Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

Let’s create a lasting impact together.

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro is involved with several, different workforce initiatives that join business leaders, educators, workforce development service providers, and donors in an effort to accelerate skills and talent development so our community is able to create the skilled workers needed to fill jobs today and for the future.

Mission

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro inspires giving, maximizes opportunities, and strengthens communities for present and future generations.

About CFGG

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro is a local, charitable giving organization with a proven history of making a lasting impact right here in our community. Since our founding in 1983, we have granted over $400 million to hundreds of nonprofits and have received over $440 million in contributions, with total assets approaching $300 million.

We like to say that CFGG is by, of, and FOR this community. We have helped establish over 700 charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations that address a wide variety of community issues and priorities. It is these diverse relationships and issues we fund that uniquely position us to convene leaders around the most pressing issues in our community. By that, we mean that no one knows Greensboro—or believes in its potential—as we do.

CFGG has a proven history of making a real difference in our community. Whether working with a family to maximize their personal philanthropy, helping start a new local nonprofit like Backpack Beginnings or the Guilford Education Alliance, or leading major projects, such as LeBauer Park and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, our goal is to simply help everyone have an impact in the community we love. We are nimble enough to respond quickly to urgent community needs and crises, too, such as our response to the tornado that ripped through East Greensboro in 2018 and COVID-19 in 2020.

From helping you establish your own fund to providing an easy and secure way to donate to existing funds, CFGG ensures your contribution is felt right here in the community.

No dream is too big, and no donation is too small for us to rise to the challenge of helping you realize your vision for a better Greensboro.

 

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro is a local, charitable giving organization with a proven history of making a lasting impact right here in our community. Since our founding in 1983, we have granted over $400 million to hundreds of nonprofits and have received over $440 million in contributions, with total assets approaching $300 million.

We like to say that CFGG is by, of, and FOR this community. We have helped establish over 700 charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations that address a wide variety of community issues and priorities. It is these diverse relationships and issues we fund that uniquely position us to convene leaders around the most pressing issues in our community. By that, we mean that no one knows Greensboro—or believes in its potential—as we do.

CFGG has a proven history of making a real difference in our community. Whether working with a family to maximize their personal philanthropy, helping start a new local nonprofit like Backpack Beginnings or the Guilford Education Alliance, or leading major projects, such as LeBauer Park and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, our goal is to simply help everyone have an impact in the community we love. We are nimble enough to respond quickly to urgent community needs and crises, too, such as our response to the tornado that ripped through East Greensboro in 2018 and COVID-19 in 2020.

From helping you establish your own fund to providing an easy and secure way to donate to existing funds, CFGG ensures your contribution is felt right here in the community.

No dream is too big, and no donation is too small for us to rise to the challenge of helping you realize your vision for a better Greensboro.

 

Vision

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro’s vision for our city is a welcoming and thriving place where people work together to enrich the lives of all. We will accomplish this by:

Values

Our Pledge to the Greater Greensboro Community

Our communities are diverse. They include people of all ages and abilities, creeds and religions, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, national origins, races, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. To pursue our mission, we will embrace our diversity, create opportunities for equity, commit ourselves to fairness, and promote inclusion of all people.”

The Power of a Grant

Grantmaking plays a pivotal role in the world of philanthropy as it channels resources, both financial and intellectual, to address pressing societal challenges and foster positive change. It serves as a bridge between donors and the community of local nonprofits making an impact in their work every day. The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro works with donors and professional advisors to manage planned giving, create grants and scholarships that meet their charitable goals, and make a positive community impact. Our Community Grants Program was created to support a wide range of issues facing people in our area. We invite any community member or nonprofit organization to connect with us and apply for a qualifying grant. Typically, these are one-time grants to help nonprofits in the Greater Greensboro area build their capacity to more effectively achieve their mission.

Grantmaking plays a pivotal role in the world of philanthropy as it channels resources, both financial and intellectual, to address pressing societal challenges and foster positive change. It serves as a bridge between donors and the community of local nonprofits making an impact in their work every day. The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro works with donors and professional advisors to manage planned giving, create grants and scholarships that meet their charitable goals, and make a positive community impact. Our Community Grants Program was created to support a wide range of issues facing people in our area. We invite any community member or nonprofit organization to connect with us and apply for a qualifying grant. Typically, these are one-time grants to help nonprofits in the Greater Greensboro area build their capacity to more effectively achieve their mission.

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AWARDED NONPROFITS

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CHARITABLE FUNDS

Strategic Plan 2023 - 2033

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro’s strategic plan is a forward-looking roadmap designed to guide its mission and impact over the coming years. Rooted in a commitment to grow philanthropy, make impactful investments, and build an equitable community, the plan outlines key goals and strategies to address unique Greensboro community needs. Our ten-year strategic plan serves as a blueprint for the foundation’s efforts to create lasting change and a stronger, more connected Greensboro.

Strategic Initiatives

The Strategic Initiatives at the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro stand as enduring pillars of support and transformation within our community. These dedicated funds, each with its unique purpose and focus, serve as powerful vehicles for philanthropy, ensuring that the impact of generosity extends far into the future. From championing educational opportunities and fostering equity to uplifting cultural vibrancy and addressing critical needs, these endowments reflect our unwavering commitment to building a vibrant, resilient, and inclusive Greensboro for generations to come.

Meet the CFGG Team

These are the people forging relationships with individuals, nonprofits, and community leaders across our community. This team plays an integral role in translating our mission into meaningful impact. Our team ensures your charitable fund creates a grant or scholarship that makes the greatest possible, positive impact in the Greensboro community. 

Our History

1983
The Foundation of Greater Greensboro is incorporated

The Foundation of Greater Greensboro is incorporated, spearheaded by Cynthia Doyle and assisted by Thornton Brooks and W. Roger Soles, who served as the first president. Gifts of $25,000 each from the Smith Richardson Foundation and Jefferson-Pilot Corporation begin an administrative endowment fund.

1985
Endowment reaches $1 million. Dave Atwood is hired as part-time executive director.
1987
Assets top $2 million.
1989
The Administrative Endowment is named in honor of Cynthia Doyle.

The Administrative Endowment is named in honor of Cynthia Doyle. Worth Durgin is named the new president. Roger Kavanagh coordinates a rent-to-own program established to aid first-time homebuyers.

1990
$2 Million Anonymous Gift

A $2 million anonymous gift puts $1 million into unrestricted endowment. With resources from the Kavanagh Housing Fund, the Foundation financed six houses on Martin Luther King Drive.

1991
Ford and MacArthur Community Leadership Program Grant

The Foundation wins a Ford and MacArthur Community Leadership Program Grant. Dr. Priscilla Taylor leads the highly successful effort to raise $500,000 in matching funds. The first affiliate foundation is established in neighboring Alamance County.

1992
Junior League donates $90,000 to launch the Children’s Trust

The Junior League donates $90,000 to launch the Children’s Trust, established in honor of pediatrician Dr. Martha Sharpless. As sponsor of the Guilford Community AIDS Partnership, the Foundation wins a matching grant from the National Community AIDS Partnership.

1993
Assets reach $15 million

An anonymous gift establishes the Revolving Loan Fund to address the needs of nonprofit organizations.

1994

The Foundation reaches 161 charitable funds and $1.6 million is distributed to grants this year.

1995
The Foundation officially changes its name to the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.
1996
The Planned Giving Service is launched, providing information on legacy philanthropy for nonprofits, professional advisors, and donors. Assets grow 30% to more than $22 million.

Assets grow 30% to more than $22 million.

1997

More than $9.5 million from Morris Howell’s unrestricted bequest to support the Foundation leads to an unprecedented increase in assets to $40.7 million.

1998

Two supporting organizations are established: The Community Foundation Real Estate Management Fund, which handles gifts of real estate, and the Stanley & Dorothy Frank Family Foundation, the philanthropic legacy of two longtime Greensboro residents.

1999

Total assets approach $60 million, and applications for grants double during the year. Walker Sanders joins the Foundation as its president. A youth philanthropy program gets underway.

2000

Ann Lineweaver recruits Jim and Louise Brady, two young leaders, to start the Future Fund. More than 250 people ages 25-45 join the Future Fund, donating approximately $33,000 to an endowment fund. The Foundation spearheads a Social Capital Benchmark Study in Guilford County. Building Stronger Neighborhoods is launched as a grantmaking partnership with local foundations and the Greensboro Public Library to support Greensboro neighborhoods.

2001

Contributions increase 95% and grants increase 35% to $7.5 million, marking unprecedented asset growth. The Foundation joins with other local foundations to support Action Greensboro, a community-wide initiative to revitalize economic and community development.

2002

Total grants increase 32% to a then-record high of almost $9.9 million. The Foundation joins forces with the High Point Community Foundation to create a Guilford County-wide education network, known today as the Guilford Education Alliance.

2003

With financial support from the Foundation and other local foundations, the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium is born to provide capacity-building for regional nonprofits. The Teen Grantmaking Council is established to provide area youth the opportunity to make grants to youth-led community projects. The Foundation moves into new offices at Foundation Place at 330 South Greene Street and is joined by the Cemala Foundation in the new space.

2004

Foundation assets grow to $85 million. A $100,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation enables the Foundation to convene learning circles throughout diverse communities in Greensboro to study traditions of giving.

2005

The Fondo del Patronato Mezquital is established to support the transnational philanthropy of Patronato Mezquital – a “hometown association” of more than 200 families residing in central North Carolina who hail from the Mexico town of Mezquital and together raise funds for charitable projects in their homeland. This is the first hometown association fund in North Carolina at a community foundation.

2006

A partnership between the Community Foundation and the Guilford Green Foundation is established to raise awareness and permanent funds for LGBTQ issues in the community.

2007

IMPACT Greensboro is formed as the result of the findings of a social capital survey. Public and private institutions collaborate to support this unique program that demonstrates how ordinary citizens from different backgrounds can forge authentic and meaningful relationships, find shared values, and develop solutions to day-to-day community issues.

2008

The first two strategic initiatives. Women to Women and The Public Art Endowment, are established to raise money to address issues of interest to women and their families and to acquire significant pieces of public art for the community.

2009
Foundation assets grow to over $100 million
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2010

Construction begins on the Interactive Resource Center, a day center for homeless people in the Greensboro area. The Foundation played an integral role in this: bringing partners together, facilitating the planning of the project, and accepting the Richard Strasser family’s generous gift of real estate for the Center. The Community Leadership Investment Fund is introduced and Building Stronger Neighborhoods celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

2011
2011

The Foundation activates the online fundholder portal. The Future Fund achieves its $1 million fundraising goal. The Public Art Endowment unveils “Standing Vase with Five Flowers” by James Surls along Green Valley Road.

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2012

The Greensboro City Council asks the Foundation to convene a task force to study the feasibility and benefits of constructing a performing arts center in the downtown area. The Teen Grantmaking Council welcomes its 100th participant. The Foundation receives assets from the estate of Carolyn Weill LeBauer "for the creation of a public park."

2013
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2013

The Performing Arts Center task force presents final recommendations to the city. The Greensboro City Council votes to commit $20 million to the project of constructing a new state-of-the-art performing arts center downtown.

2014
2014

At the instruction and bequest recipient of Carolyn LeBauer’s estate, plans are unveiled for the Carolyn and Maurice LeBauer Park and slated for opening in 2016. Women to Women grants its first multi-year grant to the YWCA totaling $210,000. The Foundation facilitates more than $15 million in grantmaking to nonprofit causes through nine grantmaking portfolios.

2015
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Cynthia Doyle, the driving force behind the establishment of the Foundation, passes away in January. Community Foundation staff dedicate an annual Community Service Day in her memory. Through a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, the Expanding Community Giving Initiative was established to grow a diverse donor base. Say Yes Education’s national office selects Guilford County as its next site.

2016
2016
2016

Triad Workforce Solutions Collaborative (now Guilford Apprenticeship Partners/GAP) launches apprenticeship programs to benefit area high school students and employers. The Carolyn and Maurice LeBauer Park opens in downtown Greensboro. LeBauer Park and Center City Park are given to the city.

2017
2017

The Eastern Triad Workforce Initiative (ETWI) forms a public-private partnership to provide apprenticeship and on-the-job training to prepare people for in-demand careers. Construction for Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts begins in earnest after the April 26 groundbreaking event. Donor support remains strong for the new performing arts center, which is scheduled for completion in 2020.

2018
2018
2018

A devastating tornado strikes east Greensboro in April. The Foundation’s Tornado Relief Fund provides over $800,000 to support recovery efforts. Through our Expanding Community Giving Initiative, four giving circles, which recognize unique cultural customs and charitable focus areas of the respective donors, are established.

2019
2019

Total grantmaking since the 1983 creation of the Foundation tops $300 million. The Black Investments in Greensboro (BIG) Equity Fund is launched. Inspired by unprecedented violence against communities of color, the Foundation creates and officially adopts a diversity pledge. For his 20-year work anniversary, an endowment to support local children attending theatre performances is established in President Walker Sanders’ honor.

2020
2020

The Community Foundations’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund supports Greater Greensboro during a global pandemic.

2021
2021

The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro officially moves to 301 N. Elm Street. The Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts officially opens.

Apply

Find the information you need to apply for Community Foundation grants and scholarships. Local students can find the scholarships that they are eligible for and apply online. Nonprofit organizations can learn more about the grant process and ways to reach donors.

Learn

Learn more about what the Community Foundation does to create a lasting impact in and for Greensboro. Read about the history of CFGG and how we work to meet community needs.

Give

Donate to Community Foundation initiatives or other existing funds online. You can support the local nonprofit or scholarship fund that you are passionate about.
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