Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Let’s create lasting impact together.
For over 42 years, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (CFGG) has served as a cornerstone of local charitable giving for the region and beyond. With $329 million in assets and 700 charitable funds supporting diverse community priorities, CFGG also plays a vital role in convening leaders to address Greensboro’s most pressing issues. From supporting nonprofits with grants and capacity-building programs to spearheading major projects such as LeBauer Park and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, CFGG is dedicated to making a lasting impact. CFGG helps individuals, families, nonprofits, and businesses establish charitable funds and ensures that every contribution strengthens Greensboro’s 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
- Understanding what matters to the community
- Being a trusted partner that empowers others
- Shepherding successful projects that draw the community together
- Helping diverse donors create impactful gifts.
- Diverse and inclusive leadership
- Strong entrepreneurial spirit
- Access to meaningful opportunities for every resident
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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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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."
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
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
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.
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.