By Susan Shinn
For the Salisbury Post

The City of Salisbury and Salisbury Community Foundation have partnered together this year to disburse grants.

On Monday, Mayor Karen Alexander, of behalf of the city, presented a check for $40,000 to Ed Norvell, the foundation’s chairman.

On Thursday, the foundation announced that another $50,000 in grants would be donated to the city’s newly established arts and culture fund, bringing the total of grants awarded to $208,5000.

The grantees will receive letters the week after Thanksgiving, with funds distributed in December, said Meg Dees, vice president of Foundation for the Carolinas. The Salisbury Community Foundation is a regional affiliate of this organization.

With the partnership, Dees said, “We can make more impactful grants.”

On Monday, Salisbury Community Foundation hosted its annual meeting for donors, future donors, and beneficiary non-profit agencies at La Cava.

“The support of the foundation lends a sense of community,” said Jennifer Canipe, executive director of Crosby Scholars. “Having that support from the get-go has been wonderful. The Salisbury Community Foundation has bolstered us.”

“We get funding from the foundation for music education,” said Linda Jones, executive director of Salisbury Symphony. “I also have many donors who have donor-advised funds with Salisbury Community Foundation, and who direct those funds to the symphony. It’s wonderful. You feel like somebody cares.”

Krista Woolly, executive director of the Community Care Clinic, said that her agency has its sustainability fund with the foundation. “We also receive funding from donor-directed funds. Foundation for the Carolinas does great seminars for non-profit leaders. They’re always free and very relevant. Meg asks us what we want. They’re just a great community partner.”

The partnership between the city and Salisbury Community Foundation, Alexander explained, gives the city access to the foundation’s complex vetting process for grant applicants.

“During the year, there’s follow-up about what you’ve done and where you are after you receive a grant,” she said, “so there’s accountability.”

Norvell noted that the Salisbury Community Foundation has 129 charitable gift funds with more than $22.2 million assets, and the majority of these assets are donor-advised funds and designated funds held for non-profits. In 2015, the foundation distributed more than $3.1 million to support area non-profits, churches, colleges and educational institutions.

Board member Dick Huffman discussed planned giving.

“Salisbury is a special town, because people give,” he said. “Salisbury Community Foundation is in a unique position to change and adapt to needs as they come up. But our endowment isn’t big enough. For the future, Salisbury Community Foundation has to grow. Please consider a donation in your will to Salisbury Community Foundation to help care for future generations.”

Freelance writer Susan Shinn lives in Salisbury.