One of the most important goals of a community foundation is to create and build a permanent endowment to fund local grantmaking. These grantmaking funds allow the community foundation to serve as a local resource for meeting current and future needs.

The NCCF is proud of the resources we’ve introduced in the form of unrestricted funds in communities served by affiliate foundations across the state. And we’re excited to bring back the Chairman’s Challenge for the second year in a row to help build these funds.

Again we must thank the generosity of anonymous donors who have allowed us to apply a challenge match for funds that participating affiliate advisory boards raise for their local unrestricted endowments during November. NCCF so far has $125,000 to utilize as a match for funds that each affiliate develops. That means that every gift made to a participating local affiliate’s community grantmaking fund between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30 will receive a proportional share of the challenge match grant. 

NCCF Development Vice President Beth Boney Jenkins is excited about the statewide campaign again in 2014. “Last year we were just delighted by the response and generosity of so many donors who appreciated the opportunity to stretch their charitable dollars,” she said. “We’re optimistic about the outcome again this year.”

We invite you to look for ways to become involved and support the community grantmaking fund held by the participating affiliate foundation where you live, like to vacation or want to support. (A list of participating affiliate foundations is below.)

How can you support the Chairman’s Challenge?

Many residents in areas served by an NCCF affiliate foundation will receive letters or emails about the campaign. Local news and social media may also carry information. You can give online here. Or those who prefer to write a check can send it to NCCF’s Chairman’s Challenge, 4601 Six Forks Road, Suite 524, Raleigh, NC 27609. Please note the affiliate you are supporting in the memo line.

Why is this important?

Last year we created a list to remind you why NCCF affiliates’ grantmaking funds are such important resources in local communities throughout the state, and we repost it here:

• Local dollars stay local. All contributions to an affiliate’s community grantmaking fund support that community’s needs and opportunities.


• These hard-working charitable tools make it easy for donors to have an impact on very specific needs in their communities.


• The people who know a community best – our affiliate board members – decide how these grants will be allocated, working to best leverage resources to meet local needs.


• Community endowments help to capture the collective power of local donors working together to address local concerns.


• Community grantmaking funds also help to ensure that affiliate foundations have a strong voice in their own communities.


• These funds provide a perfect way for residents to leave legacies in the communities they care about.


• Helping your community’s local grantmaking capacity grow gives you an opportunity to help build long-term sustainability and to effect real change.

NCCF CEO Jennifer Tolle Whiteside was impressed by last year’s response to the campaign and said she looks forward to partnering with our affiliates to once again increase dollars available for local grants in communities across North Carolina. “The generosity of our donors, our friends and our state’s residents is impressive and moving to me,” she said. “We always seem to rise to any challenge that supports our state’s needs.”

Alleghany Ashe Avery Brunswick Beaufort-Hyde Bertie-Hertford Carteret Cary Catawba Valley Cherokee Chowan Clay Columbus Craven Currituck-Dare Duplin Eastern Band Edgecombe Franklin Graham Greene Haywood Harnett Hoke

Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Macon Madison Martin Montgomery Moore New Hanover Northern Albemarle Onslow Pamlico Randolph Robeson  Rockingham Swain Wake Warren Watauga Wayne Wilson Wilkes Yadkin