Who We Are
About the Trust
In the Beginning
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust was created in 1947 to improve the quality of life of people with low incomes in Forsyth County and to improve health care around the state.
For years, Kate B. Reynolds was described as a woman ahead of her time. She was known for her charity work and for the steps she took to ensure those who lacked access to health care were able to receive it.
Mrs. Reynolds and her husband donated funds to establish a hospital in Winston-Salem to be staffed by Black medical providers and serve Black patients. In partnership with her sister-in-law, Katherine Smith Reynolds, she supported a nursery to provide childcare for the women who worked at the RJ Reynolds factories.
However, Mrs. Reynolds was very much of her time as well. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Confederacy. Her initial bequest of $5 million to found the Trust came from tobacco profits and inherited funds originally earned through the sale and labor of enslaved Black people.
By establishing the Trust, Mrs. Reynolds made a perpetual commitment to support those in need.
Our Work Today
To achieve Mrs. Reynolds’ mission of improved health and quality of life for people experiencing poverty, the Trust has evolved with the times and interprets her intent in today’s context.
Today, the Trust’s vision for all North Carolinians is equitable access to health care, equitable health outcomes, and thriving residents and communities. To work for these outcomes, the Trust centers on racial equity and focuses on changing the systems that have marginalized people by race and place for far too long.
In 2022, we announced that the Trust divested its financial portfolio from tobacco production investments. We traveled around the state to celebrate the Trust’s 75th anniversary and share this change with the community.
This commitment to a socially responsible investment strategy aligns the Trust’s financial portfolio with the Trust’s charitable mission to support health care and economic opportunities in North Carolina.
Today, the issues Mrs. Reynolds cared about remain urgent and interconnected as the Trust works to support thriving communities and residents in Forsyth County and around the state.
Our Mission
We work to improve the health and quality of life of residents in Forsyth County and around North Carolina.
Our Vision