The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation recently approved 65 grants totaling just over $1 million for the spring 2013 grant cycle.
The foundation received 109 applications. Of that number, the board approved 59, with the remaining six approvals coming from the Continuing Support Grant program, which is in its final year. The board has withdrawn the program and will require grant applications from all interested nonprofits in the future.
The 2013 grants include:

• American Red Cross, Elizabeth Dole Chapter — for emergency services program, $5,000;
• The Arc of Rowan County — for community outreach with its summer program, $15,000;
• Bread Riot — operating support, $2,000;
• Capstone Recovery Center — repairs to Capstone House, $5,000;
• Carolina College Advising Corps — advising and mentoring to juniors and seniors at Salisbury and North Rowan high schools on college admissions and financial aid programs during 2013-14 school year, $45,863;
• Catawba College — development of a campus master plan, $25,000;
• Central N.C. Council, Boy Scouts — capital campaign, $10,000;
• Central N.C. council, Boy Scouts — Rowan District annual fund, $12,000;
• Community Care Clinic — operating support, $50,000;
• Communities In Schools — operating support, $50,000;
• Families First, NC — operating support, $15,000;
• Family Crisis Council — Battered Women’s Shelter, operating support, $35,000;
• Food for Thought — operating support, $2,500;
• Footprints in the Community — summer therapy camp, $4,000;
• Godstock — emergency administration funds, $7,500;
• Habitat for Humanity — operating support, $20,000;
• Happy’s Farm — scholarships and operating support, $5,000;
• Healthy Children of Rowan County — Girl Pride and Empowering Youth support, $10,000;
• Historic Neely School Foundation — restoration of historic Neely School near China Grove, $7,500;
• Horizons Unlimited — new pathways in nanotechnology, $15,000;
• LandTrust for Central North Carolina — furniture for new offices, $5,000;
• Lee Street Theatre — capital campaign for new performing arts theater, $15,000;
• Livingstone College — upgrade project for Varick Auditorium, $25,000;
• Meals on Wheels — operating support, $35,000;
• N.C. Center for Nonprofits — professional development for Rowan nonprofits, $10,000;
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Service — extension programming, $7,500;
• N.C. Dental Health Fund — support for dental clinic in Salisbury, Sept. 27-28, $25,000;
• N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation — operating support, $10,000;
• Partners in Learning Child Development Center — emergency response and safety improvements, $5,000;
• Piedmont Players Theatre — Youth Theatre and operating support, $10,000;
• Pops at the Post — concert sponsorship for 2014, $10,000;
• Prevent Child Abuse Rowan — operating support, $10,000;
• Rowan County Crosby Scholars — operating support, $20,000;
• Rowan County Health Department — Health Link program, $20,000;
• Rowan County Literacy Council — operating support, $8,000;
• Rowan County Pregnancy Counseling Center — operating support, $5,000;
• Rowan County United Way — support for Day of Caring program, $50,000;
• Rowan Helping Ministries — Crisis Assistance Network, $45,000; and operating support, $50,000;
• Rowan Museum — operating support, $17,500;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Elementary Honors Chorus 2014, $7,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — STEM bus programming to rural communities, $8,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — field trips around Rowan for elementary students, $20,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Dole Elementary School after-school academy, $15,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Knox Middle School gymnasium upgrade, $30,000; Connections Café, $2,500;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — North Rowan High School entrepreneurial summer camp, $14,000; digital equipment for arts department, $12,405;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Salisbury High School, calculators for mathematics department, $5,000;  JROTC summer program, $17,564; IMPACT budget support, $3,500;
• Rowan Vocational Opportunities — replacing HVAC units, $30,200;
• Rufty-Holmes Senior Center — scholarship fund, $10,000;
• Salisbury Academy — scholarship fund, $7,000;
• Salisbury Lions Club — vision assistance for the poor, $2,500;
• Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency — technology for client management, $10,000;
• Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society — funding fifth-grade concerts by N.C. Symphony, After School Strings program, $10,000;
• Saving Grace Farm — transition of operations and consulting programs, $10,000;
• Special Olympics North Carolina — Special Olympics programming for Rowan County, $10,000;
• UNC School of the Arts Foundation — workshops for “Shakespeare Lives!” program, $2,000;
• Waterworks Visual Arts Center — operating support, $45,000;
• Westside Community Foundation — “Stepping Up” summer youth program, $15,000;
• West Rowan Neighborhood Council — assistance with renovation of historic R.A. Clement School in Cleveland, $10,000;
• YMCA of Rowan County — operating support for J.F. Hurley Branch YMCA, $25,000;
• Young Life Rowan County — camperships, $8,000.
The Robertson Family Foundation observes its 15th year with the conclusion of this spring grant cycle. Chartered in the Fall of 1997, the foundation began its philanthropy in the spring of 1998 following a gift of $15 million from the foundation founder and funder, Salisbury native Julian H. Robertson, Jr. Over the past 15 years Robertson has given an additional $21 million. The foundation has a current operating investment base of $16.2 million.
Over its 15 years of operation, the Foundation has approved $30 million in grants, all of which have been given solely to agencies and organizations in Salisbury and Rowan County.
The 12-member foundation board of directors is Margaret H. Kluttz, chairwoman, Clay Lindsay vice-chairman, Lillian L. Morgan, secretary and chairwoman of the grants committee, Timothy L. Bates, Bret R. Busby, Catrelia S. Hunter, Scott Maddox, Fred Stanback Jr., and Jason Walser, all of Salisbury; Alex Robertson and Spencer Robertson of New York City; and Wyndham Robertson of Chapel Hill. David E. Setzer is executive director.