Foundation for the Carolinas

• Total Contributions to Funds: $296 million
• Total Grants to Nonprofits: $336 million
• Total Assets Owned and Represented by FFTC: $2.8 billion

Foundation For The Carolinas has launched a number of key programs, initiatives, and investments,[5] including:

A Way Home: This $20 million endowment is a public-private initiative addressing family homelessness in the community.

Carolina Thread Trail: A regional trail network that reaches 15 counties and more than 2.3 million people.[6]

Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund: More than $50 million was raised for this fund that aims to increase access to affordable housing.

Leading on Opportunity: Public/private partnership formed to address the issues around economic opportunity in the region.[7]

North Tryon Vision Plan: A cohesive strategy to catalyze and guide the revitalization of the North Tryon area of Uptown Charlotte.

Project L.I.F.T.: Initiative focused on West Charlotte High School and its feeder schools, which set a goal to increase the West Charlotte graduation rate over five years.

Read Charlotte: A collaborative, community-wide movement to double the percentage of third-grade students reading at grade level from 40% (as of 2020) to 80% in 2025.[8]

Veterans Bridge Home: Program helps returning veterans and their families successfully transition from the military to the civilian sector in Charlotte- Mecklenburg in response to a rapidly growing veteran population.

COVID-19 Response Fund: To address COVID-19’s impact on the community, FFTC and United Way of Central Carolina launched the COVID-19 Response Fund, a grantmaking program designed to assist local nonprofits in aiding those affected by the pandemic. The fund raised more than $20 million, distributing grants to more than 200 nonprofits helping deliver basic needs such as childcare, education, housing, food, emergency financial assistance, health and mental health, and more.

1958: The United Community Foundation is created with the mission to accept and distribute charitable gifts, to steward donors’ wishes in perpetuity, and to build a permanent “nest egg” for the broad community needs of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

1978: Foundation opens its own office. Gordon Berg, Barbara Hautau, and Judy Kerns leave the United Way to staff the Foundation.

1993: Under the leadership of several African-American members of the Board, FFTC creates a new African American Community Endowment Fund.

1995: The Foundation receives the largest single gift in its history – $35 million from the estate of longtime supporter, Lucille Puette Giles.

1999: William Spencer retires after leading the Foundation for 13 years. Michael Marsicano, who served as president/CEO of Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Arts & Science Council, is chosen to lead the Foundation.

2007: Foundation For The Carolinas makes a large discretionary gift of $2 million to the Carolina Thread Trail, a 15-county greenway network.

2008: The Foundation launches the Critical Need Response Fund[9] in partnership with the Leon Levine Foundation, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Central Carolinas, and Mecklenburg Ministries. The fund provides grants designated to shelter, feed and clothe individuals in need.

2011: The Luski-Gorelick Center for Philanthropy opens as the new headquarters of Foundation For The Carolinas at 220 North Tryon Street.

2012: The Foundation reaches $1 billion in total assets owned and represented.

2016: FFTC surpasses the $2 billion mark in charitable assets.[10]

2016: An FFTC-backed initiative, the North Tryon Vision Plan,[11] is formally adopted by the local Charlotte government.

2017: The FFTC-backed Opportunity Task Force releases the Leading on Opportunity report[12] detailing findings and upward mobility study recommendations.

2017: Due to a devastating string of natural disasters – Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate, as well as the Santa Rosa, Calif., wildfires – FFTC's subsidiary E4E Relief grants more than $13.1 million in relief.[13]

2018: In preparation for Hurricane Florence hitting the NC coast in September of that year, FFTC creates the Hurricane Florence Response Fund[14] with funding assistance from Michael Jordan, Stephen Colbert and Walmart. Initial grants are issued in December to 20 organizations supporting hurricane-related rebuilding and recovery efforts.

2019: The Foundation's campaign to raise $50 million from the private sector is realized in summer with a $6 million commitment from Novant Health.[15]

2019: The Foundation raises $6.2 million from the private sector to support Mecklenburg County’s MECK Pre-K initiative, which aims to provide universal pre-k education by FY24.[16]

2020: In response to COVID-19’s impact on the community, FFTC launches the COVID-19 Response Fund on March 16[17] to aid those most affected by the pandemic. An initial gift of $1 million from LendingTree and a $1 million matching gift from the City of Charlotte supports the launch of the fund.

2020: FFTC partners with the City of Charlotte to support its Open for Business Initiative to distribute $30 million in federal CARES Act[18] funding to small businesses headquartered within the city limits of Charlotte. The grantmaking program was followed by a similar initiatives to grant $4 million[19] to local bars and restaurants, $6 million to local hotels and $6 million to support local artists.[20]