The Community Foundation
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) is a public charity and community foundation established in 1978 as the Community Foundation of Greater Asheville. The organization expanded in 1982 to serve 18 counties across Western North Carolina. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, CFWNC operates as a trusted partner in philanthropy, helping donors and nonprofits achieve their charitable goals. The foundation manages over 1,300 philanthropic funds and is the third-largest community foundation in North Carolina.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$434.9M
+6.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$17.7M
-4.3% YoY
Grant Count
514
-3.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
-1.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina inspires philanthropy and mobilizes resources to enrich lives and communities throughout the region.
Vision: A vibrant and equitable Western North Carolina where all people can find opportunity and enjoy the region's many resources.
Core Values: The foundation listens, cultivates relationships and builds collective support to address community needs. It commits resources to these needs and inspires others to join, drawing on regional knowledge and partnerships to guide this work.
Primary Funding Areas: Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services, with funding activity primarily in North Carolina, California, and Florida.
Grantmaking
CFWNC distributes grants and scholarships across a wide range of programs and initiatives. Recent grant examples include:
Grant Range
** Typical awards range from $2,500 to $105,000, with some programs offering grants up to $800 for specific initiatives.
Review Cycle
.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Community Foundation serves 18 counties in Western North Carolina, including Avery, Graham, Jackson, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Swain counties, among others in the region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $434.9 million (as of 2024); $491.5 million (as of September 2025)
Annual Giving: $69 million (FY 2025); $25.9 million in revenue (2024)
Total Expenses: $24.8 million (2024)
Total Liabilities: $112 million (2024)
Total Grants Awarded Since Inception: More than $456 million
Number of Employees: 22 (as of 2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $434,889,192 | $407,823,068 | $387,056,220 |
| Revenue | $25,935,032 | $31,983,295 | $45,512,765 |
| Expenses | $24,774,631 | $25,282,173 | $25,371,396 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $10,748,840 | $8,393,675 | $13,957,793 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
31 open opportunities from The Community Foundation
Asheville Merchants Fund Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Asheville Wilbert Vault Service Scholarship Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
US $4,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Asheville Young Woman Leadership Award Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President & CEO: Elizabeth K. Brazas (serving since 2009)
Vice President of Programs: Tara Scholtz
Senior Grants Manager: Diane Crisp
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLINE M AVERY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HIMANSHU KARVIR | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| CARLA BARNARD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH K BRAZAS | PRESIDENT | 40 | $319,700 |
| ELLEN O CARR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRANCISCO CASTELBLANCO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GRAHAM KEEVER | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $211,214 |
| YOLANDA FAIR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| J CHRIS SMITH | CHAIRPERSON | 1 | — |
| JANET SHARP | STAFF ACCOUNTANT | 40 | $85,349 |
| JEAN MCLAUGHLIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOANNE BADR MORGAN | VICE CHAIRPERSON | 1 | — |
| JUANITA WILSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JULIE D KLIPP | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $154,636 |
| MICHAEL FIELDS | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| NAOMI DAVIS | FINANCE & HR OFFICER | 40 | $88,315 |
| NATALIE N BAILEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SCOTT SHEALY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CARTER B WEBB | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MILTON BUTTERWORTH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VIRGINA L DOLLAR | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 40 | $84,149 |
| CONSTANCE M HAIRE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEATHER P NORTON | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| SHARON FOUTS TAYLOR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAURA HERNDON-KEY EMPLOYEE | VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMEN | 40 | $122,297 |
| HARRIS M LIVINGSTAIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PHILIP P BELCHER | VICE PRESIDENT PROGRAMS | 40 | $151,420 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina played a major role in Hurricane Helene disaster relief, distributing over $39.6 million through multiple relief initiatives. Under Elizabeth Brazas's leadership since 2009, the foundation has experienced significant growth, rebuilding from recession losses to reach $400 million in assets by 2022 and continuing expansion to $491.5 million by 2025.
Grants awarded at annual Community Foundation ceremony | News, Sports,Contact Information
Address: 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (828) 254-4960
General Email: info@cfwnc.org; mcnairy@cfwnc.org
Vice President of Programs: scholtz@cfwnc.org, (828) 367-9913
Senior Grants Manager: (828) 367-9904
Website: cfwnc.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
The Hillbrook Gkp Iii Foundation Inc
GREENSBORO, NC
Assets
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1
Total Given
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SALISBURY, NC
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Total Given
$50K
Ihope Foundation
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Assets
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1
Total Given
$20K
Orange County Partnership for Young
HILLSBOROUGH, NC
Assets
$477K
Grants
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Total Given
$2.1M
North Carolina Baptist Hospital
WINSTONSALEM, NC
Assets
$2.8B
Grants
17
Total Given
$634K
The Anne Shuford Mcbryde
ASHEVILLE, NC
Assets
$970K
Grants
19
Total Given
$49K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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