News about grants, gifts
Astronaut, physician and entrepreneur Dr. Mae Jemison was the featured speaker at the 12th Annual Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Power of the Purse event, held on May 24th. $254,182 in grants were made by the Women for Women giving circle to Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, Our VOICE, REACH of Macon County, and Wheels4Hope.
The John Rex Endowment awarded grants to Arts Access Inc. and Wake County SmartStart for projects to support positive mental health of children. Arts Access will receive a $28,750 grant to plan for new and more intensive ways to make arts accessible to children with disabilities.
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity received $4,000 from the TD Charitable Foundation, $5,000 from Thrivent Builds Repairs, and $10,000 from Wells Fargo Foundation to support its Neighborhood Revitalization program.
On June 3rd, Andrea Ginsberg, owner of the Mad Popper and 
longtime supporter of Communities in Schools of Durham, will donate 200 Panthers Blend Party Favor Bags for guests at the 2016 Graduation and Awards Celebration and Coaches Corner.
News about people, groups
On May 21st, Vets to Vets hosted the 2nd Annual Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby Showcase to support veterans and their service animals at the Emily K. Center in Durham.
StepUp Ministry Board Member Art Ross has been honored as the 2016 Distinguished Alumni from Union Presbyterian Seminary.
The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce hosted a forum on emerging communities, transportation and workforce at the Research Triangle Foundation on Monday, May 23. The Honorable Ray LaHood, former U.S. secretary of transportation, served as the keynote speaker.
Inter-Faith Council for Social Service hosted the Walking on a Dream Fashion Show Benefit on May 22nd. Funds raised will benefit the families of the HomeStart program.
Nine hundred people participated in the 8thAnnual Walk To End Lupus Now: Fayetteville. The event has raised more than $42,000 to support lupus programs and services provided by the Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter.
The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing drug overdose deaths, received a report of its 3,000th drug overdose reversal using the opioid antagonist, naloxone. As of May 23rd, the total number of reversals stands at 3059.
Guilford County community members learned more about volunteering for one of Say Yes Guilford’s task forces at an information session on May 26th. There will be additional information sessions on May 31st, June 2nd, and June 7th.
Families Moving Forward (formerly Genesis Home) hosted a housewarming event on May 25th to celebrate the impending completion of their first floor renovation project.
Transitions LifeCare announced its approval of accreditation status by Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for hospice service. Achieving accreditation is a process where healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.
Live & Local, the Town of Chapel Hill’s free Music & Arts Series hosted their eighth show of the season on Thursday May 26th, featuring Kasey Tyndall.
Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) was awarded the Farmworker Activism Award from Farmworker Justice at their Anniversary Celebration on May 10th. SAF received the award for educating, mentoring and mobilizing students from middle school through the university level to support a more just agricultural labor system.
Yillio, a patented route-based mobile travel app, has joining with First Citizens Bank to provide travelers with information on Teen Cancer America and the bank’s role as a leading sponsor of the nonprofit initiative.
The Business Marketing Association announced this year’s B2 Award winners. Command Partners, a cutting-edge digital marketing agency headquartered in Charlotte, was awarded for their work in the Search Engine Marketing and New Launch Product/Company categories.
On May 26th, the Association of Fundraising Professionals NC Triangle Chapter hosted a May Pop-Up Event on attracting millennials to become loyal donors and how organizations can leverage young volunteers to become front-line fundraisers.
On May 19th-22nd, the Durham Arts Council hosted Moogfest, a festival celebrating the synthesis of technology, music, and art.
Patricia A. Soenksen announced that she will retire as president and CEO of Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro and the Hospice Foundation of Greater Greensboro effective February 17th, 2017. Soenksen, who joined the organization in 2007, is retiring after a 40-year career in health care administration.
News about opportunities, initiatives
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is accepting applications for its second class of the Nonprofit Leadership Academy, an 11-month intensive leadership learning lab to help nonprofits develop the leadership, culture, and strategy to be more adaptive around key challenges and opportunities. Applications are due July 1st.
ArtsGreensboro is accepting nominations for the 2016 Betty 
Cone Medal of Arts. First awarded in 1999, the Betty Cone Medal of Arts is the most prestigious local award presented to artists. It recognizes artists who have achieved clear excellence in their disciplines and/or have made extraordinary contributions to their field or to the community at large through their artistry or expertise.
In Raleigh on June 6th-10th, Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and professional home builders will help four area families build or improve a place they can call home. The Builders Blitz presenting sponsor is Ply Gem, a North American manufacturer of building products, headquartered in Cary.
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Triangle will be held on June 6th. This year’s race will be the 20th anniversary of the first Race for the Cure Triangle.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals NC Triad Chapter will host “The Power of Endowments: Why and Why Not? Ethical and Other Considerations” on May 31st. The panel will consider why and when endowments are or are not useful to organizations and donors as well as creating a case for organizations’ endowments.
Triangle Family Services will host a Sip, Socialize, & Support Families event on June 2nd. The event is sponsored by Citrix, Inc.
Leadership Triangle has opened submissions for their 2016 
Transforming Leaders Program, a leadership development program that is designed to meet the individualized developmental goals of each participant.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation will host two quarterly BoardSource trainings June 15th-16th in New Bern and August 16th-17th in Shelby which will offer tools and best practices to enhance working relationships and collaborate effectively as a strong team. Trainings are offered as “choose a session” or board members can immerse themselves in two days of knowledge building.
The Mint Museum will be offering a 3 month Family Membership beginning June 1st through August 31st. Patrons will receive all membership benefits for $30 anytime during the months of June, July, and August.
Burning Coal Theatre Company will present two dance workshops this summer, The Bob Fosse Style (June 13th, 20th, and 27th) and The Andy Blankenbuehler Style Hip Hop Workshop (September 4th, 5th and 6th), taught by professional actor, singer, and dancer Beth Anderson.
GreenHill Center for NC Art will host 7Squared July 7th-July 13th, 2016. 7Squ
ared will be an inclusive community exhibition inviting NC artists of all ages and stages to submit an original piece measuring exactly 7in x 7in.
The Carteret County Community Foundation hosted the 30th Annual Golfing For Grants golf tournament to raise funds for local community grantmaking. The tournament was hosted at the Morehead City Country Club on Thursday, April 28th and featured prizes for the top teams. The funds raised at this tournament will be used to award local grants to nonprofits this fall.
If you are interested in having your organization’s news announced in the next News Bits, please send announcements or press releases to news@philanthropyjournal.com.
