Deadline approaches for Robertson Foundation grant applications
Published 12:30 am Thursday, January 22, 2015
SALISBURY — The Robertson Family Foundation grant application deadline will be Feb. 20, which is an earlier date than in the past.
The change is in response to a number of nonprofits who requested an earlier deadline since they work early in the spring with their budget planning.
Foundation officials have indicated that a number of special projects and programs are in the works, and it wants to make sure that a change in the date will not cause problems with their grant application plans.
This grant cycle marks the 18th in the history of the foundation, which began its application program in 1998. In the years following, some $31.4 million in grant funds have been approved and dispensed by the board of directors, all directed to programs and projects originating in Salisbury-Rowan.
The generosity of Julian H. Robertson, Jr. in creating the foundation in memory of his mother and father “was one of the most significant acts of philanthropy in the recent history of our county,” remarked the late James F. Hurley, foundation chair for 10 years and an original board member. The foundation was created in 1997.
A major part of the foundation’s mission, as Mr. Hurley saw it, was its role in helping set the path forward for community growth through its grants.
One of the interesting aspects of the foundation’s history was the connection between Robertson and Hurley, which extended back to their boyhood in Salisbury and remained a vital friendship over the years. Robertson lives in New York City. Hurley, who died April 2, 2012, was one-time publisher of the Salisbury Post.
