October 2022

Greetings Noah!

We hope this message finds you well and enjoying the best of what our community has to offer. It's during this time of year, when the natural beauty of our area is on full display, community events abound, and gardens across Polk County shift to cold weather crops, that the Foundation begins its own transition toward a new year of building community. In that spirit, we're excited to share plans for our 2023 grantmaking and look forward to continuing our valuable work together. Read more below!

2023 Grantmaking

QUARTERLY GRANT CYCLES

We've launched a new quarterly grantmaking process to offer greater predictability and faster turnaround times for organizations applying for grants. You can now apply for most of our grants during any grantmaking cycle and receive a funding decision within the same quarter. We're getting a jump on the new year by accepting 1st Quarter applications by 5:00 on December 13, 2022.

Learn More

ONE GRANT APPLICATION

Organizations will now be able to use one consolidated Grant Application to apply for all grant funds available in 2023. Before submitting your application, we will ask you to complete a brief Letter of Intent form to confirm that your organization is eligible to apply for grants and that your project meets the criteria for one or more of our available grantmaking programs. A companion Guidelines document provides more details about our competitive grant funds and the application process.

Complete Letter of Intent Form

Download Grant Application

Download Grant Guidelines

DATES & DOLLARS

Hot off the press is our 2023 Dates & Dollars sheet, which provides a snapshot of application deadlines, potential interview dates, timelines for grant notification, and available dollars for each grant program.

View 2023 Dates & Dollars

STUDENT INTERN GRANTS

It's that time again! The Foundation is pleased to offer grants to support nonprofits in hiring local high school students as summer interns. Past internships have been available with Foothills Humane Society, Lanier Library, Polk County High School Farm, Polk County Library, Steps to HOPE, Thermal Belt Outreach, Tryon Arts & Crafts School, and Tryon Fine Arts Center. Organizations interested in this grant opportunity must meet certain criteria, submit a brief application, supplement, and apply in the 1st Quarter grant cycle by December 13, 2022.

Learn More

Slater Excellence in Teaching Awards

2023 Application Deadline Announced!

Priscilla & Ellis D. Slater Excellence in Teaching Awards were created to encourage teachers to further their educations and broaden their life experiences through travel and other pursuits to ultimately benefit their students. Classroom teachers working in Polk County and Landrum public schools are encouraged to apply for Slater Awards in 2023 for educational travel and to attend national conferences.

Applications are available on our website and due by 5:00 pm on January 10, 2023. Please contact Ronette Dill, Grants and Community Partnerships Coordinator at rdill@polkccf.org or 828-859-5314 x 229 for more information.

Congratulations 2022 Slater Award Recipients

Kathleen Abraham (Polk County Early College) - Biological and Cultural Connections in Madagascar

Gina Burnett & Michelle Richardson (Saluda Elementary School) - Museums in Massachusetts

Elisa Flynn & Stephanie Luedi (Polk County Middle School) - In the Footsteps of Darwin - Galápagos Islands

Kristen Korzelius & Caitlin Williams (Polk County High School) - National Mathematics Conference in Los Angeles

Learn More

How We Spent Our Summer Building Community

Our grant dollars make an impact all year long, but it seems they're especially hard at work over the summer when kids and teachers are out of school, fresh local produce is in season, and our community is full of opportunities to connect with friends and neighbors, new and old. Here's just a sampling of projects made possible by the outstanding efforts of our local organizations and generous donors to the Polk County Community Foundation.

Polk Farmers Markets in Columbus & Saluda

Slater Teacher Trip to Museums of Massachusetts

RISE! at Roseland Community Center

Summer Seminars with

Polk County Schools

Food Distribution at

Sunny View Clubhouse

Free Swim Lessons

with SCLT at Twin Lakes

Free Yoga Classes

at FENCE

St. Luke's Hospital & Fdn.

Men's Health Tune-Up

Grand Reopening of

Upstairs Artspace

Top of the Grade

Concerts in Saluda

Slater Teacher Trip to Nat'l Math Conference in L.A.

Unity in the Community Youth Enrichment Camp

Foundation News

Nominate Your Favorite Volunteers

for the 2023 Governor's Volunteer Service Award

We're thrilled to announce that Ronette Dill, Community Partnerships Coordinator with the Foundation and Polk County Schools has been selected as our local Coordinator for the Governor's Volunteer Service Award and will be accepting nominations for 2023 awards.

The awards program, created by the Office of the Governor in 1979, recognizes North Carolina's most dedicated volunteers. Through the years, the award has been bestowed on thousands of North Carolinians who have shown concern and compassion for their neighbors by volunteering in their local community.

Each county selects up to ten individuals, business, groups/teams and one paid Director of Volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to their communities. One of the nominees will be nominated for the Governor's Medallion Award for Volunteer Services, which is awarded to approximately the top 20 volunteers in the state. A local committee evaluates the nominations.

There will be a local recognition event during National Volunteer Week, April 16-23.

Nominations are due January 31, 2023. Nomination forms will be available at the Foundation's office in Tryon and online at volunteernc.org. For more information, please contact Ronette Dill at rdill@polkccf.org or 828-859-5314 ext. 229.