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ZSR Awards $9.4 Million to Organizations Working for Systemic Change in NC

During the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s (ZSR’s) November board meeting, ZSR’s Board of Trustees awarded 102 grants totaling $9.4 million to organizations working toward state-level systemic change in North Carolina.

The grants, most of which started on January 1, were awarded under ZSR’s State-Level Systemic Change strategy. They support nonprofit organizations working to change policies, power structures and other root causes of challenges so that all North Carolinians can lead fulfilling lives.

These organizations are working for meaningful and lasting progress within and across four issue areas:

  • Advancing Public Education
  • Fostering a Healthy and Sustainable Environment
  • Promoting Social and Economic Justice
  • Strengthening Democracy

Of the 108 grants awarded, 74 (73%) are for general operating support, and 57 (56%) are for multiple years.

Below is a list of the organizations awarded funding. To see all of ZSR’s current grant partners, explore our interactive map and database.

Advancing Public Education

  • African American Faith Alliance for Educational Advancement: For general operating support
  • Asheville City Schools Foundation: Dudley Flood Center’s Superintendent Leadership Collaborative project
  • Book Harvest: For general operating support
  • Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance: For the North Carolina Principal of the Year Network
  • Education Justice Alliance: For general operating support
  • Higher Ed Works: For general operating support
  • Immersion for Spanish Language Acquisition: For general operating support
  • Latinx Education Center: For general operating support
  • NC Alliance for Health: For general operating support
  • NC Business Leaders for Education: For general operating support
  • NC Child: For general operating support
  • NC Community School Coalition: For general operating support
  • NC Early Childhood Foundation: For general operating support
  • NC Partnership for Children: For general operating support
  • ourBRIDGE: For general operating support
  • Parents for Public Schools: For expansion of North Carolina parent and community engagement work
  • Ready for School, Ready for Life: For general operating support
  • Student U: For general operating support

Fostering a Healthy and Sustainable Environment

  • 7 Directions of Service: For general operating support
  • American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: For the “Advancing Energy Efficiency for Load Growth, Decarbonization, and Equity in North Carolina” project
  • American Flood Coalition: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Asheville Greenworks: For general operating support
  • Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation: For general operating support
  • Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation: For the “Piedmont Promise Central Piedmont Community Organizer” project
  • Center for Progressive Reform: For the “Energy Justice in North Carolina” project
  • CleanAIRE NC: For general operating support
  • Coastal Carolina Riverwatch: For general operating support
  • Democracy Green: For general operating support
  • Good Stewards of Rockingham: For the “Protecting the Dan: Establishing Riparian Buffers to Safeguard Water Quality, Rural Lives, and Wildlife” project
  • Haw River Assembly: For general operating support
  • Journalism Funding Partners: For North Carolina climate coverage
  • NC Council of Churches: For general operating support
  • Sustainable Sandhills: For general operating support
  • Yadkin Riverkeeper: For general operating support

Promoting Social and Economic Justice

  • American Civil Liberties Union of NC Legal Foundation: For general operating support
  • American Friends Service Committee: For the “Keep Gate City Housed” project
  • Capital Area Immigrants Rights Coalition: For the Immigration Impact Lab
  • Carolina Common Enterprise: For the “Fertile Ground Food Co-op’s Grocery Store” project
  • Carolina Community Impact: For the North Carolina CDFI Coalition
  • Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy: For general operating support
  • Code the Dream: For general operating support
  • Community Success Initiative: For general operating support
  • Council of State Governments: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Eagle Market Streets Development: For general operating support
  • FaithAction International House: For general operating support
  • Freedom Center for Social Justice: For general operating support
  • Industrial Commons: For general operating support
  • Institute for Southern Studies: For Labor South
  • Legal Aid of NC: For the “North Carolina Home Defense” project
  • Legal Aid of NC: For general operating support
  • Lotus Campaign: For general operating support
  • National Institute of Minority Economic Development: For general operating support
  • NC Association of Black Lawyers’ Land Loss Prevention Project: For general operating support
  • NC Center on Actual Innocence: For general operating support
  • NC Central University: For the Justice Institute’s Poverty Research Project
  • NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: For general operating support
  • NC Coalition on Aging: For general operating support
  • NC Council of Churches: For the Farmworker Advocacy Network
  • NC FIELD: For general operating support
  • Operation Gateway: For general operating support
  • Prospera NC LLC: For general operating support
  • Refugee Community Partnership: For general operating support
  • Rural Economic Development Center: For general operating support
  • Sandhills Cooperation Association: For the Community Coach Training Program
  • SisterSong: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Southeast Immigrant Rights Network: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Southern Vision Alliance: For the North Carolina Latinx Collaborative
  • Southern Vision Alliance: For Durham Beyond Policing
  • Triad Restorative Justice: For the Restoring Youth Coalition of North Carolina (RYCNC) “Statewide Expansion of Restorative Justice Programs” project
  • Tyrrell County Community Development Corporation: For general operating support
  • UE Research and Education Fund: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • United for a Fair Economy: For the “North Carolina Inclusive Economies” project
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: For general operating support for the School of Government’s Criminal Justice Innovation Lab
  • Valores, Inc.: For general operating support
  • Watauga County Immigrant Justice Coalition: For general operating support

Strengthening Democracy

  • Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty: For “Christians against Christian Nationalism” Regional Coalitions
  • Beacon Media: For general operating support
  • Carolina Federation Fund: For general operating support
  • Carolina Forward Foundation: For general operating support
  • Carolina Public Press: For general operating support
  • Carter Center: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Common Defense Education Fund: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Duke University: For general operating support of the North Carolina Leadership Forum
  • El Centro Hispano: For the “Democracy and Power Building: Civic and Non-Partisan Voter Education” project
  • Mi Familia Vota Education Fund: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • Miami Foundation: For The Assembly’s Triad Local Journalism project
  • NC A. Philip Randolph Institute: For general operating support
  • NC For The People: For general operating support
  • NC Local: For general operating support
  • Red Wine & Blue Education Fund: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • SD Foundation: For general operating support of its North Carolina programs
  • States Newsroom: For general operating support
  • Trustees of Princeton University: For the Bridging Divides Initiative
  • United Power for Action: For general operating support
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: For general operating support for the School of Government’s “Lead for North Carolina”
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: For the American Indian Center’s “Implementing Native Leadership Institute” project

Other

  • Center for Community Self-Help: For general operating support for the Avila Center
  • Legacy Philanthropy Works: For the “Resourceful Communities in North Carolina” project
  • Lenoir Community College Foundation: For the “Train the East – Developing a Skilled Workforce” project
  • myFutureNC: For general operating support
  • NC State University: For general operating support for the North Carolina Local Food Council
  • Triangle Native American Society: For general operating support