CityView Magazine

48 | September/October 2015 never runs out," Daniel said. Money that comes from Cumberland County tends to stay in Cumberland County and one hundred percent of the donations goes to the cause, she adds. "We're all about trust," Holmes said. "People come here and give us money to manage when they're no longer here, so everything we do has to be completely transparent." Cornelia Bullock Wilkins, a teacher from Autryville, is one of several people who le a meaningful legacy by donat- ing her estate through the Foundation to support the causes she cared about. Her original donation of $2.7 million in 2009 continues to fund healthcare, education, senior citizen programs and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden each year. "Cornelia Bullock Wilkins lived here and she wanted to leave her money here, but she didn't have any family here to over- see the giving, so she entrusted it to the Community Foundation," Holmes said. "And every year, we invest her gi and we make grants in her name to support the things that she wanted to support. She planned that gi through her life but it happened through her estate. She will never be forgotten at the garden." Ry Southard, the executive director of the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, notes the importance of Wilkins' gi. "It's one of many gis from community-minded donors who are interested in the long- term and continuous sustainability of the garden," he said "e truth is, this gi combined with all of the other gis, is a sizable amount of money, which would not be possible with- out the donor advised funds," Southard said. "Currently, we have 12 endowment funds through the Cumberland Commu- nity Foundation, and those are really im- portant to our annual operating budget." Southard said the funds are mostly used for the general operations of the gar- den, however, they are always looking for new projects that keep the garden relevant to its patrons. More than 5,000 school aged children visit the garden each year. He and his staff are currently in the planning stag- es for a canopy tour at the garden. "Our vision is to build a children's gar- den that is universally accessible with one of the largest tree houses in the United States, so kids of all abilities can experi- ence fun and learning in the outdoors," he said excitedly. Endowments through the foundation and an upcoming campaign will fund the project, he said. "e Cumberland Community Foundation is our most im- portant partner in terms of building the legacy of philanthropy and helping the nonprofits learn about sustainability." While unrestricted gis give the CCF board discretion on which local organi- zations to fund, the Foundation awards over almost $700,000 in grants each year. Nonprofits must apply for those grants, which means they are not guaranteed. e Foundation strongly encourages nonprofits to grow their own endow- ments in order to become more sus- tainable. ese investments allow non- profits, such as the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, to start each year with money in the bank. "I think the ability to steer nonprofits toward long-term thinking is something that is visionary and CCF does it exceptionally well," Southard said. e Foundation staff is not only encouraging nonprofits to plan for the future, but is planning for the future of CCF as well. Strengthening local nonprofit organi- zations via its 2020 vision strategy is one of six goals the CCF board will focus on short term. Other goals include: growing philanthropy and local giving, growing sustainable support for local nonprofit organizations, increasing college access and affordability, improving education outcomes and improving quality of life for all. irty-five years of growing our com- munity is no small accomplishment, but Holmes and her staff are keeping their sights set on the future. "e 35th anniversary year is really about reconnecting with all of the people that helped make the Foundation happen, all of our volunteers and the nonprofits we've been working with, and connecting with anyone who wants to come together and improve this community," Holmes said. "at will guide our work for the next 15 years." What kind of community do you want to live in? Tell the Cumberland Commu- nity Foundation by visiting their website at www.cumberlandcf.org. CV www.faypwc.com Payment in the Palm of Your Hand PWC's Pay-by-Text Option It's secure, paperless, super fast and convenient. It provides never-forget peace of mind and gives you the ultimate "control" over paying your utility bill. Just Once! All you have to do is sign up – one time – to have your monthly payments made directly from your bank account OR paid by your credit or debit card.* To sign up, call 866-735-7743 (Western Union's SpeedPay service) or visit www.faypwc.com and log in to your account. *Sign up using your bank routing and account number and Pay-by-Text is free. For credit/debit card payments, a fee applies. Just Say Yes Each month, about five days before your bill is due, you'll receive a "payment alert" text message. All you have to do is press YES PWC when you are ready to pay by the method you selected when you signed up! (Even if you sign up for Pay-by- Text, you also have the option to pay your bill each month in another way.) To find out if your cell phone carrier supports this service, visit www.speedpay.com/ westernunionpaybytext.asp. 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