The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina is a non-profit organization that works to serve as a charitable pool for 18 counties in Western North Carolina. CFWNC serves as a Community Development Charity. The Foundation works with individuals, non-profit and government agencies, families, and private corporations to manage and distribute funds to agencies in these communities. 

Mission: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina inspires philanthropy and mobilizes resources to enrich lives and communities in Western North Carolina.

Vision: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina's vision is a vibrant 18-county region where all people can find opportunity and enjoy the region's many resources.

The agency is comprised of partnerships between agencies, individuals, volunteers, private and nonprofit organizations who want to give back to their community, help those who are in need and/or under served, and strengthen communities in Western North Carolina. In 2014 the Foundation invested and supported 130 regional organizations The Foundation uses donor dollars to provide funding to non-profit organizations, scholarships, and assistance to leaders to build capacity in these communities. Investing in philanthropy is at the core of all of the work done through Community Foundation and their partnerships.

A community foundations main three functions are to make grants serve as a vehicle for philanthropy of individuals, corporations, and organizations that make up a specific geographic region, and lastly, providing leadership to the region.Foundations are described to have six notable characteristics; flexible use of collected funds obtained through a diverse group of donors, the power to appropriate funds to meet community needs as deemed by the foundation, a governing board comprised of volunteers who are community experts and champions, commitment to leadership encompassing community problems relating to the region, commitment to work with donors to identify, develop, and meet philanthropic goals, and to adhere to a sense of community at all times.

Issues of Focus

• Early Childhood Development: To support every child in Western North Carolina in realizing their fullest potential by raising public awareness of the importance of early childhood development investment, initiating or continuing evidence-based childhood development programs, and advocating for public policies that will support and enhance the lives of young children in our region 

• Food & Farming: Enhancing, improving, and sustaining local food systems in Western North Carolina to increase economic economic opportunities for local farmers and growers and to support the sustainability and profits of WNC Farms. The Foundation seeks to continually enhance and advance the local food movement in their region while working to preserve the mountain heritage so prevalent in Western North Carolina. Strategies to guide and achieve these goals are to promote and invest in community-based food projects, support local farmers with training's, GAP certification, business plan development, and access to land, encourage food system development that emphasizes the importance of local food and economic benefits, building capacity of nonprofit organizations that support these endeavors, link public beneficial programs such as SNAP and WIC to programs and projects that seek to increase access to healthy foods, develop community networks to promote public health and nutrition and in return develop healthier homes and school food environments, and to continue to encourage and advocate for the development of community projects that work to increase access to healthy foods and making them available and affordable to all.

• People in Need: Working to make sure all people in WNC have the ability to access resources and services to meet their basic needs. In partnership with donors and affiliates, funding goes towards addressing the most critical needs that face our regions most vulnerable populations. These programs include the Janirve Sudden and Urgent Need Grant that offers funds to assist human service nonprofit organizations of which experience an unforeseen crisis that affects their ability to continue providing critical services. Funds

• Natural and Cultural Resources: Resource conservation and enhancement to ensure sustainability among the arts, economy, and natural environment. Protecting these resources will ensure quality of life and economic development because of the unique spirit and natural assetts that bring people and businesses to this region. The main strategies include protecting the health of the regions natural resource systems and supporting the development of the region’s art-based economy.

History of Organization:

In 1978 a group of progressive local residents in Western North Carolina, led by a retired business man, Ray Hust, initiated the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. Originally called the Community Foundation of Greater Asheville.  Initial funding and support came from the local United Way and the Junior League. It began as a volunteer staff team using office space that had been donated to the group. Within the first year of operations the foundation obtained $141,507 in assets. In 1982, the Foundations board expanded its service offerings to reach all of the 18 westernmost counties in North Carolina. The foundation took many years to develop and become known in communities stemming from communities lack of understanding and acceptance of what a community foundation was, being a new concept at the time. Folks did not quite gage what the long-term impact would be from such foundational community contributions.

By 1990 the foundation grew to having $5 million in assets. The Foundations board and staff members strive to continue connecting and staying current with area charities, donors, and partners to ensure they are up to date on the most pressing needs of the communities in which they work. The Foundation is completly commited to local work that benefits others. The Community Foundation of WNC is a member of the Council on Foundations, a membership association that accredits community foundations and other public philanthropic partnership groups, being one of 1,800 foundations and corporate giving groups in the world.

Programs and Projects

Video link to work done in CFWNC's region. 

• Biltmore Lake Charitable Fund: Improving quality of life in the Enka-Chandler area by supporting community development and enhancement projects.

• Cashiers Community Fund Grants: Improving quality of life in Cashiers Community

• Melvin R. Lane Fund: Assisting human service organizations enhance and improve basic operations and services that service the disadvantaged citizens in WNC. Focus for this grant is on access to quality health care, safe and affordable housing, and supportive social services for the youth, elderly, and disabled living in Western North Carolina.

• Ramble Charitable Fund: Improving quality of life in Buncombe County Communities through projects that enhance community development.

• Rutherford County Endowment Grants: Promoting philanthropic and charitable organizations in Rutherford County

• Women for Women: Improving the lives of women and young girls in WNC, vision is to inspire hope and empower women through addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, bullying, and sexting

• Power of the Purse: Annual luncheon, Foundation announces 2015 grants.

• Scholarships to NC residents; high school seniors attending NC School of Science and Mathematics or the UNC School of the Arts, or who are home school registered with the state of NC Division of Non- Public Education

• CFWNC Grants: Investing in the future of Western North Carolina through nonprofit organizations working to improve quality of life in region

Partners and Frequent Collaborators

• Buncombe County Partnership for Children

• Southwestern Child Development Commission

• Region A Partnership for children

• North Carolina Partnership for Children

• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

• Organic Growers School

• SouthWestern NC Resource Conservation and Development Council

• Toe River Aggregation Center

• Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council

• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

• MountainWise Partnership

• Mayland Community College Foundation

• AdvantageWest Economic Development Group

• MANNA Food Bank

• Land of Sky Regional Council

• UNC Asheville Foundation

• Asheville Art Museum

• International Folk Festival/Folkmoot

• Asheville Area Arts council

• Land Trust for the Little Tennessee

• Wild South

• Toe River Arts Council

Leadership, Leverage, Innovation.