When the Madison County Community Foundation took over as advisor for the Fran’s Helping Hand Endowment, MCCF advisory board president Bud Christman had no idea who created the fund.

But when Christman learned the “Fran” behind the fund was the late Frances Sue Fitzgerald, he got “a really warm feeling.”

Christman knew Fitzgerald as a respected Madison County resident he once worked with at Mars Hill University. “Sue was iconic to Mars Hill,” he said. “She never went by ‘Frances.’ Everybody at Mars Hill knew her as Sue Fitzgerald. Reverend Dr. Sue Fitzgerald.”

Fitzgerald did not intend to become an ordained minister, but she was so involved at Mars Hill Baptist Church, she accepted the church leadership’s request to ordain her in 1973. “Big picture, she was involved in church relations,” said Christman. “She provided additional training for many local ministers.  She even converted her garage into a resource library for those in ministry.”

Fitzgerald started the Fran’s Helping Hand Endowment with the North Carolina Community Foundation in 2002. The fund has distributed 23 grants to nonprofits like Neighbors in Need, Inc., Mars Hill University and multiple Baptist churches.

“Aunt Sue was frugal in spending for herself but generous when supporting causes she believed in,” said Ann Brown, Fitzgerald’s niece. “She was especially supportive of education, women in ministry, helping people who were in need, and advocating for those who faced any kind of discrimination. Her support went beyond financial, as she spent her life finding all kinds of creative ways to minister in her community and beyond.”

Consistent with her nature, Fitzgerald remained an anonymous fund advisor until she passed away in 2024 at age 93. “She never made it about her,” said Christman.

To support her community beyond her lifetime, Fitzgerald set up a succession plan for the Madison County Community Foundation, an NCCF affiliate, to advise the Fran’s Helping Hand Endowment and continue to make grants from the fund. The fund will continue to be invested and a portion of the earnings will be granted out annually by MCCF, making it a permanent community asset.

In November, the MCCF board used endowment money to award grants of $2,765 to Beacon of Hope and Community Housing Coalition of Madison County based on their response to Hurricane Helene.

“We quickly put these funds to work, addressing the urgent home repair needs of our neighbors in Madison County, as the need has skyrocketed in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation,” said Chris Watson, executive director of the Community Housing Coalition of Madison County. “The generous support of Fran’s Helping Hand Fund is making a real difference in the lives of our Madison County community as we work together to get folks safely back in their homes.”

More help is on the way for western North Carolina through the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund, which supports long-term recovery and unmet needs in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The fund will begin awarding grants to organizations serving impacted communities like Madison County in early 2025.

“From our perspective, with NCCF, where we can make an impact is with helping these organizations sustain themselves,” said Christman, who believes reaching out to those most in need is what Fitzgerald had in mind when she created Fran’s Helping Hand. “Her heart’s desire was to make a meaningful impact on those people. She was a respected community servant.”

To learn more or support recovery in western NC, visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Helene.