Blog: Triangle Community Foundation

Putting the “We” in Philanthropy

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By Greyson Norcross, Senior Donor Engagement Officer

One of the most unique aspects of a community foundation is in the very name: community. The word community as we know it originates from the 14th century when it meant "a number of people associated together by the fact of residence in the same locality, or the common people.”[1]

Triangle Community Foundation serves as a point of connection where anyone can come together, predominantly to make a difference where we live. One of the main ways we make that difference is through collective grantmaking with our flexible and responsive Fund for the Triangle.

Fund for the Triangle was created in 2013 in response to a reframing of the Foundation's grantmaking programs. The Fund focuses primarily on grantmaking in four impact areas:

Since 2013, we have granted over $14 million to approximately 400 local nonprofits that play key roles in our impact areas and our community. The Fund was intentionally designed to offer a space for fundholders and donors alike to participate in collective grantmaking initiatives - specific fundraising calls to action related to a particular need or focus.

The power of collective grantmaking through the Fund has perhaps never been more visible than in the past 18 months as we made so much more possible together by raising:

  • More than $1.3 million for relief and recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina

  • Nearly $500,000 to support nonprofits navigating changes to SNAP benefits

  • More than $670,000 for 2025’s Responsive Grantmaking program

At a recent Foundation Lunch and Learn with fundholders that focused on Fund for the Triangle and the impact of collective grantmaking initiatives, the Fund’s Responsive Grantmaking program was showcased as a prime example of what is possible when the community comes together.

The Responsive Grantmaking program exists to aid nonprofits in maintaining capacity through a period of organizational change, and in 2025 was mobilized in reply to federal policy changes that resulted in significant uncertainty. The Foundation received 175 applications for funding, with the total ask amounting to more than $1.2 million!

So, where does “community” fit into this example? The Foundation initially had set aside $200,000 from Fund for the Triangle for this effort, and a fundholder quickly stepped in offering to match any additional contributions up to $250,000. In short order we raised a total of $874,000! While still short of the $1.2 million requested, it was more than four times what we initially anticipated and has resulted in two rounds of grant distributions to date. In spring 2025, we granted $436,525 to 24 nonprofits, followed by $220,000 to 11 more nonprofits later in the fall of 2025. Additionally, every nonprofit that applied but was not awarded a full grant received acknowledgement grants to recognize the time and effort put into completing the application. These acknowledgement grants totaled $37,250 to 139 nonprofits. What does this all mean? It means that in less than one year, the Foundation has made $693,675 in grants to 174 nonprofits.

Slides for When I Becomes We (2)

As with any competitive grantmaking program, the unfortunate reality is that we were not able to fully fund every application we received. But we’re not done making an impact! The Foundation’s goal is to distribute a total of $1 million by the end of June 2026. This is how you can help us to meet that goal:

  • Make a contribution to Fund for the Triangle in support of the Responsive Grantmaking program! You can make a contribution directly from your donor- advised fund or via an online donation on our website.
  • Contribute to Fund for the Triangle by using your Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) or Required Minimum Distributions (RMD). QCDs and RMDs cannot be contributed to donor-advised funds, but they can to the Fund. Contact our Donor Engagement team to find out how!
  • Serve on an advisory committee! Advisory committees are essential to the success of our grantmaking programs. Composed of fundholders, donors, and leaders from the community, committees review, evaluate, and make grantmaking decisions. We would love to have you join us in this work, and we guarantee it will leave you inspired.

We are grateful for everything we as a community have accomplished thus far through Responsive Grantmaking this fiscal year, and we hope you will join us on a final push to grant a total of $1 million by the end of June! Together as the common people, we can achieve this goal for nonprofits in our community.

[1] https://www.etymonline.com/word/community

Interested in viewing the recording of When “I” becomes “We”: Understanding the Impacts of Collective Granting Initiatives Lunch and Learn? Find the recording of the presentation here (Passcode: y3BPHCs$).