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Triangle Community Foundation Releases New Strategic Plan
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Detailed Priorities Focus on Becoming the Triangle’s “Philanthropy Engine”
Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation has released its five-year strategic plan, laying out the organization’s approach through 2029. The plan focuses on four priorities: Philanthropic Investment, Nonprofit Support, Community Leadership, and Organizational Excellence.
“It is gratifying to see the culmination of these last several months of work with actionable steps that will move the Foundation and more importantly our region forward over the next several years,” said Lori O’Keefe, President & CEO of the Foundation.
Triangle Community Foundation Commits $400,000 to 10 Local Arts Organizations
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 grantees from its Cultural Arts impact area. The ten selected grantees were collectively awarded $400,000 in multi-year general operating support in response to a continued need for reliable flexible funding in the arts sector. “We are thrilled to support the creativity and cultural contributions of our local arts organizations through this cycle of grants,” said Zach Ward, Senior Program Officer at the Foundation. “The arts have always been a necessary force in building vibrant, inclusive communities, and these funds will help sustain and amplify grantees’ impact. Cultural arts are integral to a thriving Triangle region and to our state as a whole.”
Triangle Community Foundation Announces New Board Members and Leadership
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation is pleased to announce new Board members and Board leadership team as the organization kicks off the 2024-2025 fiscal year this week with in-person orientation.
“We are at an exciting inflection point at the Foundation, and we look forward to the engagement of this new group of Board members as well as leadership team,” said Lori O’Keefe, Foundation President & CEO. “As we prepare to roll out our new strategic plan, we anticipate the fresh eyes and perspective of our Board leadership will push us further.”
Six Dynamic Community Leaders Join the Foundation as it Currently Celebrates its 40th Anniversary
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation is delighted to announce six new Board members as the organization kicked off the 2023-2024 fiscal year this past week with in-person orientation.
“We are excited to be welcoming one of our largest and perhaps most diverse group of new Board members in the last 10 years” said Lori O’Keefe, Foundation President & CEO. “The Foundation is preparing to enter a new phase of strategic planning, and the unique and varied experiences of our newest members will complement the skillsets of our existing members. The energy and engagement was palpable at our orientation, and I look forward to our first Board meeting with them in September.”
Sixteen Nonprofits Receive $320,000 in Grants from Triangle Community Foundation
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation is pleased to share the 2023 grantees from the Environmental Resilience subset of its Sustainable Communities impact area. Sixteen grants of $20,000 each were awarded for one year of unrestricted support to organizations that align with impact area goals of increasing education and awareness of conservation and climate resiliency, particularly in low-income communities. To learn more, check out the full press release.
Triangle Capacity-Building Network Awards $1,215,000 in Multi-Year Capacity-Building Grants
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Capacity-Building Network (TCBN) is pleased to announce 15 Triangle-based nonprofits have each received three-year grants totaling $1,215,000. Each organization will receive $25,000 per year for three years to support an identified capacity-building need as well as an additional $2,000 per year for three years to fund professional development and self-care opportunities that align with their specific organizational needs. To read the full press release, click here.
Google.org Grants $250,000 to Support Community Impact in the Triangle
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation has received a generous grant of $250,000 from Google.org, Google’s philanthropy arm, in support of its 40th Anniversary campaign to raise $1 million for Fund for the Triangle, the Foundation’s flexible fund that dedicates resources to organizations and issues that are most pressing in the Triangle.
“We are grateful to call Google.org a partner in this campaign and in this work,” said Lori O’Keefe, President & CEO of the Foundation. “Fund for the Triangle was created to quickly deploy resources to challenges and opportunities in the region, and this $250,000 gift will help us make substantial gains in our ability to respond quickly, directing funding to nonprofits poised to make a difference, whatever the situation.”
Click here to read the full press release, and here to learn more about the Fund for the Triangle campaign.
LaToya King Joins Triangle Community Foundation as First Chief Operations Officer
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Research Triangle Park, NC: Triangle Community Foundation is pleased to share that LaToya King has joined the Foundation as Chief Operations Officer (COO). The creation of the position is in recognition of the growth of the Foundation as well as the community, which needs our support more than ever.
“I am beyond excited to welcome LaToya to our team,” said Lori O’Keefe, President & CEO. “Day-to-day operations have become more complex as a result of explosive growth in the Triangle as well as the pandemic. The team and I look forward to her bringing strategic perspective and structures that will help us continue to grow.”
$750,000 in Flexible Funding Awarded to 15 Triangle Nonprofits
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Triangle Community Foundation has released $750,000 in unrestricted funding to 15 local nonprofits through the Transforming the Triangle Award, a special program designed to acknowledge the critical role nonprofits played in supporting their communities during unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic.
“COVID-19 tested the resiliency of nonprofits like never before, as they were tasked with quickly evolving and oftentimes increasing services due to extraordinary need and rapidly changing circumstances,” said Lori O’Keefe, President & CEO. “As an organization we felt we needed to tangibly recognize that fierce determination and care for their constituents.”
Click here to read the full press release, and here for details about all of the awardees.
Triangle Community Foundation Announces New Board Leadership
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Triangle Community Foundation is delighted to announce a new Board chair as well as four new Board members as the organization kicks off the 2022-2023 fiscal year this week with its first in-person retreat and Board meeting since the start of the pandemic.
Christine DeVita is replacing Michael Schoenfeld as Board Chair as he departs the Triangle and a lengthy career at Duke University for Washington DC, where he has been named a partner at Brunswick Group. Michael remains on the Board as Immediate Past Chair. Chris has served on the Foundation’s Board for four years, and brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as president of The Wallace Foundation and on the boards of The Center for Effective Philanthropy, The Foundation Center, and The Learning Trail, among others.
By Sarah Battersby, Senior Program Officer for Education Initiatives
Over the past few years, our Community Engagement team has worked hard to budget and plan for shifting many of our discretionary grants to what the nonprofit writer Vu Le calls “MYGOD” funding—Multi-Year General Operating Dollars. This not only gives grantees multiple years of stable funding support that is flexible, but also gives us as Program Officers multiple years to learn about their work and connect with their staff.
BUT, with this change, applications only open once every two or three years—and after the exhilaration of being able to say, “Yes! We have multi-year general operating grants!” wore off, we realized that now we were responding to inquiring nonprofits with, “Please check back in two years when the application cycle begins again.” Our team felt we could do better, so we put our heads together and realized we had flexibility to allocate funding for an additional grant program for nonprofits not selected for a grant in an open cycle, that missed the application period, or had started related work during the long gap between cycles. We named the program Responsive Grantmaking, and project-based applications are now accepted year-round from any nonprofit in the four counties we serve (Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake) that fits into one or more of our impact areas (Capacity Building, Cultural Arts, Education & Youth, and Sustainable Communities) but is not a current grantee. We review all applications received and make decisions quarterly, so nonprofits get a timely response.
In addition to not having to turn away nonprofits requesting support due to multi-year grant cycles, we also developed this program to have an explicit focus on organizations led by people of color and/or with annual budgets under $1 million. These preferences allow us to serve smaller organizations, many of which we have not previously funded, and that may not have grant writing support. In the impact area I manage, Education & Youth, this new program has allowed us to fund several organizations that are new to me, like Durham Success Summit, whose mission is “to increase access to business education, mentorship, and professional networking opportunities for young Black men between 16 and 24 years old in Durham.” In my personal life, I love working with this age group (and was recently accepted as a mentor to iMentor’s Amplify Scholars program), so it’s been wonderful to connect with Derek Rhodes, the Summit’s Executive Director, receive their frequent updates, newsletters, and videos, and watch their students celebrate internships, fellowships, and new jobs on LinkedIn.
I love being able to tell nonprofits, “Yes! We have a grant program that accepts applications year-round!” However, I also know that, as with all of our grant programs, we receive many more applications than we can fund (we were only had funding to support about one quarter of requests). We welcome support for the Responsive Grantmaking program to address needs that arise in our community throughout the year. Donors can make a gift to Fund for the Triangle to support the Responsive Grantmaking program through the Donate page or make an interfund transfer from their donor-advised fund through the Donor Portal.
Fifteen Nonprofits Receive $300,000 in Grants from Triangle Community Foundation
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Triangle Community Foundation is delighted to share the 2022 grantees from the Environmental Resilience segment of its Sustainable Communities impact area. Fifteen grants of $20,000 each were awarded for one year of unrestricted support to organizations that build awareness of conservation and climate issues and help communities adapt to climate change threats, particularly those communities that have endured chronic stressors such as poverty and racial segregation, which are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Triangle Community Foundation Commits $360,000 to 21 Local Arts Organizations
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Triangle Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2021 grantees in its Cultural Arts impact area. This group of grantees collectively were awarded $360,000 in multi-year general operating support, in response to a continued need for reliable flexible funding, as arts organizations continue to face unique challenges due to COVID-19.
Triangle Capacity Building Network Awards $312,000 in Capacity Building Grants to Local Nonprofits Led by and Serving People of Color
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Triangle Capacity Building Network, comprised of a collaborative of local funders, has awarded $312,000 in capacity building grants as part of their continued commitment to the nonprofit ecosystem in the region. These grants, ranging between $10,000 -$15,000 and awarded to 24 local organizations, prioritize nonprofits led by and serving people of color. The grants will support staff and leadership’s ability to invest in an organizational capacity- building project that will allow their organization to better serve the community. Read more here.
New Sustainable Communities Program Will Address Climate Change Impacts and Economic Inequities in the Triangle
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Triangle Community Foundation recently unveiled an updated Impact Area, Sustainable Communities, which they believe to be more reflective of community needs. Learn more here.
Financial Report
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Published every winter, our Financial Report includes information on funds, gifts, and grants, from the previous fiscal year, including Fund for the Triangle.
Triangle Community Foundation Awards $280,000 to 28 Local Nonprofit Organizations Focused on Education & Youth
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Triangle Community Foundation has awarded $280,000 to 28 local nonprofit organizations as part of their Education and Youth Impact Area. Each organization will receive $10,000 in general operating funds to support their work with youth ages 5-24 in the community in 2021. Learn more here.
$100,000 Grant Awarded to Dress for Success Triangle as Part of Triangle Community Foundation’s Women THRIVE project.
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Triangle Community Foundation has announced a $100,000 grant, awarded to local nonprofit organization Dress for Success Triangle, as part of their Women THRIVE project, to begin the implementation of a pilot program that focuses on workforce development for low-income single mothers in SE Raleigh and East Durham. This funding supports the program’s commitment to partnership with Triangle-area organizations providing critical services to low-income women, and will support current and new programming, evaluation, and technology adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
Impact Report: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed our Philanthropy
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We are a community and over the last seven months we have faced so much together. Everything we knew changed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck our region and while it is easy to focus on what we’ve lost, there is so much we have done together that should be celebrated. Read more here.
Triangle Community Foundation’s Conservation Transaction Program Awards Two New Grants, Bringing Total Conserved Acres Supported to 267 since 2015
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Triangle Community Foundation has announced two new grants through its land conservation transaction program, bringing the total of conserved land the Foundation has helped conserve to 267 acres since 2015. The two most recent projects collectively received over $32,000 in funding to support vital conservation in the region. Read more here.
Triangle Community Foundation Awards $90,000 in General Operating Support Grants to 13 Local Arts & Culture Organizations
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Triangle Community Foundation has announced 13 inaugural grant partners in their recently re-launched Arts & Culture impact area. This group of grantee partners collectively received $90,000 in general operating support, responding to a need for flexible funding, particularly as arts organizations are facing unique challenges due to COVID-19. Read more here.
Orange County Arts Support Fund provides relief to local artists amid pandemic
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The Orange County Arts Commission announced a third round of emergency relief grants on Aug. 19, totaling $16,400 in financial assistance to various local artists and organizations as a part of the Orange County Arts Support Fund. Read more here.
CAARE funds still available to Chatham artists and arts-workers
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CAARE seeks to help with basic financial needs for artists and arts-workers like providing money to buy groceries, to pay for heart meds, to pay rent. CAARE was created with initial seed money generously granted by Manbites Dog Theater Fund, and a substantial boost to sustain the fund by Triangle Community Foundation. So far, we’ve distributed more than $10,000 to artists in need. Read more here.
Recognizing our Vice President of Community Engagement, Jess Aylor, for her contributions over the past 13 years
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After nearly 13 years with Triangle Community Foundation, Jessica Aylor has announced she will be transitioning out of her role as Vice President of Community Engagement. The Foundation was fortunate to have Jess as a part of the Leadership Team, overseeing many exciting evolutions of our programming while at the Foundation. Read more here.
50 More Ways the Triangle has Given Back during COVID-19
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“The philanthropic organization, Triangle Community Foundation (TCF), began about 40 years ago with merely $1,000 and a mission to see everyone in the Triangle thrive–since March 1, it has raised more than $5 million in donor-directed grants for hundreds of nonprofits throughout the region, and $450,000 in unrestricted dollars.” Read more about the Foundation and region’s COVID response in this Walter Magazine story from July.
Triangle Capacity-Building Network Awards $290,000 in COVID-19 Stabilization Grants for Local Nonprofits Led by and Serving People of Color
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Triangle Capacity-Building Network, comprised of a collection of local funders, has awarded $290,000 in new general operating support grants as part of their phase two response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants of $10,000, awarded to 29 local organizations, prioritize nonprofits led by and serving people of color. The general operating grants will support staff and leadership’s ability to change business models as well as provide for technical upgrades in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
‘Solidarity Fund’ aids nearly 200 Chatham families
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“Triangle Community Foundation — which serves four counties, Chatham included — contributed $14,200 to the Solidarity Fund as part of its COVID-19 response funding. The foundation also spread the word to their donor families, who gave another $20,000 through the foundation’s donor-advised funds.” Read more in the Chatham News + Record’s article from July 3, 2020.
Triangle Community Foundation, others provide coronavirus relief funds to local nonprofits
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Published in the News & Observer on April 15, 2020. “Triangle Community Foundation, with the help of its fundholders, made $3.09 million in grants in the month of March to local nonprofits, mainly for COVID-19 relief.”
Read the article, part of the paper’s free coronavirus coverage, here.
15 Local Nonprofit Organizations Addressing Poverty Funded as Collective Giving Challenge Exceeds Goal; $400,000 Granted Over Two Years
As the region’s largest philanthropic funder, we are committed to understanding the needs of our region, of our nonprofits, and any gaps in service that are making it challenging for everyone to thrive. This report is a baseline for understanding the nonprofit sector in the Triangle, intended to spark conversation.
Triangle Capacity-Building Network announces 9 inaugural grantees, focusing on funding organizations led by people of color and the communities they serve
This Spring 2019 issue of our biannual magazine included the following stories:
The Impact of Community-Based Change, a Deep Dive into East Durham Children’s Initiative and Board Chair, Barker French; What Matters: A Thriving Community; A Legacy of Giving; Tips for Family Philanthropy and Cross-Generational Giving and much more.
Invest in the Triangle Report
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This report was published in September 2018 on the impact of our Fund for the Triangle and Our Focus on Community Development, Youth Literacy, Cultural Arts, and the Environment since the fund and program’s inception in 2013.
Strategic Roadmap
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In the fall of 2017, our Board of Directors approved a new strategic roadmap for the Foundation. Standing on the shoulders of those who built this organization, we recognize that there is an urgency for more – a stronger commitment to digging deeper and working with donors, nonprofits, and the community to make our region great, and we can’t afford to ignore this urgency. Read about where we’re going and join us in the journey!
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