Your Foundation. Your Future.

Transcription

1 Your Foundation. Your Future. Winter 2017 C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O N O F G A S T O N C O U N T Y A nnual Allen H. Sims Award Dinner The twenty-seventh annual Allen H. Sims Dinner was held in September. The 2016 recipient of the Allen H. Sims Award is Mr. Henry H. Massey, Jr. Community Foundation Board Chair, Julia M. Shovelin gave a status report to foundation donors and guests with highlights of the record setting charitable year. A video titled, The Power of Working Together was viewed as the program for the evening. The Massey family Henry H. Massey, Jr. Tim and Nancy Paschall, Janice Booth Carolyn and Bill Palmer participated in the program with son David Massey delivering the invocation, son James Massey and daughter Cynthia Gass presenting the award. The Varsity Choir from Stuart Cramer High School performed a musical number as entertainment. This was arranged as a tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Massey upon learning they first met when Henry was singing in a quartet that was visiting Lancaster, SC where Mrs. Massey was a student. The Stuart Cramer Varsity Choir did a wonderful rendition of I love you Truly a popular hit in the 50 s. Mr. Massey has a long history of community involvement and has improved the lives of many in our community. His work extends from schools and church to his dedication to the Mt. Holly Parks and Recreation Commission. Healthcare has been another area of focus for Mr. Massey exemplified by his service on the CaroMont Board and many other area nonprofits. Mr. Massey is most deserving of the Sims Award and exemplifies the Sims Award attitude: the selfless act of seeing a need and finding a solution, of caring for a community and making a difference. Henry Massey and Family Danny and Kay Jackson Community Foundation Public Service Announcement A s an introduction to the 2016 video produced for the CFGC Annual meeting, a public service announcement (PSA) was created as a reminder of the impact resulting when participating with the Community Foundation. A spoof on the ever popular advertising campaign used by Dos Equis (a malted beverage favorite for many) was filmed using one of our own as the actor playing the central role. Meet Robert Caldwell, our most interesting man in the world. As the script goes: When he sings, Crowders Mountain sways. If he visited Goat Island, there would actually be goats there. He knows the secret recipe for RO s slaw. He is the Most Interesting Man in the World. He then regales the audience by saying: I don t always give money through the Community Foundation. But when I do, it adds more impact. Remember, stay charitable my friends. Ring Stafford, Charlton Torrence Mr. Caldwell serves as an advisor to the First Gaston Foundation Fund and is a committee member of the Albert G. Myers Scholarship Fund. Thank you Robert Caldwell for your service to our community and for lending your acting talents to us all. Robert Caldwell

2 Teens Changing Gaston County O ver 30 students from Gaston County schools come together once per month to designate grants and learn from nonprofit leaders in our community. Visit us on Facebook for more photos and grant listings! Meet Erin Erin Cashwell, Community Foundation s Program Coordinator is a communications professional with a background in public relations, event planning, and experience working with both local and international non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Health Communications with a minor in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Erin comes to the Community Foundation of Gaston County after spending the last 2.5 years working in development, marketing, and community relations for Granville Health System and Granville Health System Foundation in Oxford, NC. Prior to that she served as a Public Information intern at Gaston County Department of Health & Human Services. As Program Coordinator, Erin will direct the RUN. Nonprofit Education T he Community Foundation s mission goes beyond connecting donors and community initiatives. The Foundation supports nonprofits in Gaston County through grants, the Community Foundation RUN and also serves as a resource to donors and organizations alike. One grant cycle that is unique to the Foundation is the Harold T. Sumner Professional Education Grant; which provides educational opportunities for nonprofits. The Foundation s Sumner Grant Committee voted to fund two workshops that were offered free to Gaston County nonprofits: Beyond the Grant (photos on right) and Sustainable Strategic Planning (photos on left). Beyond the Grant was held in February with 74 participants and Sustainable Strategic Planning was held in October with over 50 participants. The Sustainable Workshop allowed for a collaboration between the Foundation, Gaston Together and Habitat for Humanity. Scholarship Showcase T he Alfred W. Bohanan Scholarship is designed to help Gaston County students pursuing careers with Trade Degrees and who plan to attend Gaston College, Cleveland Community College, York Technical College, or Central Piedmont Community College. The recipients of this scholarship have proven academic achievement as well as, having been employed at least 20 hours per week while attending school. Daryl stated, "As I enter Gaston College this coming fall, I will strive to prove myself worthy of the Alfred W. Bohanan Scholarship. Your support of my education is greatly appreciated. Thank you again!" Daryl McNeill

3 Sims Dinner 2016 Ernest Sumner & Julie Shovelin Pam Warlick & Julie Shovelin Emily & Henry Massey (2016 recipient) Emily & Henry Massey (recipient), Stuart Cramer Choir Titus Greene and May Robinson Mildred Sadler, 2015 Sims Recipient Dr. and Mrs. Buddy Whitesides, Don Warren Terry and David Kenny Milinda and Paul Kirkpatrick David Massey Next Generation Fund "Before joining Next Gen, we sometimes wondered if our individual gifts were enough. As Next Gen members, we no longer question ourselves. Our giving is now accompanied by others in the circle and we know our group gifts are truly making an impact!" -Christa Heilig Next Generation Fund, Chair Save the Date for our next social: March 24th in the home of the Letts! For more information on joining the Next Gen Fund, please contact Elizabeth Patton. Wesley Styers & Lucy Penegar Next Generation BBQ Chad Melvin, Barbara Myers, Jennifer Melvin Leigh Spach, Pam Warlick, Jane Pearson, Mary Sumner, Nell Alala Marsh and Amy Spencer, Next Generation Fund Fall Social Hosts Elizabeth Patton, Victoria Fonde, Ernest Sumner, Ryan Schrift Joseph Patton, Christi & Jay Falls, Dr. Stephanie Hannon, Adam Kiker, Bill Faulk, Megan & Will Kieffer Chuck Niemeyer and Brian Adams Julie Shovelin & Katherine Sanders Matt & Rachel Stempler, Jamie Tsoulos, Will Jones Robert Browne, Marsh Spencer, Jason Rumfelt, Wayne Shovelin Brian and Neci Adams Lauren Shoemaker & Andrea Schrift Vincent & Tammy Cherry Emily Poag, Lewis Efird, Jason Sanders, Lee & Heather DuBois Important Dates for the Community Foundation RUN 2017 : February 2017 April 8, 2017 April 17, 2017 Foundation begins to accept donations / participant registration begins. Community Foundation RUN 2017, 9:00 AM Rotary Pavilion Downtown Gastonia Deadline for contributions

4 2016 Grant Highlights I n the spirit of the Twelve Days of Christmas, The Community Foundation of Gaston County celebrates eight days of grant making by highlighting the many ways unrestricted funds enable the care of our community. The grants committee of the Community Foundation of Gaston County reviewed and awarded 36 of 63 grants applied for via the annual competitive grant cycle. A complete list of grants and organizations receiving grants approved by the CFGC Board will be later published in the 2016 Annual Report. For the Eight Days of Grant making, here is how it went: 1 Nutcracker performance 2 passenger vans 3 Environmental grants 1 support for summer camp and 3 scholarship grants for youth 2 computer upgrades and 3 grants for food furniture, fitness equipment, BRODA chair, forklift, mechanical lift, wheelchair Educational programs/assistance Design plan, counselor, skill training, resource connection, marketing materials, transitional housing, child safety, and a multipurpose room Requests for over 1 million dollars in grants were submitted for review. Let us strive as a community to be able to fulfill more grant requests each year and get to twelve days of grant making! Did you know? The Schiele has over 100,000 visitors each year! Holy Angels: Operates 16 facilities Currently serving 94 children and adults Year Founded: Unrestricted Grant Recipients: Alliance for Children and Youth/Communities in Schools BackPack Weekend Food Program Belmont Abbey College Belmont Trolley, Inc. Bit of Hope Ranch Boys and Girls Club of Greater Gaston Camp Sertoma Catawba Lands Conservancy Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Christ Community Outreach Food Ministry Classroom Central Crisis Assistance Ministry DanceAbilities Academy Friends of Crowders Mountain Gaston College Foundation (Challenge Grant) Gaston County Family YMCA Gaston County Museum of Art and History Gaston County Public Library Gaston Hospice Gaston School of the Arts Gaston Skills Inc. Girls on the Run of Gaston County Historic Preservation Foundation of NC, Inc. Holy Angels House of Mercy Let Me Run of Gaston County Muscular Dystrophy Association Newspapers in Education The Gaston Gazette Off the Streets, Inc. Prevent Child Abuse Gaston Second Harvest Food Bank Shining Hope Farms S.O.C.K.S. Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium Voices for Kids With Friends

5 News from the Development Committee T he Development Committee at the Community Foundation is an active committee with individuals that remain focused on building awareness and participation. Much of the work accomplished by this committee is behind the scenes work and influences the key events held throughout the year such as the Annual Sims Dinner and the Continuing Education Event for professional advisors. In the last couple of years the committee has left its mark on some major changes. In 2014, Your Foundation launched a new website ( with easy to navigate tabs, a dedicated page for professional advisors and the ability David Ratchford, Development Chair to continually revise information. Feedback from donors, nonprofits, and information seekers has been positive with foundations around the country calling to inquire about the website design. In the same year, Run for the Money was renamed the Community Foundation RUN in an effort to eliminate any confusion as to the major sponsor of the event. The development committee recommended the name change for reasons concerning: the RUN s alignment with CFGC s mission statement, CFGC name recognition, and simplicity in determining a source of information. During this time a new logo for CFGC was designed by a subcommittee of the Development Committee with the tag line of Your Foundation Your Future. The new logo incorporated a bright green to denote the vitality of a growing foundation and the tag line promotes community involvement as well as impact the work of the foundation manifests. In 2015, the Development Committee recommended CFGC host a special event for all previous and active CFGC Directors. This event was held at the Separk Mansion and was very well attended. In an effort to continue the important work and increase membership in the Next Generation Fund, the Development Committee recommended a rebrand to include re-defining the profile of the Next Gen Fund member. This effort has expanded participation and has led to more community involvement. The implementation of an idea to better include all of Gaston County in the grant process came out of the Development Committee with the recommendation to establish three community impact funds in three respective cities: Belmont, Cherryville and Mount Holly. These three funds have individual boards to recommend grants for their specific cities and surrounding area. This year, the Development Committee, led by David Ratchford, has continued to meet monthly and brainstorm about ways to continue growth at Your Foundation. Mr. Ratchford plans to lead a focus group for Directors the first of the year with strategic planning in mind. Investment Consulting P rotecting and investing the funds and endowments included in the collective investment pool of the Community Foundation of Gaston County is serious business. So much so that in 2005 the Board of the Community Foundation decided the assets of the Foundation had grown to a degree requiring full time professional investment consulting. Today, an Investment Committee at CFGC works with Alex. Brown, a division of Raymond James to responsibly fulfill investment needs to meet the complex financial requirements of the Foundation. The capable investment team from Alex. Brown regularly meets with the members of the Investment Committee to customize unique solutions and to analyze the goals and risk tolerance put in place by the Board. In addition to scheduled meetings, Alex. Brown team member, Jason Zaks, is ready at the call for meetings with agency fund holders, private foundations, potential fund holders or any others interested in the handling of investments at the Community Foundation. Alex.Brown Team The working relationship between the Investment Committee and the Alex. Brown team has been a successful one. The Community Foundation of Gaston County benefits from the collective experience of the Alex. Brown team and the ongoing communication and strong tradition of meeting investment needs. A special thank you should also be offered to your Foundation Investment Committee for the hours involved in their due diligence in reviewing market summaries, performance summaries and recommendations. The Committee is chaired by Gene Matthews and other committee members are Bill Carstarphen, Rick Craig, Tim Efird, Rob Pearson, Kim Price, Julia Shovelin and Charlton Torrence.

6 New Board Members of the Foundation Christa H. Heilig is a licensed realtor, dedicated wife and mother of two school aged children. Christa and her husband, Charles are fund holders at the Community Foundation and have been instrumental in continuing the success of the Next Generation Fund at CFGC. As Chair of the Next Gen Fund, Christa represents the Fund on the CFGC Board and currently serves on the Development Committee. The Heiligs are members of Lutheran Chapel Church. Nancy B. Paschall, local attorney with Mullen Holland & Cooper, P.A. has a history of community involvement. Ms. Paschall currently serves on the Boards of Catawba Lands and Covenant Village. She is a past Chair of the United Way and the Gaston Chamber. Nancy and her husband Tim have two grown daughters and are members of First Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Paschall are fund holders and participate at the Foundation. Nancy will join the CFGC Board and will lend her many talents to the Grants Committee. Fred A. Jackson retired as CEO of American Efird in September of 2015 and remains the Non- Executive Chair of the Board at A&E. Mr. Jackson will join the CFGC Board and will serve on the Investment Committee. The Jackson family has supported the Community Foundation as participants and fund holders. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson are members of First United Methodist Church. May Gray Robinson will join the CFGC Board and the Grants Committee. Ms. Robinson is widely known for her real-estate expertise and service to the Gaston County School Board for many years. She is currently serving as a Trustee at Gaston College. May and her husband, Royce have three adult children and are members of First United Methodist Church. The Robinsons have been supporters and are fund holders of the Community Foundation. Charlton K. Torrence, Jr. serves as an advisor to the First Gaston Foundation Fund and is a committee member of the Albert G. Myers Scholarship Fund. Mr. Torrence has been very active for many years in supporting nonprofits in our community including the Schiele Museum, DSBG, CAM and Potter s House. Mr. Torrence has been a CFGC fund holder since 1993 and supporter of the Foundation. He is the father of Ring Torrence Stafford, Catherine T. Giles and Charlton Torrence III and is a member of First Presbyterian Church. Board of Directors Incoming Chair Richard K. Craig Incoming Vice Chair Timothy Efird Secretary/Treasurer William P. Carstarphen Board Members 2017 May C. Barger Robert S. Browne Christa H. Heilig Dr. Ben Hinton Fred A. Jackson Steven D. Long Community Foundation of Gaston County PO Box E. Garrison Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28053/ Anderson D. Warlick is currently the Vice-Chair and CEO of Parkdale Mills, the leading manufacturer of spun yarns. Mr. Warlick and his wife, Pam, have been leaders in philanthropy in Gaston County participating in many areas of impact including the Community Foundation. Mr. Warlick will join the CFGC Board and the Investment Committee. The Warlicks have two adult children and three grandchildren. The Warlicks are members of First Presbyterian Church. Gene R. Matthews, II Vann M. Matthews, II Laurie C. Ness Nancy Paschall Robert S. Pearson David R. Ratchford May Gray Robinson Erin Cashwell, Programs Coordinator Nina Greene, First Gaston Foundation Fund & Albert G. Myers Scholarship Coordinator Angela Micalizzi, Financial Coordinator Your Foundation Staff Arthur M. Spencer, IV Ronald M. Sytz Charlton K. Torrence, Jr. Anderson D. Warlick Dr. Johnathan D. Williams Past Chair, Julia M. Shovelin Legal Counsel, Dan J. Kersh Elizabeth Patton, Grants & Scholarships Coordinator Janet Spencer, Donor Development Coordinator Ernest Sumner, President