaker honorariums. $2,375

Cooleemee Elementary School – “Fishing for Knowledge” – purchase books for elementary children summer reading program. $2,000

Community Foundation of Davie County – Youth Grants Board – empowers young people to address issues affecting young people in their community. $1,200

(Total funds available for granting by Youth Grants Board in 2005 will be $5,000)

“It was a difficult decision for the Grant Distribution Committee. All of the requests were important, but in the end I think all of the committee agreed these five grants were the best use of our limited dollars,” said Sally Smith committee chairperson. Based upon their unanimous approval, our board of directors obviously agreed with the recommendation of the committee.”

The Community Foundation of Davie County, Inc. “serves to provide pathways for caring people to leave a legacy that will shape the future of our community.” We “Connect People who Care with Causes they Care About.” The Community Foundation works to promote a spirit of giving in our community and build a permanent endowment that is invested eternally. Earnings from the endowment will benefit Davie County charities and projects that are important to you forever. The Community Foundation accepts gifts in any amount, at any time, toward its Community Scholarship Fund and its Community Unrestricted Fund. A variety of options for establishment of named funds in honor or memory of loved ones is also available. To learn more about The Community Foundation of Davie County, Inc. contact Jane Simpson at (336) 753-6903 or jsimpson@daviefoundation.org or visit the Foundation web-site at www.daviefoundation.org