what matters

Triangle Community Foundation is the leading expert on local philanthropy, giving trends, and critical issues. We strive to be clear and informative about the work we do to enhance life in the Triangle, and we pride ourselves on being a trusted resource for media and other community partners.

20/20 Sisters of Vision: Improving Quality of Life for All Women

20/20 Sisters of Vision have never hesitated in helping the women and families of their community. As a giving circle of women of color, their mission is to empower women and families in local and global communities by enabling them…

Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Momentum Building Across Triangle Communities

Energy and excitement continues to build across the Triangle as communities join the NC Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The campaign is part of a national initiative of more than 300 communities working to ensure more low-income children are reading at…

2017 What Matters Community Luncheon: Our Kids

Sonia Manzano grew up in an America where she never saw people of color on television. Where she was taught to “behave and memorize” in elementary school before struggling to catch up in a more difficult performing-arts high school. Where…

Third-grade reading proficiency: it matters

Daniel started third grade reading significantly below grade level, afraid of reading aloud and not able to make connections in the text. His teacher, Jean Skelton, a third-grade teacher in Durham Public Schools, worked with him for hours to help…

Many Barriers to Education for NC Children

Education is supposed to be the great equalizer, the thing that can end generational poverty and change the trajectory of a person’s life. “We often think of equality,” said Laila Bell, director of research and data for NC Child, a…

Innovation: Changing the Odds

It’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…

#equitymatters: Summer Update

This 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

2016 What Matters Community Luncheon: A Region of Opportunity

Dr. 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…

What’s Next for Collaboration?

In an opening session at the What Matters Community Luncheon, over 75 nonprofit leaders gathered to have a candid conversation about collaboration. We talked with Meredith Emmett of Third Space Studio to talk about some of the take-aways shared, and…

Collaboration, flexibility, focus seen key to change

Sustaining the Triangle’s growth and making it a better place to live, work and play will depend on how well individuals and organizations can adapt to sweeping, rapid change and work together to fix the region’s most pressing social problems.…