By Susan Shinn
Salisbury Post
Here’s a look at the guidelines for the Proctor, Robertson and Woodson foundations, and some information about their beginnings.
Proctor Foundation
The Proctor Foundation’s annual application deadline is Jan. 31.
Applicants should submit a one-page letter stating their request, attaching supporting materials.
Applicants should include materials supporting the fact that they are a qualifying nonprofit organization.
Submit applications to the law firm of Woodson Sayers Lawther Short Parrott & Walker, 225 N. Main St. Call 704-633-5000 for more information.
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The Proctor Foundation was established in 1974 by the late Lucile S. Proctor.
She died the next year, but not before seeing some funds distributed, says her daughter, Patsy Rendleman.
Proctor’s husband, Edward, had founded Proctor Chemical, which later became National Starch.
From 1975 to 2005, the foundation has given away $2.5 million.
It concentrates on medical causes and began supporting handicapped accessibility before Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines were established, according to Rendleman.Proctor had a specific reason for doing so, her daughter says. “Her grandchildren were all fine, and she was very grateful.”
Additionally, Proctor’s sister was a principal at a high school for children with multiple handicaps.
Foundations like to fund programs that show results, and the Proctor Foundation is a longtime supporter of the YMCA’s Gym-Swim program for handicapped children ó first at the Salisbury-Rowan Y, now at the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.
“You can see that when you walk in the Y,” Rendleman says of the program’s success.
In 2007, the Proctor Foundation gave $123,000 in grants.
Robertson Foundation
The Robertson Foundation’s annual application deadline is March 31.
Applicants should submit the application form, supporting letters and all supporting documents.
The forms for 2008 represent the foundation’s 11th year of grant-making. Printed application forms can be found at Wachovia Bank’s main Salisbury office at 130 S. Main St., Wachovia’s West Innes Street branch office, Rowan Public Library headquarters at 201 W. Fisher St. and at the foundation office, 141 E. Council St.
Forms also can be obtained online at the Foundation Web site, bjrff.org, and by calling the foundation office at 704-637-0511 and requesting the forms via e-mail.
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The donation by Julian Robertson Jr. in 1997 of $15 million changed the landscape of charitable giving in Salisbury and Rowan County.
And to think no one heard about it at first.
“Julian Robertson Jr. is a native of Salisbury. This was an effort by him to remember his parents and remember his roots,” says David Setzer, executive director of the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation.
Robertson made his announcement at the rededication of Salisbury Station. Only problem was, when he stood up to speak, a train went by, and nobody really understood what he said.
He got a round of polite applause.
Margaret Kluttz, then mayor, came to the microphone and said, “I don’t think everybody heard what you said. Could you repeat that?”
That’s when the cheering began.
By the time the foundation went into business in early 1998, it had $18 million in assets, Setzer says. Since then, Robertson has donated another $18 million. The foundation has given away that much money as well.
“It changed the landscape,” Setzer acknowledges. “We’re giving it away at a faster clip. Julian didn’t want this money to sit in the bank, and the board has taken him at his word.”
By law, foundations are to disburse at least 5 percent of their assets; the Robertson Foundation has disbursed an average of 8 to 9 percent of those funds, Setzer says.
The Robertson Foundation was established for “broad charitable purposes,” but its grants have reflected the following since the foundation’s inception:
n Education ó 33 percent
n Children, youth and families ó 29 percent
n Community development ó 16 percent
n Public health and safety ó 14 percent
n Arts and culture ó 5 percent
n History and preservation ó 3 percent
Grant recipients are asked to submit progress reports.
“I try to keep track of things,” Setzer says. “I go visit projects and take a lot of pictures. I publish a monthly newsletter to the board to keep them up-to-date as to where the money goes.”
Woodson Foundation
The Woodson Foundation’s application deadline is March 1. Applicants should fill out an application form.
Forms are available at the law firm of Woodson Sayers Lawther Short Parrott & Walker, 225 N. Main St. Call 704-633-5000 for more information.
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The Woodson Foundation was founded by Margaret C. Woodson in 1964.
She owned Boxwood Farm in Jerusalem township in Davie County. She married Paul Woodson’s grandfather.
“She loved humans and animals,” Woodson says.
Sixty percent of the foundation’s disbursements goes to college scholarships at Catawba College, Mary Baldwin College and Davidson College, along with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
“Most all of our scholarships are need-based scholarships,” Woodson says.
Over the years, the foundation has also supported Barium Springs Children’s Home and Nazareth Children’s Home. During the last decade, it’s given away between $400,000 and $950,000 a year.
It was instrumental in building the new animal shelter in Mocksville and supports the Humane Society here.
“We look at anything to do with people and animals,” Woodson says.
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Contact Susan Shinn at 704-797-4289 or sshinn@salisburypost.com.