Local recipients to receive $53 million in grants from New Hanover Community Endowment

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover Community Endowment has revealed the recipients of $53 million in grants over the next three years.

According to a news release, the $53 million will be invested in 19 strategic grants in New Hanover County focused on improving the healthcare workforce pipeline, enhancing early childhood education, and addressing health access. The Endowment is also awarding $1.4 million to 14 organizations with one-year, nonrenewable grants that support programs such as elder care, literacy, and youth violence prevention.

This marks the first time the Endowment has entered multi-year grants.

The 2023 grant cycle – which was tied to the Endowment’s 3-year strategic plan – disperses almost three times as much money as the 2022 inaugural Cape Fear Opportunities and Needs grant cycle, which was limited to one-year, nonrenewable grants. The Endowment plans to make additional commitments in 2024 and 2025, said Bill Cameron, NHCE board chair.

“Our goal is transformation, and these grants are our first steps toward achieving it,” Cameron said. “These multi-year partnerships start the journey toward solutions. We will be adding to the $53 million as we get into 2024 and 2025.”

The largest grant is a collaborative effort aimed at addressing the gaps in the health care workforce pipeline. Projections from the Program on Health Workforce Research and Policy at the Cecil G. Sheps Center suggest that by 2033, North Carolina could face shortages of around 12,500 registered nurses and 5,000 licensed practical nurses. Other areas could include respiratory therapists and nurse aides.

Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce have collaborated on a cross-partner solution that bolsters healthcare education and supports initiatives that lead to student success ranging from wrap-around services to recruitment and retention. The grant includes funds for simulated learning programs and standardized exam assistance and an investment in a high school program for students interested in opportunities in the healthcare field.

University of North Carolina at Wilmington – $10,253,500.00

Cape Fear Community College Foundation – $10,153,633.00

New Hanover County Schools – $1,680,000.00

Greater Wilmington Chamber Foundation – $250,000.00

The New Hanover Community Endowment will also distribute multi-year grants to the following organizations:

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Cape Fear – $3,226,419.00

YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear – $2,804,811.00

SmartStart of New Hanover County – $658,596.60

Glow Academy / Spark Academy – $3,305,000.00

Union Missionary Baptist Church (UMBC) – $450,000.00

MedNorth Health Center – $2,000,000.00

Cape Fear Clinic – $1,200,000.00

NourishNC – $450,000.00

Cape Fear Community College Foundation – $5,500,000.00

YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina – $4,000,000.00

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina – $1,653,200.00

DREAMS Center for Arts Education – $795,774.00

El Cuerpo/Christ Community Church – $200,000.00

Community Justice Center – The grant supports the creation of a Community Justice Center (CJC), which will be housed at the Harrelson Center, that will end the generational cycle of violence through early intervention, education, and prevention. The CJC’s multidisciplinary team of approximately two dozen professionals will include prosecutors, law enforcement, and direct service providers who will work to solve, prove, and prevent crime; support victims in achieving safety, stability, and self-sufficiency; provide mental health services and rehabilitation to reduce recidivism and improve community safety. The CJC will be open 24 hours a day. New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office – $3,439,066.00, Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center Inc – $1,578,830.00

2023 RESPONSIVE GRANTS

The New Hanover Community Endowment will distribute one-year, nonrenewable grants to the following organizations:

American Red Cross- $38,000.00

Blue Ribbon Commission Prevention of Youth Violence dba Voyage- $112,200.00

Cape Fear Literacy Council- $46,000

Elderhaus- $75,000.00

Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. D/b/a Lower Cape Fear LifeCare- $50,000.00

St Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church- $40,000.00

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington- $87,000.00

YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear Inc- $200,000.00

Northside Food Cooperative- $249,715.00

Kids Making It, Inc.- $103,420.00

Eden Village of Wilmington- $55,000.00

Child Development Center Inc- $65,500.00

Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc.- $100,000.00

Seeds of Healing Inc- $140,267.00