C o m m u n i t y

matterseveryone has a story to tell

Building social capital by sharing stories

the winston-salem foundation C o m m u n i t y N e w s l e t t e r | Aug us t 2 0 0 9

we are all aware of the power of storytelling as a

means of passing down information, traditions and values from

generation to generation. But

in our high-tech world, how

can storytelling bring strangers

together for the greater good?

At the Foundation’s 2009

Community Luncheon in May,

over 740 community members

experienced first-hand the

powerful impact of listening to

others’ stories. Keynote speaker

and radio journalist John Biewen

introduced the audience to

several individuals whom he

profiled in Nuevo South and Five

Farms, two of his national radio

documentary projects.

Attendees first heard the

angry voice of a white Siler City,

NC mother from Nuevo South,

who was upset by the influx

of Hispanics in her hometown

and on her daughter’s soccer team. In a subsequent interview,

her upbeat voice reflects warmth and affection for the Hispanic

guidance counselor who has become a mentor and friend to her

daughter. A new relationship has been formed, and a barrier to

understanding others has been torn down.

Winston-Salem’s own storytelling initiative was also intro-

duced — StoryLine, an initiative of the ECHO Council. This

mobile storytelling bus will travel

throughout Forsyth County,

recording stories, building

community, and providing

connections among people by

telling and sharing our stories.

Radio segments from StoryLine

conversations will be broadcast

weekly on four partner radio

stations for the public to hear.

Hundreds of canned food

items were also collected at the

luncheon to donate to Second

Harvest Food Bank of Northwest

North Carolina. The Foundation

appreciates these donations as well

as the 46 sponsoring organizations

that helped make this community

event possible.

We look forward to hosting

the next Community Luncheon

on May 5, 2010. In the meantime, sign up to share your story

with our community today!

storyline continues on page 3

speaker John Biewen at may 6 community luncheon

To hear John Biewen’s Nuevo South documentary visit

http://cds.aas.duke.edu/audio/index.html

the 2009 echo awards were also presented at the

Foundation’s Community Luncheon. Four individuals and one

organization were recognized for actively building social capital

— by connecting and building trust among people in order to

make our community stronger.

dr. lee Beall started an ongoing musical exchange 20

years ago between developmentally disabled children at Carter

Vocational High School and typically-

developing children at Summit School.

This innovative program has resulted in

relationship-building, trust, self-confidence,

and enlightened minds, creating new

friendships between the students. Dr.

Beall was nominated by Ann Guill.

mitchell Britt builds social

capital through his innovative monthly

Supplement slow-food dinners that bring

together people of diverse ages, races and

income levels to share locally grown meals.

Held in backyards and living rooms across

Winston-Salem, individuals come to the

dinner as strangers and leave as friends. He

also educates others on building a more

sustainable environment and economy

through initiatives such as a compost

exchange and community garden. Mitchell was nominated by

Jonathan Milner.

deloris huntley created the Alpha and Omega Family

Institute to provide a place where individuals could access pro-

grams and services in their own neighborhood. Programming

includes afterschool tutoring help, healthy cooking classes,

prenatal classes and a children’s health fair. Residents, many

facing huge challenges, can gather information, learn new skills

and ultimately learn ways to trust one another and give back to

the community. Deloris was nominated by Tracey Maxwell.

roBert leak iii builds social capital in the Easton

neighborhood he calls home. As president of the Easton Youth

Neighborhood Association, he is building community — by

organizing a neighborhood canned food drive, a coat drive for

the homeless, a community cleanup and tutoring support for

Easton Elementary School students. He intentionally reaches

out to his diverse community by printing flyers in Spanish

to include the Latino population in neighborhood activities.

Robert was nominated by Ashley Huling.

reynolda rotary cluB of winston-salem

has had an innovative partnership with Cook Elementary

School since 2003. Their initial involvement entailed tutoring

commitments and financial donations for outdoor equipment.

Since then, bonding relationships have developed among

the diverse groups of Rotary members, students, parents and

teachers, resulting in improved student self-confidence, test

score gains and stereotype elimination. New traditions have

been established, including a book fair, an annual holiday

party and a scholarship fund at WSSU. The Reynolda Rotary

Club was nominated by Barbara Cassidy.

Each ECHO Award recipient received $1,000 to grant to

a nonprofit organization of their choice. They were selected

by a committee representing the ECHO Council and the

Foundation.

echo award winners

(l-r) harold martin; mitchell Britt; roBert leak iii; sylvia oBerle of

reynolda rotary cluB and ted Burcaw of cook elementary school; deloris

huntley; dr. lee Beall; and scott wierman

Foundation news

the 2010 echo award nomination process will Begin in

feBruary 2010. keep this in mind as you oBserve social

capital Bridge Builders at work in our community!

ed welch has Been awarded the 2009 Winston-

Salem Foundation Award. The Foundation’s highest honor, the

award honors his generous contributions to our community. As

Harold Martin remarked in his introduction at the Community

Luncheon, “Ed has used this personal touch to improve his

community — our community — giving generously of his

time, talent and resources to

individuals and organizations in

ways both big and small.”

His recent leadership roles

include chairing the boards

of both the Winston-Salem

Chamber of Commerce and

United Way. Ed’s passion to

improve education includes

establishing the Chamber’s

Community Education

Collaborative as well as exten-

sive volunteer leadership with

Forsyth Tech. As president of Winston-Salem-based IL Long

Construction Company, he has encouraged a close employee

partnership with North Hills Elementary School. He is also

actively involved with Hospice, Senior Services, The Children’s

Home and Arbor Acres.

Established in 1996, the award is given to individuals

who demonstrate the Foundation’s values of generosity, excel-

lence, inclusion and integrity along with visionary leadership

in a community activity or on

behalf of a community organi-

zation. Ed was selected by

a committee comprised

of members from various

Foundation committees and

the community at-large.

Ed received a $10,000

grant to designate for local

nonprofits. He has designated

$5,000 each to educational

initiatives of the Greater

Winston-Salem Chamber of

Commerce Foundation and the Forsyth Tech Foundation.

He was nominated by Gayle Anderson and Gary Green.

c o m m u n i t y m a t t e r s [ 2 – 3 ]

storyline is a volunteer-led effort to

collect and share the stories of everyday people in Forsyth

County. The project was initiated to honor the rich diversity

of voices throughout our community and to celebrate our

history, hopes and common humanity.

How does it work? Stories will be collected via the Story Bus,

a mobile recording studio that will travel to community events,

churches, neighborhoods, schools and other venues throughout

Forsyth County. Pairs of individuals will share uninterrupted

conversation for 40 minutes, about any topic of their choice.

These oral histories will be recorded, and participants will leave

the session with a free CD recording. Selected conversations

(permission granted) will be edited and played on a weekly basis

by radio partners WFDD, WSNC, WSJS and Que Pasa Radio,

reaching a broad cross-section of our community.

StoryLine’s Presenting Sponsor is Dewey’s Bakery, and

the project’s Community Sponsors include SPEVCO, CJMW,

M Creative, The Children’s Home, Spot Recording and The

Winston-Salem Foundation. StoryLine is a project of the ECHO

Council, dedicated to building social capital and fostering trust-

ing relationships in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

To sign up, hear stories, and find out more, visit StoryLine

at www.storylineproject.org

(l-r) harold martin, foundation committee chair; ed welch;

scott wierman, foundation president

the storyline Bus

storyline: tell us your story

winston-salem foundation award winner

Grantmaking Partners: Community Builders

when walt murray and his wife Martha Ann con-

sidered how to expand the ways in which they could con-

tribute to the city they love, they turned to the Foundation’s

Grantmaking Partners program as a way to make it happen.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in this city if you go out and

look for it,” Murray says. “Grantmaking Partners is a great

way to do that.” The program enables donors to partner with

the Foundation to fund grant requests from eligible nonprofit

organizations while leveraging more dollars in the community

for a wide array of valuable programs.

How does it work? Foundation staff performs extensive

due diligence on grant proposals throughout the year. On

a quarterly basis, donors are given five to seven approved

Grantmaking Partners opportunities for their consideration.

After a project’s completion,

supporting donors receive

follow-up information on the

project’s community impact.

Murray notes, “There

are so many things going on

in the city that need help that

we don’t know about. The

program is a good fit for us.”

He first became familiar

with the Foundation when

his business, Murray Supply

Company, established a scholarship fund for its employees that

the Foundation administers. When the Murrays established

eleven-year-old pamela teJada admits she was a

little scared when she first tried to sail the boat she helped build

with other Latham Elementary students and volunteers of the

Y SAIL program. “At the end, I got in the boat by myself for the

first time, I was like, ‘Wow, I did it!’” Pamela says.

The volunteer-led Y SAIL pro-

gram of the YMCA teaches children

how to build and sail a sailboat.

But constructing the 7.5-foot long

sailboat that weighs 75 pounds pro-

vides other lessons as well.

First, children learn how

to be safe in the water through

swimming lessons. “We’ve broken a lot of barriers,” says Karen

Valecillo-Pereira, Program Director of the YMCA’s 21st Century

Community Learning Site. “Three to four of the children had

never jumped into the water before Y SAIL, and now they’ve

learned how to be safe in the water, how to build a boat and sail it.”

“Learning to work together as a team has been good for the

children,” she adds, and each youngster made a three-afternoon

a week commitment to Y SAIL. Volunteers also incorporated

school skills into the lessons as children learned metric measure-

ments, sailboat terminology and knot-tying skills.

Volunteer Fred Clifford built sailboats professionally for 10

years, and he and his sailing friends developed the idea for

Y SAIL after they retired. The YMCA partnered with the group

to begin the program, and participants from The

Children’s Home and YMCA Adventure Guides

have also built boats.

“We like kids,” Clifford says. “The kids have

loved it.” Y SAIL volunteers will work with Camp

High Hopes campers this summer, and volunteers

will be back building boats next fall.

Two Foundation grants totaling $14,600 in

2007 and 2008 enabled Y SAIL to reach out to chil-

dren who would not otherwise be able to participate,

and Clifford says, “That made all the difference.”y sail regatta on salem lake

fred clifford applies a Boat

decal with latham students.

(other volunteers include

roma comBs, fred eldridge, dick

hattaway, Barry henderson,

george lamB, Jeff stallings,

and don stovall)

y sail: sailing into a Brighter future

walt murray

there’s nothing “little” about the Little Theatre of Winston-

Salem.

And as a result of a $30,000

Foundation grant made in 2007, a

new branding campaign has been

designed to clear up any community

confusion.

The new name and logo “Twin

City Stage” was introduced in April

in anticipation of their 2009-2010 75th Anniversary

Season.

“We’re not really changing anything we do, and

we’re not changing who we are,” says Norman Ussery,

Executive Director of Twin City Stage. “The purpose

of the project was to study the branding to see what

people thought of us and how people thought of us.”

The study showed that many people in the

community were confusing The Little Theatre with

The Children’s Theatre, which is housed in the same

building.

“The word ‘little’ was getting in the way,” Ussery

says. “We’re just trying to remove the barrier.”

Twin City Stage performs in a 540–seat venue,

and many of those involved in productions have a per-

forming background but have chosen to pursue other

careers. As a result, patrons of Twin City Stage enjoy

top-caliber performances.

“There’s very little “little” about it,” Ussery says.

“We’re just not New York.”

The new name not only removes the word “little,”

but also refers to the history of the city and the two unique

cities, Winston and Salem, that merged, Ussery says.

An unintended benefit of the study is that Twin

City Stage will merge its children’s theatre opportuni-

ties with The Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem,

and the teen and adult programming will be offered

through Twin City Stage, Ussery says.

“The Foundation has really made itself committed

to the arts and cultural scene in Winston-Salem,” he

says. “We identified the problem, and they funded the

solution.”

the Walter V. and Martha W. Murray Advised Fund, they

welcomed the idea of receiving funding opportunity recom-

mendations from Foundation staff and felt that “this would

be a good way for us to do what we wanted to do.”

Donor Services Officer Jonathan Halsey sees many ben-

efits that come from Grantmaking Partners. First, the part-

nership adds to the unrestricted grantmaking resources that

allow the Foundation to respond to changing community

needs. In 2008, the Foundation awarded $24 million in total

grants, and most grantmaking was donor-advised; only $2

million came from unrestricted funds, which provide more

flexibility for community grantmaking.

“The program enables us to help more people,” Halsey

says. It also provides the opportunity for staff “to introduce

donors to nonprofits in our community they may not be

aware of.”

“It’s a real compliment when donors participate,” he

continues, “They trust the Foundation to make good grant-

making decisions and to be good stewards of their money.”

In some ways, Grantmaking Partners offers the best of

both scenarios: it gives donors more choices in how their

funds may be directed, and it gives the Foundation the

potential to fund more unique projects.

A Winston-Salem native, Murray and his father started

their business in 1965. He’s thankful for the opportunities he

had growing up, and he wants to be able to share that with

others. Both Murray and his wife volunteer regularly at Crisis

Control Ministry, and he is chairman of Winston-Salem

Crimestoppers.

Through Grantmaking Partners, the Murrays have sup-

ported projects as diverse as a Little Theatre branding study

and the YMCA’s Y SAIL program (stories are adjacent).

When they choose to partner with the Foundation to

support a grant, some projects naturally fit their interests:

“My wife and I enjoy theater, the arts,” Murray says, but

projects also appeal to them for other reasons. “The other is a

need basis: it’s just an opportunity to help.”

Through Grantmaking Partners the Murrays have

learned much about our community; Walt believes that

participating in the program enables them to “have a bigger

impact and affect more people.”

for more information on how you can Become a

grantmaking partner, contact Jonathan halsey at

336-714-3466 or Jhalsey@wsfoundation.org.

c o m m u n i t y m a t t e r s [ 4 – 5 ]

twin city stage: a new look for an old favorite

during the gloBal economic downturn,

financial markets meltdown, political transition, and near-

collapse of the U.S. banking system that began last year, you

might expect that charitable giving would be one of the first

casualties of the turmoil as charitable individuals and families

find themselves forced to reexamine their motivations, and

reorder their priorities, in response to changes in their incomes

and portfolios.

Cash flow and asset security have become even more

important as people struggle to respond to an unfamiliar

financial landscape with unclear rules. Anecdotal evidence sug-

gests that charitable giving, while not curtailed, has certainly

been constrained, as more nonprofit entities report fundraising

shortfalls and more restrictive grant environments.

Although the near-term outlook for charities and chari-

table giving looks challenging, there are still many who have

organizations and pursuits they want to support; as a reader of

this newsletter, you may find yourself in this situation as well.

Do you find that the current climate of uncertainty leads

to a reluctance to act, while you also feel a need or desire to

do so? Even more so than in less turbulent times, as you make

your charitable giving plans, you should include your legal

and financial advisors to help you realize your goals, and make

your gifts work as efficiently as possible.

Some techniques that at first glance might not appear as

appropriate when markets are depressed can still have use as

you consider your charitable commitments. For example, gifts

of appreciated stock (held for more than one year) are often

made when markets are rising, because you can capture signifi-

cant gains in an equity position, obtain a deduction for full fair

market value and avoid income tax on the gain. However, such

gifts can still be made when securities have less appreciation, as

a means to step up basis in an equity position that you want to

maintain; by donating the stock, and using the cash you would

otherwise have used for a charitable gift to repurchase the

position, the new holding will have basis equal to its purchase

price, and you’ll have avoided tax on unrealized gains already

built into the security holding.

It is still important to note that intent to make a gift is the

single most important factor in charitable giving, as no tax or

financial technique exists that allows for the transfer of assets

to a nonprofit entity which leaves the donor better off eco-

nomically than before the gift. Even so, as committed persons

seek to continue charitable giving, advisors can play a key role

in maximizing benefits for donors and the charitable entities

and pursuits they want to support.

So how do you go about giving in

uncertain times? Start by making the deci-

sion as an individual, or a family, to com-

mit yourself to a charitable goal. If that

goal is to help an institution or a cause

that’s important to you, then decide how

to fulfill it (e.g. when, with what assets,

via which funding vehicle). If you want

to make a commitment but aren’t certain

to whom or how, contact the staff at The

Winston-Salem Foundation for opportunities that might

appeal to you. If being involved helps you define your inter-

ests, contact an organization like HandsOn Northwest North

Carolina (www.volunteer-connections.com) to explore volun-

teer opportunities available in the community.

Most importantly, don’t abandon or postpone your

philanthropic goals out of uncertainty or concern – seek out

resources, persons, and institutions that make it possible for

you to make and keep the commitments that are important to

you. Uncertain times provide opportu-

nities for us to be active in charity and

willing in service.

michael a. trawick, cpa/pfs, cfp® is

a principal of saunders, strode &

trawick, p.a., in winston-salem.

Charitable Giving in uncertain times

“the life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”

– Henry wadsworth Longfellow

c o m m u n i t y m a t t e r s [ 6 – 7 ]

in feBruary the Foundation’s Black Philanthropy

Initiative (BPI) announced $25,000 in grants awarded from

the Black Philanthropy Fund’s first grant cycle. Richard N.

Davis, who served as 2008 chairman of

BPI, states, “The Black Philanthropy

Initiative is proud to be announcing our

first round of grants to five very worthy

community projects focusing on educa-

tion. This is a wonderful new giving tra-

dition in our African-American commu-

nity, and we look forward to announcing

our second grant cycle in late 2009.”

Grants in the amount of $5,000

were awarded to each of the following five organizations:

family services, inc. to support the establishment of a

permanent extended day Head Start program with a focus in

math and science.

forsyth technical community college to enhance

the Transitions: Next Steps program to improve retention and

graduation rates of minority males at the community college.

north forsyth high school to purchase 41 graphing calculators

to be awarded to student athletes who

improve their math grades through

required tutoring.

Quality education academy

for Project STAY, an after school pro-

gram that focuses on Forsyth County

area students (ages 13-17) at high risk

of dropping out of school.

ywca of winston-salem/forsyth county to pur-

chase an academic skills software program for Best Choice

Center, an after school and summer program to enhance stu-

dents’ academic performance.

an enthusiastic group of youth and parents came

together on March 4 at The Enrichment Center to announce

and celebrate Youth Grantmakers in Action’s fourth cycle of

grants since its inception in 2005. Six grants totaling $1,690

were made to projects that will help the youth of Forsyth

County make a positive difference in our community.

cancer awareness and research for everyone (c.a.r.e.) cluB $200 grant to distribute breast cancer aware-

ness and prevention materials to Reagan High School students

and their families

carver high school lunch Bunch Book cluB $370 grant to purchase books for a student-led book club at

Carver High School

fellowship of christian athletes at mt. taBor high school $300 grant to host a carnival for children at

The Children’s Center

forsyth country day cooking cluB $320 grant to prepare meals for families staying at the Ronald McDonald

House

the tennis instructors at mt. taBor high school $200 grant to host a clinic highlighting tennis basics

and the importance of physical fitness for youth

winston lake family ymca Black achievers $300 grant to begin a teen golf club at the Winston Lake YMCA.

youth grantmakers in action announce 2009 grant recipients

Black philanthropy initiative announces first grant recipients

2008-2009 youth grantmakers in action

Bpi grant recipients at the feBruary 17

grants announcement

charlois fletcher of the

winston lake ymca Black

achievers accepts grant

from yga memBers widnelia

garcia and ana rice

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w w w . w s f o u n d a t i o n . o r g

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

paidWinston-Salem, NC

Permit No. 406

foundation’s annual report wins national award

the winston-salem

foundation has Been

named a Bronze award

winner for excellence

in communications By

the 2009 wilmer shields

rich awards program.

sponsored By the council

on foundations, the

awards program recognizes effective communications

efforts to increase puBlic awareness of foundations and

corporate giving programs.

the foundation received the award for its 2008 report

to the community/2007 annual report entitled “where

integrity shines.” other medal winners in the same

category were the cleveland foundation and the

Boston foundation.

entries to the awards program included annual or Bienni-

al reports, magazines/periodicals, special reports, puBlic

information campaigns and weB sites. this year, a total of

199 entries were suBmitted.

to reQuest a copy, contact us at 336-725-2382 or lwarren@

wsfoundation.org.

Confirmed in Compliancewith National Standardsfor U.S. Community Foundations