Locals in three municipalities will have a direct say in future grant money from the Community Foundation of Gaston County. The Community Foundation, now in its 35th year, is starting a pilot program. New seven-person boards will be established in Belmont, Cherryville and Mount Holly. Each board will have a say in how unrestricted funds are doled out to charities in their city. Those boards will make recommendations to the Community Foundation that will ultimately have final approval.
Getting guidance from people in the communities will be an asset, according to Ernest Sumner, Community Foundation executive director. The three new entities will be the Belmont Community Impact Fund, the Cherryville Community Impact Fund and the Mount Holly Community Impact Fund.
Each will start off with $10,000, receiving that money as part of this year’s grant approvals from the Foundation board, Sumner said. Each will also get a boost from an upcoming celebration, Better Gaston Bash. Proceeds from the upcoming event will be divided between the three new funds.
According to Sumner, the three cities chosen for the community funds project were selected randomly. “There’s no rhyme or reason of why we have picked these three,” he said. The boards will operate for three years then the Community Foundation will review the effectiveness of the project.
If the community outreach is successful, more cities within the county could be selected for the same structure, Sumner said. This year the Foundation will award grants to 22 nonprofit groups and the three new community funds for a total of $536,000. This year the Foundation focused on groups that addressed needs in the area of arts, education, health, homelessness and hunger.
The organization’s board of directors is particularly interested in addressing the needs across the county, according to Dr. Richard Rankin, board president. Rankin said that forming the three community boards is a step in the right direction. “We feel this action sends a strong message to all members of the Gaston County community that the Community Foundation is inclusive and has a mission directed toward all local areas within the county,” he said.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.
The Community Foundation will award $536,000 to the following nonprofits in Gaston County this year:
ArtSpace
As One Ministries
BackPack Weekend Food Program
Christ Community Baptist Church – Community Food Program
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church-Community Food Program
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Gaston Community Concert Band
Gaston County Health Department
Girls on the Run/Cancer Services/YMCA
Gaston County Medical Society Alliance
Gaston County Parks and Recreation
Gaston Family Health Services
Gaston Literacy Council
Gaston School of the Arts
Gaston Together
Goat Island Cramerton
Off the Streets
Room at the Inn
Second Harvest Food Bank
The Schiele Museum
Run for the Money
Teens Changing Gaston County
Grants for Non-Profit Education
Want to go?
What: The Community Foundation of Gaston County’s Better Gaston Bash
When: 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013
Where: Gaston County Club
Cost: $75 per person
Tickets: To purchase, call 704-864-0927 or go to www.cfgaston.org