More than $300M awarded: Endowment explains how grant decisions are made
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Since its creation, the New Hanover Community Endowment has awarded more than $300 million in grants to local organizations, supporting projects across New Hanover County.
Following the endowment’s recent public meeting, some residents raised questions about how grant recipients are selected and how decisions are made. In an exclusive interview with WWAY, endowment leaders discussed the organization’s grant-making process, transparency efforts and conflict-of-interest policies.
Board Chair Shannon Winslow said the endowment has awarded more than 420 grants since its inception and believes those investments have reached nearly every corner of the community.
“Professionally one of my greatest honors to be able to have this kind of impact and serve in this capacity in the community that I grew up in,” Winslow said.
Among the grants that stand out to her is funding that helped support nursing students pursuing higher education.
“Many of which would not have been able to do it without this grant. In particular at Cape Fear Community College they just graduated twice the amount of nurses than they normally would,” Winslow said.
The New Hanover Community Endowment was created after New Hanover County sold New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health for approximately $1.3 billion in 2020.
While the needs in the community are vast, the endowment relies on a strategic plan and four focus areas to keep it from being pulled in different directions.
“Everyone has an opinion. If I were to walk out on the street and ask 100 people how they think we should spend the money I would probably get 68 different answers,” Winslow said.
To be eligible for funding, organizations must have been established for at least two years and align with one of the four focus areas: social and health equity, education, community safety and community development.
The endowment publishes information online about every grant it awards. However, it does not publicly disclose organizations that are deemed ineligible or those that apply but do not receive funding.
Endowment President and CEO Sophie Dagenais said the organization maintains strict conflict-of-interest standards throughout the grant review process.
“Because we are whom we are in a very small community we want to be as tight as possible. We want zero perception of a conflict, not just no conflict, we do not want that concern out there,” Dagenais said.
Dagenais said the endowment’s conflict-of-interest policies exceed legal requirements. Winslow added that board members are required to recuse themselves from grant discussions and votes if they have personal, family or professional connections to an organization seeking funding.
So far this year, the endowment has awarded about $58 million in grants and committed more than $38 million in additional funding, excluding a proposed commitment of up to $116 million for New Hanover County Schools.
During the public meeting, endowment leaders were also asked whether the city or county must already be investing in a project before the endowment will provide support.
Dagenais said that claim is false.
“I can confirm that there has been no such pattern at The Endowment. One needs to only look at all of our grants and if one would read all of our grant agreements if they would like to do that and they are all available by contacting us to know that it is simply not a fact,” Dagenais said.
