Greetings Noah!

An enduringly salient message stands ready to greet every visitor to our building, articulating Jim Flack’s vision of the Polk County Community Foundation, “Hold the Past and Mold the Future.”

Jim was one of several visionaries who spearheaded the Foundation's creation in 1975. As the story goes, Jim and Tah Flack's kitchen table served as the Foundation's very first business office, forging an ambitious dream into a lasting reality.

As we welcome our 49th year of building community, the Foundation is honored to renew its connection and commitment to the mission that grew out of that kitchen table and to the many generous donors along the way who make our work possible today.

As organizations, we’re often challenged to balance our origins with our aspirations. Over time, as one generation passes its stewardship duties to the next, aligning what we must hold with what we have the power to mold requires regular reflection. As a community and for the Foundation, it means preserving what we love while working to make this a better place for all who call it home.

Thanks to the collective strength of our community, past and present, 2024 is already off to an aspirational start! Thank you for joining us in another year of Building Community together.

Front Page News: Our July 1979 newsletter announced the creation of the John G. Landrum, Jr. Educational Award, in honor of one of the Community Foundation's original founders and first Chairman of the Board of Directors. Congratulations to Jeffrey Gray, the 2024 recipient of the Landrum Award!

The Foundation is grateful to the Thermal Belt Friendship Council and to the organizations below for engaging our community in the stories that connect our past, present, and future.

“The purposes of the Polk County Historical Association are to promote, advance, encourage and cultivate public and private interest in the history, archives and memoirs of Polk County North Carolina and to provide a location for the collection and preservation of Polk County artifacts.” A recent grant funded a new Oral History Project.

The mission of the Saluda Historic Depot is "to unite the citizens and visitors of Saluda to acquire and preserve the historic Saluda train depot for future generations and to develop it into and operate it as a heritage museum and visitors center, emphasizing the railroad history and the Saluda Grade." A recent grant funded the second Night at the Museum.

The mission of the Tryon History Museum is "to tell Tryon's unique history story through programming, records, exhibits, and special events and to greet visitors with tourism information." A recent grant continued support for the organization's Tales of Tryon series.

In 1986, Community Foundation Executive Director Paul Culberson (left) demonstrated the need and merits behind a grant to Saluda School to repair its tennis courts and other recreational areas of the school used by both students and local residents.

38 years later, Foundation board members joined City of Saluda officials, Polk County Schools Superintendent Aaron Greene, and Saluda students and teachers (right) to reopen the courts after a grant helped refurbish them once again, this time with the modern option of pickleball for the students and community to enjoy.

We're excited to announce three new funds established by generous donors that will provide grants and scholarships to benefit our community for years to come.

The Habitable Housing Fund was created by anonymous donors to assist low-income Polk County residents with emergency housing repairs and replacements to achieve a safe and sanitary dwelling. This fund will help support organizations in our community who are working to help residents with non-structural repairs like plumbing and electric, appliances, and other critical housing needs.

The Bob Strickland and Chauncey Barber Scholarship was established by Babs and Bob Strickland to encourage eligible local students to pursue studies in Agriculture and honor longtime Polk County High School teacher Chauncey Barber. Beginning with the Class of 2025, this scholarship will be offered each year to a PCHS graduating senior who has a clear intent to continue their studies and follow a career path in the field of agriculture, including Forestry, Ecology, Horticulture, Botany, Agriculture Business, Agriculture Management, and Forestry Management.

The David and Lea Evelyn Tatich Charitable Fund was established to support organizations or projects that address food insecurity, housing insecurity and affordable housing efforts, or literacy efforts in Polk County.

A Note for Donors

Articulating your philanthropic goals or choosing the ideal causes to support can be a daunting task. Many new and experienced donors alike have been inspired by the variety of funds that are already at work in the community through the Foundation. Some may resonate with your desired areas of support, providing a model for making your own charitable dreams come true.

We'll continue to feature funds that might be appealing to our community of donors in future newsletters. In the meantime, if you’re interested in starting a new fund or contributing to existing funds like the ones highlighted above to allow them to have an even greater impact, please reach out to our President & CEO, Sara Bell at 828-859-5314 or sbell@polkccf.org.

What is a Community Foundation?

Check out this video about how community foundations work with donors to benefit their communities.

Did you know that your Community Foundation offers Organizational Strengthening & Board Planning Grants for nonprofits to build capacity? These grants have helped organizations conduct strategic planning and board retreats, attend conferences, strengthen financial systems, research best practices in specific fields, and make other critical investments in long-term sustainability. Contact us to learn more!

The NC Center for Nonprofits offers a wide variety of member benefits, including excellent newsletters, frequent trainings and conferences, a revised Legal Compliance Checklist for 2024, and pro bono professional services. Contact us for more information about how to join or renew.