Annual Grants: Human Services & Arts Requests

The John William Pope Foundation provides annual grants focusing on human services and the arts, primarily in North Carolina's Wake and Vance Counties. Established in 1986, the Foundation promotes self-reliance and community responsibility, funding initiatives that address critical social challenges. By prioritizing private resources over government funding, it fosters creative expression and supports nonprofits that empower individuals and families.

Foundation Mission & Philosophy
“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.
John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.
With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts.
From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.
Creative expression is the hallmark of a free and civil society.
Historically, North Carolina has many unique art traditions that date back centuries. As North Carolina has continued to grow and evolve, so have the state’s art traditions. Today, North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo celebrate, host, and create a broad spectrum of the arts in small and large venues. These arts have intrinsic value and help unify communities.
Foundation namesake John William Pope and his wife Joyce W. Pope firmly believed in supporting the arts and creative expression in the Tar Heel state. In keeping with its support of free-market causes, the Foundation believes that private resources, not government entities, should be the primary conduit for funding creativity. The Foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).
Families, churches, civic and community organizations, and vibrant neighborhoods are the pillars of our democracy.
To contribute to an environment of opportunity, the Pope Foundation makes grants to nonprofits addressing a full spectrum of needs, including hunger, health, housing, job training, and more. The Pope Foundation believes that independent initiatives, not government interventions, are critical to addressing the root causes of social challenges like generational poverty, underemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Ultimately, nonprofits that restore individuals and families in crisis are ensuring that communities flourish.
The Foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).

Eligibility

The Pope Foundation is open to considering any proposal though there are some general geographic guidelines the Foundation traditionally follows when considering requests:Human services and arts giving (includes limited K-12 education giving): Wake and Vance Counties, sometimes extending into the Triangle.