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Learn About ZSR

We partner with the extraordinary people of North Carolina to create positive and sustained change.

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News + Stories

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Leading Beyond the Principal's Office
Teacher in blue polo speaking to students in a school hallway beside lockers

Leading Beyond the Principal’s Office

Public Education

The NC Principal of the Year Network is a growing community of school leaders using their voice and expertise to champion and strengthen NC’s local public schools.
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Map of North Carolina and surrounding areas with multiple yellow star markers indicating specific locations.

ZSR Awards $1.7 Million to 34 Community Projects in Rural NC

  • News
  • Community Progress Fund

During our May board meeting, the ZSR Board of Trustees awarded 35 grants totaling $1.7 million to organizations working for local progress in rural communities across North Carolina.

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Two people smile and embrace at a community event

Saving and Sharing Black History in Appalachia

  • Story
  • Community Progress Fund

The Mary C. Jenkins Community and Cultural Center in Brevard is a community hub with a long history of gathering, celebrating and preserving the history of Black people in western NC.

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Grants + Programs

ZSR provides grants and programs in service of our mission to improve the quality of life for all North Carolinians.

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View the Grants & Programs State-Level Systemic Change page

State-Level Systemic Change

We fund organizations working to change policies, power structures and other root causes of challenges so all North Carolinians can thrive.

View the Grants & Programs Community Progress Fund page

Community Progress Fund

We provide short-term grants across NC for local groups to meet direct needs, test ideas and expand promising efforts to improve their communities.

View the Grants & Programs Inclusive Public Art Initiative page

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

We invest in public art projects that share under-told stories of North Carolinians, sparking new conversations and highlighting our common humanity.

View the Grants & Programs Sabbatical Program page

Sabbatical Program

We support experienced nonprofit leaders with paid sabbaticals so they can rest, recharge and return to work with fresh momentum and renewed focus.

View featured grant page for: Current Grant Partners

Current Grant Partners

See the nonprofit organizations ZSR is currently funding.

Meet Our People
Group of 15 diverse adults standing outdoors under a pergola, smiling and posing for a photo.

Our team is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all North Carolinians.

We believe that everyone has a role to play in building a just, inclusive and sustainable North Carolina.

Meet Our People