Community Foundation of Burke County

About Community Foundation of Burke County

Community Foundation of Burke County’s recent grantmaking is anchored by a very large award to Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese and a pattern of support that reaches across religion, health, human services, education, and the arts. The foundation works through donor-established funds and annual cycles to channel community dollars into Burke County projects, with grants ranging from small scholarship awards to larger institutional gifts. Recent recipients include Amorem in Lenoir, First Presbyterian Church - Morganton, and Burke United Christian Ministries, showing a mix of health, faith-based, and basic-needs support. The foundation also funds community institutions that sit close to local life, including schools, museums, clinics, and service organizations. Named recipients such as Waldensian Heritage Foundation Inc, Good Samaritan Clinic, and Drexel Museum Inc point to a grantmaker that supports both direct services and place-based civic capacity. Its stated purpose is to encourage philanthropy and provide flexible giving opportunities, professional support, and responsible stewardship for donors and qualified recipients. The grant programs tied to the foundation include scholarship support, community grants, youth-led philanthropy, and cycles administered on behalf of the Rostan Family Foundation.

What Community Foundation of Burke County Funds

In health and human services, the foundation gave $775,262 to Amorem for health and $69,564 to Burke United Christian Ministries for human services. It also supported Good Samaritan Clinic with $43,401 and Blue Ridge Community Action with $38,360, which points to a strong emphasis on local care and assistance. Education appears in both institutional and scholarship-related giving. The foundation awarded $109,397 to Waldensian Heritage Foundation Inc for education, $61,237 to Asu Foundation for education, and $45,000 to Drexel Museum Inc for education. Those grants sit alongside a scholarship program that provides financial assistance to individuals pursuing higher education. Arts and culture is another visible thread. Recent grants include $200,000 to Sabre Society of North Carolina for arts, culture, and humanities, $43,599 to Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina Inc for arts, culture and humanities, and $41,147 to Grow With Drexel for arts, culture and humanities.

How Community Foundation of Burke County Gives