Search Through Winston Salem Grants for Nonprofits in North Carolina

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

First Horizon Foundation invests in communities in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Foundation is the private charitable foundation established by First Horizon National Corp., the parent company of Capital Bank and First Tennessee Bank. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has donated more than $90 million to meet needs and enrich lives of people in the communities we serve.

Contributions from the Foundation include the following areas:

• Arts and Culture
• Education & Leadership
• Environment
• Financial Literacy
• Health & Human Services

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Impact Investing

Impact investing allocates a portion of the Foundation's endowments to make strategic financial investments in businesses and organizations working for social change in Forsyth County.

Unlike traditional grantmaking, these local impact investments generate not only a social return, but also a financial return that can be reinvested in the community. This program complements and augments the Foundation’s work to build an inclusive economy. 

Our Investing Approach

Our impact investing approach integrates both a place-based lens and a racial equity lens. As an organization deeply rooted in Winston-Salem, we have extensive knowledge of community issues. This enables us to actively support initiatives that will lead to greater economic mobility for local residents.

We also recognize that many of our community members have long been denied access to resources and opportunities based solely on their race. For decades, public and private institutions have perpetuated discriminatory policies and disinvested in Black and Brown neighborhoods. This history continues to exacerbate the racial wealth gap in our community today. Read more about redlining in our Community Matters blog post.

Through this work, we’re serving as a catalyst for change by investing in projects that will primarily benefit communities of color, while mobilizing additional capital and taking meaningful steps to reverse racial inequities. Our role goes beyond financial support; it’s about sparking systemic change and fostering a more just and prosperous future for all.

Guiding Principles

The Foundation seeks and makes investments in enterprises and economic opportunities that:

• build the civic, social, and financial capital of communities of color
• support ownership and governance by communities of color
• are focused in Forsyth County and/or significantly benefit the population in Forsyth County
• provide investment growth that can be used to support the Foundation’s grantmaking  

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

At TE Connectivity (TE), our goal is to have a meaningful impact in the communities where we live and work. Organizations may request funding from TE Connectivity. 

TE evaluates proposals based on the following criteria, among other factors:

• Alignment with TE Connectivity purpose and values.
• Alignment with community giving focus areas of
• Education and technology OR
• Health and human services.
• Opportunities for employee engagement.
• Proximity to a TE facility.

In the US, TE Operates the following Ambassadors Programs: 

• Akron, OH
• Andover MN
• Ashaway RI
• Berwyn PA
• Culpeper VA
• Fairview NC
• Fuquay-Varina NC
• Hampton VA
• Harrisburg/Middletown/Tower City/Mechanicsburg PA
• Hemet CA
• Kettering/Mundelein OH
• Landisville PA
• Lickdale PA
• Mansfield OH
• Menlo Park/Redwood City/Fremont CA
• Mount Joy/Manheim PA
• Plymouth/Eden Prarie MN
• Troy MI
• Tualatin OR
• Tullahoma TN
• Waynesboro PA
• Wilsonville OR
• Winston-Salem/Greensboro NC

Outside the US, TE Operates the following Ambassadors Programs:

• Australia
• Bangalore/Pune
• Basel
• Bensheim
• Bioggio
• Blomsterdalen
• Braganca Paulista
• Brno/Kurim
• Bydgoszcz
• Castletroy Limerick/Cork/County Clare
• Chengdu (Sensor)
• Ciudad Juarez
• Collegno Torino
• Costa Rica
• Darmstadt
• Den Bosch
• Dinkelsbuhl
• Dongguan (Data & Devices)
• Dortmund
• East Sussex/Hastings
• Empalme (Auto)
• Empalme (Medical)
• Essex
• Esztergom
• Evora
• Evreux/Dreux
• Galway
• Gevrey-Chambertin
• Great Yarmouth
• Gyeongsan
• Hermosillo (ADM)
• Hermosillo (Automotive)
• Hermosillo (DnD)
• Hermosillo (Industrial)
• Hong Kong
• Ivanko-Frankivsk
• Juarez Chihuahua
• Kakegawa/Shizuoka/Osak
• Kunshan (ADM)
• Kunshan (Energy)
• Lemans
• Markham
• Montcada
• New Zealand
• Niederwinkling
• Oostkamp
• Ottobrunn
• Pointoise/Les Claves Sous-Bois/Fonteney Tresigny
• Qingdao (Appliances)
• Qingdao (Data & Devices)
• San Salvo
• Schaffhausen
• Shanghai (Corporate)
• Shanghai (Data & Devices)
• Shanghai Raychem Cables (Appliances)
• Shenzhen (Appliances)
• Shenzhen (Sensor)
• Shunde (Data & Devices)
• Singapore (Cregana)
• Singapore (TE HQ)
• Speyer
• Steinach
• Suzhou (Automotive)
• Suzhou (Industrial)
• Suzhou (Medical)
• Swindon
• Taiwan
• Tangier
• Tecate
• Thailand (Automotive)
• Thailand (Sensors)
• Tijuana
• Tijuana Baja
• Tlalnepantla (Mexico City)
• Toulouse
• Trutnov (2 sites)
• Turkey
• Waidhofen
• Woert
• Wohlen/Rotkreuz/Au
• Xiamen (Industrial)
• Zhuhai (Data & Devices)

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Mission & History

Why Black Philanthropy?

Racial inequities exist in all our systems, including criminal justice, health, housing, wages, and education, and they continue to disproportionately affect Black people in Forsyth County.

BPI is a 100% Black-led initiative of The Winston-Salem Foundation that is explicitly, not exclusively, focused on grantmaking and programming that strengthens our local Black communities. By joining together with people from all walks of life in Forsyth County, we work to educate and effect change to build a better future for Black people, their families, and their communities.

Our History

Since 2003, BPI has built on a generous and deep legacy of philanthropy in Winston-Salem’s Black communities. Learn more about our history, how we got started, and the exciting growth we’ve experienced.

Our Mission

The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) engages people to invest their time, talent, and treasure to strengthen and support Black communities in Forsyth County.

What We Do

• Black Philanthropy: Building on strong giving traditions and investing collective time, talent, and treasure to strengthen Black communities in Forsyth County.
• Targeted Grantmaking: Providing grants to local nonprofits and organizations to advance economic and educational equity with an explicit focus on Black individuals and communities.
• Research + Advocacy: Coming together as a community to discuss systemic barriers, both current and historical, that stand in the way of and deny Black community members the resources they need to build a better future.

Impact Grants

BPI’s Impact Grants are investments in local programs, projects, and initiatives that build better futures and strengthen Black communities in Forsyth County. This program is specifically designed to invest in Black-led groups with annual budgets of less than $150,000 because smaller organizations are often overburdened with strenuous grant applications and left out of traditional grantmaking opportunities.

Our streamlined application process includes a short video submission. Though budgets may be smaller, we recognize that these small organizations consistently go above and beyond in how they show up for their community.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines and information.

Funding

Organizations may apply for grants of up to $1,000.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Winston-Salem Foundation - What We Do

• Community Investment: We offer proactive and responsive grantmaking and we build deep community partnerships to strengthen Forsyth County.
• Philanthropic Services: We partner with generous community members to make impactful and lasting gifts, both locally and beyond.
• Student Aid: We provide scholarships to local students in their quest for higher education.
• Strategic Initiatives: We amplify the voices and collective impact of local youth, women and girls, and Black communities.

Capital Improvement Grants

Capital Improvement Grants support time-limited projects for nonprofits in Forsyth County, North Carolina to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets (such as property, buildings, technology, or equipment). This program provides grants of up to $25,000.

Organizations may have only one funded Capital Improvement Grant open at a time. (However, they may have concurrent funding open for Capacity-Building Grants, Small Grants, Focus Area Investments, and/or Strategic Initiative Grants.)

Organizations that have received Capital funding are asked to wait three years before submitting an additional request.

What We Fund

• New and existing facilities (renovations, upgrades, repairs, and ADA accessibility)
• Major material goods (equipment, vehicles, and furniture)
• Technology and software
• Beautification (green spaces, landscaping, gardens, lighting, fencing, etc.)
• Equipment, furniture, and supplies (lower priority)

A strong application will demonstrate:

• Two years of organizational operation
• Proven track record of service in Forsyth County
• Diverse leadership representative of the community it serves
• How the organization gains insights from people with lived experience in the area(s) of service(s) provided
• Financial statements demonstrating revenue and expenses over two years (current year and previous year) – an audit is helpful, but not required
• Clear project plans
• Description of project need
• Organizational capacity to manage the scale of the project
• Ability to sustain any ongoing maintenance costs

Mission & History

Why Black Philanthropy?

Racial inequities exist in all our systems, including criminal justice, health, housing, wages, and education, and they continue to disproportionately affect Black people in Forsyth County.

BPI is a 100% Black-led initiative of The Winston-Salem Foundation that is explicitly, not exclusively, focused on grantmaking and programming that strengthens our local Black communities. By joining together with people from all walks of life in Forsyth County, we work to educate and effect change to build a better future for Black people, their families, and their communities.

Our History

Since 2003, BPI has built on a generous and deep legacy of philanthropy in Winston-Salem’s Black communities. Learn more about our history, how we got started, and the exciting growth we’ve experienced.

Our Mission

The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) engages people to invest their time, talent, and treasure to strengthen and support Black communities in Forsyth County.

What We Do

• Black Philanthropy: Building on strong giving traditions and investing collective time, talent, and treasure to strengthen Black communities in Forsyth County.
• Targeted Grantmaking: Providing grants to local nonprofits and organizations to advance economic and educational equity with an explicit focus on Black individuals and communities.
• Research + Advocacy: Coming together as a community to discuss systemic barriers, both current and historical, that stand in the way of and deny Black community members the resources they need to build a better future.

Building an Inclusive Economy Grants 

In BPI’s 2018 Rethinking Philanthropy report, data reveals how Black residents in Forsyth County are disproportionately affected by systematic inequities—Black workers are more likely to be in low-wage positions, not have access to livable wages, and live in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty and neglect. According to our research, there are no scenarios where a minimum wage job is sufficient to support even a single individual, yet for many Black residents and families, it’s all that is available to them.

We know that this data is the result of centuries of policies, rules, and practices intentionally and unintentionally designed to deny Black families the access to resources they need to achieve their dreams and take care of their loved ones. And while no one grant program can possibly lead to a truly inclusive economy, we know that there are organizations in our community doing incredibly impactful work with Black families that need additional resources.

The Building an Inclusive Economy grant program is designed to support organizations that focus on economic empowerment for Black households and work to rewrite the rules to make Forsyth County a place where we all have the resources we need to support our families. This grantmaking program aligns with The Winston-Salem Foundation’s focus area of the same name though our decision-making is distinct.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines and information.

Purpose: Support affordable, accessible, and enriching programs at the Mary Alice Warren Community Center (MAWCC) in Lewisville.

This grant provides funding for nonprofit organizations to offer affordable and accessible programming at the Mary Alice Warren Community Center (MAWCC) in Lewisville. This opportunity is partially supported by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.