The Bill Johnson Trust to Benefit Stokes County provides grants to non-profit organizations or informal groups in Stokes County for worthy public and charitable purposes with an emphasis on developing leaders and inspiring others.

The Bill Johnson Trust to Benefit Stokes County was established in December 1999 to honor the leadership and vision of William Howard Johnson, Jr., who was born and lived in Walnut Cove from May 5, 1945 to February 2, 1999.  Bill left a legacy of outstanding public service to the people of Stokes County, and many of his contributions are known through the results of varied projects and service initiatives that he launched or shepherded through to completion.  He accomplished through others based on a fundamental faith in the goodness and generosity of the human spirit.  This was his way, and it is his lasting gift to the people of Stokes County. View a list of Stokes County grants.
 
The Advisory Board for the Bill Johnson Trust to Benefit Stokes County will review grant proposals.

The Advisory Board for the Bill Johnson Trust to Benefit Stokes County has established the following criteria for grant seekers to consider in determining their requests for funds:

1. Grants will support worthy public and charitable purposes in Stokes County with an emphasis on developing leaders and inspiring others.  Leadership can be either formal and traditional, or demonstrated in less traditional ways that are creative and innovative.  The trust is designed both to work with established organizations and to encourage new initiatives, following the example set by Bill Johnson.
2. Special attention will be given to encouraging leadership in certain focus areas: Education; Arts; Environmental Protection and Recreational Use; Historical Preservation; Local Government and Community Services; Health; and Organizations and Issues affecting minorities and low-resource communities.
3. Applicants can be informal groups of people with innovative ideas, including those that might grow into nonprofit organizations; or established organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. 
4. Grants will not be made for projects or institutions that would ordinarily receive public funding.  However, public institutions such as schools or parks may submit proposals for innovative projects for which funds are not ordinarily provided.

Please submit a written proposal, two to three pages long, which describes:

• the mission and work of your organization
• the issue(s) you hope to address with the proposed project
• The proposed project, including:
• the plans to be implemented
• the individuals who will be served
• the proposed accomplishments
• the time-line for the project
• the amount requested

Please attach to your proposal the following:

• a budget for your proposed project, including all sources of income
•  information about the financial status of your organization
• the signature of the chair of your board or the leader of your organization, which indicates authorization of the proposal
• a list of your current board members or leaders
• information about the tax-exempt status of your organization, if you have filed with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exemption
• any other supplemental materials relevant to the proposal

The deadline for proposals is August 25, 2008.  Proposals must be received in The Winston-Salem Foundation's office by 5:00 p.m. on the due date. The Foundation will notify grant recipients in late November.

For more information, please contact the Foundation.