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Our Story

History

The Foundation was established in 1919 with a donation of $1,000. We were the first foundation of any type to be established in North Carolina, and we’re the 16th oldest community foundation in the United States. For over a hundred years, thousands of individuals and organizations have partnered with us to improve the quality of life in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, and beyond. Read more in our historical timeline.

What We Do

  • Community Investment: We offer proactive and responsive grantmaking and we build deep community partnerships to strengthen Forsyth County.
  • Philanthropic Services: We partner with generous community members to make impactful and lasting gifts, both locally and beyond.
  • Student Aid: We provide scholarships to local students in their quest for higher education.
  • Strategic Initiatives: We amplify the voices and collective impact of local youth, women and girls, and Black communities.

Focus Areas

The Foundation is devoting significant resources toward investments in two critical focus areas for our work in Forsyth County:

  • Building an Inclusive Economy
  • Advancing Equity in Education

Learn more about our focus areas

our vision

A generous and trusting community where everyone is thriving.

our mission

We inspire giving and link resources to action, strengthening Forsyth County—now and forever.

our values
  • Inclusion: we practice and champion inclusion, honoring the strengths and experiences of all in our community.
  • Accountability: we honor the intentions of our donors and partners and hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, service, and stewardship.
  • Continuous Learning: we are committed to learning and evolving with our community and our partners.

Our commitment to racial equity

Learn more about how and why the Foundation is applying a racial equity lens to its work in the community—as well as inside its own walls.

Read about our Commitment to Racial Equity

Financial impact

National rankings

Based on FY 2021 CF Insights Survey of 193 U.S. community foundations

stories of impact

Making a Lasting Difference

Suzie Ross and her husband Dennis think about giving in an interconnected and broad-reaching way, with charitable interests ranging from the visual and performing arts, to nature and conservation, to tackling systemic injustices.

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stories of impact

Transforming Lives and Communities

The Do School is working to build economic mobility in more ways than one.

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stories of impact

Building a Brighter Future

With a family lineage that goes back more than 200 years in Winston-Salem, Ray Robinson is about as homegrown as it gets. And pushing his family’s legacy forward is always at the forefront of his mind.

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