SALISBURY — Led by a four-year gift of $1 million to Catawba College to help finance its new nursing program, the Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation has announced its approval of 65 grants for 2014.
The foundation will be funding grants totaling $1.26 million for this year’s cycle. Several grants will be funded over two or more years, such as the Catawba College gift.
The foundation received 102 grant applications and approved 62.7 percent. The recent good performance by the stock market allowed the foundation to extend its approval list.
In addition to the traditional grant program, the foundation board had an extended discussion about Rowan-Salisbury Schools and its plans for a new central office.
The discussion yielded the approval of a $500,000 gift to the system to be applied to the central office construction budget. The foundation had earlier pledged $250,000 for moving and furniture expenses in 2005 when there was discussion about a site on Bendix Drive and $125,000 toward the cost of the dome for the proposed building in downtown Salisbury.
The 2014 grants include:
• The Arc of Rowan County — community outreach with its summer program, $12,500;
• American Red Cross, Elizabeth Dole Chapter — funds for emergency services, $5,000;
• Bread Riot — support for Riot in the Pasture promoting locally grown meat and vegetables, $2,000;
• Capstone Recovery Center — operating support, $5,000;
• Carolina College Advising Corps — college advising an mentoring for juniors and seniors at Salisbury and North Rowan High Schools, two-year arrangement, $142,536;
• Catawba College — Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, $1 million over four years;
• Center for Faith & the Arts — “Wake Up Leonardo” summer arts academy for youth, $2,000;
• Center for International Understanding — funding for business leader and teacher for travel-study program, three-year arrangement, $36,000;
• Central N.C. Council, Boy Scouts of America — Rowan Friends of Scouting annual campaign, $15,000;
• Communities In Schools — support for school site coordinator, $30,000;
• Community Care Clinic — operating support, $45,000;
• Concert Choir — support for series of choral concerts, $4,000;
• Families First-N.C. — early intervention services for youth and families, $20,000;
• Family Crisis Council—operating support for Battered Women’s Shelter, $30,000;
• Food for Thought — operating support for backpack weekend food program during school year, $3,500;
• Footprints in the Community — summer camp for special needs children, $3,500;
• Godstock — emergency help for families with seriously ill children, $8,000;
• Habitat for Humanity — purchase home building lots, $10,000;
• Happy’s Farm — summer enrichment program, $5,000;
• Healthy Children of Rowan County — Truly Gifted Summer Program for ADD/HD children, two years, $20,000;
• Historic Salisbury Foundation — funds to assist replacement of AC chiller and roof repair on Salisbury Station, $20,000;
• Historical Society of South Rowan — create historic roller mill DVD for children’s education, $1,000;
• LandTrust of Central North Carolina — funds to support anniversary compendium, $5,000;
• Lutheran Services for the Aging — Memory Café serving clients with dementia, $3,440;
• Meals on Wheels of Rowan — operating support, $30,000;
• Mr. Vernon Community Garden — free market for health & wellness in southern Rowan, $1,500;
• Nazareth Children’s Home — furnishings for young ladies’ newly built cottage, $20,000;
• N.C. Center for Nonprofit Organizations — professional assistance for Rowan nonprofits, $10,000;
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Rowan — innovative extension programs in livestock, 4-H, etc., $5,000;
• N.C. Dental Health Fund — Missions of Mercy Dental Clinic in Salisbury 2015, $20,000;
• N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation — support for major events at museum site, $15,000;
• Partners in Learning — capacity building for staff development, $10,000;
• Piedmont Players Theatre — support for Youth Theatre and Players Operating Fund, $10,000;
• Prevent Child Abuse Rowan — employ forensic interviewer for agency staff, $20,000;
• Rowan County Chamber of Commerce — promotion of Community Forum messages, $20,000;
• Rowan County Crosby Scholars — support for expansion of Crosby Scholars program, $20,000;
• Rowan County Health Department — Health Link program support, $10,000;
• Rowan County Literacy Council — operating support, $5,000;
• Rowan County Sherriff’s Office — G.R.E.A.T. Summer Camp, $5,000;
• Rowan County Social Services — Rowan One Church One Child, $5,000;
• Rowan County United Way — Day of Caring, $25,000;
• Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard — equipment upgrade, $5,000;
• Rowan Helping Ministries — operating support, $45,000;
• Rowan Helping Ministries — Crisis Assistance Network, $45,000;
• Rowan Museum — operating support, $20,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Elementary Honors Chorus, $8,300;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Rowan County field trips for elementary students, $25,000;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Horizons Unlimited Summer Crossover Academy, $27,836;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Horizons Unlimited Planetarium Lighting upgrade, $26,500;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Salisbury High School Boosters Club, Field House Phase II, $8,586;
• Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Dole Elementary School, After-School Academy, $28,000;
• Rowan Vocational Opportunities — purchase electric forklift, $15,000;
• Rufty-Holmes Senior Center — Scholarship Fund, $7,500;
• Rufty-Holmes Senior Center — Parking Lot Construction, $10,000;
• Salisbury Academy — Scholarship Fund, $10,000;
• Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society — N.C. Symphony concerts, After School Strings, $16,000;
• Shakespeare Lives! — teacher training weekend, student mentoring, $3,000;
• Special Olympics N.C. — Special Olympics Rowan, $8,000;
• Town of East Spencer — Royal Giants Park upgrade, $50,000 over two years;
• Waterworks Visual Arts Center — operating support, $45,000;
• West Rowan Neighborhood Center — R.A. Clement School Preservation, $5,000;
• West Side Community Foundation — operating support, $15,000;
• YMCA of Rowan — operating support for Hurley Branch, $25,000;
• Young Life Rowan — camping scholarships, $8,000.
The Robertson Family Foundation observes its 16th 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 16 years, Robertson has given an additional $21 million. The foundation has a current operating investment base of $15.7 million.
Over its 16 years of operation, the foundation has approved $32 million in grants, all of which have been given solely to non-profit agencies and organizations in Salisbury and Rowan County.
The 12-member board of directors is chaired by Margaret H. Kluttz. B. Clay Lindsay serves as vice-chairman, and Lillian L. Morgan is secretary and chairwoman of the grants committee.
Other board members include Timothy L. Bates, Bret R. Busby, Catrelia S. Hunter, R. Scott Maddox, Fred Stanback, Jr. and Jason A. Walser, all of Salisbury; Alex T. Robertson and J. Spencer Robertson, both of New York City; and Wyndham Robertson of Chapel Hill.
David E. Setzer is executive director.