Stories
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A Family Commitment to Change
Read more: A Family Commitment to ChangeHow much is enough? That question stuck in Dave’s mind after participating in a JustFaith group at his church, where they met once a week to learn about major issues like hunger, poverty, racism, immigration, and more. He started adding up all of the birthday, anniversary, and holiday gifts that were exchanged in their family…
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Working to Ensure Kids Can Succeed
Read more: Working to Ensure Kids Can SucceedFor a man with a big heart, giving back in his community seems like a natural way to honor his daughter, Julia, who passed away suddenly in 2001. All of his families’ grantmaking is to be reminiscent of her, something she would have been proud of or something that would reflect her. So for Paul,…
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The Push to Merge
Read more: The Push to MergeThe M word. Often suggested by funders recognizing the abundance of nonprofit organizations doing similar work in a community, and equally feared by nonprofit leaders doing that work. Over the last few years, mergers have become a hot topic in the philanthropic world, bringing both their negative connotation of failure, as well as their assumption of ease and necessity.…
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No Easy, Quick Answers in Equity Work
Read more: No Easy, Quick Answers in Equity WorkEquity work isn’t about finding absolute answers to anything. It is about asking questions over and over and over again and making good decisions about how to address particular problems in particular areas through an equity lens. That’s according to Gita Gulati-Partee, Founder of OpenSource Leadership Strategies, who led over 60 fundholders and community leaders…
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Innovation: Changing the Odds
Read more: Innovation: Changing the OddsIt’s hard to move forward when you feel like the odds are stacked against you. This is a feeling teenagers aging out of the foster care system know all too well. They face growing up — finding housing, education and jobs — without the family support others their age can rely on. There are social…
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There is still work to be done, together.
Read more: There is still work to be done, together.I know many things have been written about all that has transpired after November 8. Many opinions and forecasts have been shared, and many questions remain. I’d like to offer this open letter to our community. The morning after the election, I had the opportunity to participate in a ceremony where our nonprofit partner Triangle…
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#equitymatters: Summer Update
Read more: #equitymatters: Summer UpdateThis year, the Foundation has embarked on a journey, working closely with Gita Gulati-Partee and OpenSource Leadership Strategies, to explore how we can do more to help create a more equitable community through philanthropy. We have dedicated a space in our quarterly newsletter to share what we are learning, what we are thinking about, and…
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Triangle Community Foundation is Moving!
Read more: Triangle Community Foundation is Moving!Triangle Community Foundation announced this month that they will be moving their office to The Frontier in the fall. The 33-year-old organization has occupied space at the American Tobacco campus in downtown Durham for the past ten years. President & CEO Lori O’Keefe expressed that staff is excited about the move, and the growing organization…
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Access to Camp Combats Summer Learning Loss
Read more: Access to Camp Combats Summer Learning LossSummer vacation is supposed to be a relaxing, idyllic time away from school for students. But the reality for many low-income children is a summer with too little stimulation and lack of access to enriching summer activities. That reality leads to the phenomenon commonly known as summer learning loss: Many students head back to school…
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Giving Back & Looking Forward: An Interview with Pat Nathan
Read more: Giving Back & Looking Forward: An Interview with Pat NathanWhy do you believe in the importance of giving back? I find my greatest fulfillment in working with others towards a common goal. To operate at my fullest capacity, I need to share a variety of assets including life experiences, skills, connections and financial resources. What are the causes that YOU care about? As a successful business…
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2016 What Matters Community Luncheon: A Region of Opportunity
Read more: 2016 What Matters Community Luncheon: A Region of OpportunityDr. Anthony Iton can predict your lifespan with startling accuracy. He’s a John’s Hopkins-trained doctor, but he won’t need to examine you. He won’t need your medical history either. Iton just needs to know your address. “It shouldn’t work, but more often than not, it does,” he said. “Premature death is not randomly distributed. It…
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Focus on Housing: On the Road in East Durham
Read more: Focus on Housing: On the Road in East DurhamDonors and community leaders joined Foundation staff for two simultaneous bus tours of East Durham in early March, one based on Education and the other on Housing. The following story is one writer’s account of the Housing tour. To view a photo-journalistic account of the Education tour, please click here. The early-morning chill was just…