In the face of attacks on our immigrant neighbors, massive federal cuts to health care and food assistance, and policy shifts that are harming communities, we must ask ourselves what we can do to fight injustice today and moving forward. We are all impacted by this crisis—yet rural areas, people of color, and immigrant families bear the brunt of these challenges. We all have to do more to support our communities—and each other—in this moment.
To respond to the barrage of attacks on our collective well-being, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust is adjusting our annual grantmaking this year—from an average of $20 million annually to approximately $30 million in grants.
At the Trust, we were given a mission by Mrs. Reynolds to improve the health and quality of life of people experiencing poverty in Forsyth County and across North Carolina. We work toward our vision of equitable access to care and thriving communities by focusing on changing harmful systems and centering equity.
To achieve our mission, we must continue the long-term work and respond to the crisis in front of us. Adjusted grant dollars this year will allow us to do both.
We are calling on local, state, and federal leaders; funders; businesses; and nonprofits to join us to help the people of Forsyth County and North Carolina survive and one day thrive. What that looks like for each of us will be different depending on our priorities, our missions, and our expertise. The challenges we’re facing span health care, education, child welfare, community safety, and more. I urge you to remain mission-focused and determine where you can make a meaningful difference.
How we’re responding to the moment
In our hometown, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School District faced a $46 million budget deficit as this school year began. The magnitude of this deficit meant teacher and staff layoffs, vendor contracts that could not be repaid, and schools going without basic supplies like paper and printer ink.
To help respond to our local education crisis, we made two responsive grants in January totaling $1 million while also continuing our work to improve early childhood education and increase economic mobility in Forsyth County.
The first grant to support the local school system was to the Education Foundation to address immediate shortfalls for district-wide school supplies at all 81 schools and to invest in ongoing communications to support high-quality equitable public education in our community. The second grant was to the Winston-Salem Foundation to support the Futures Fund to pay down existing debt to creditors.
Across North Carolina, we are continuing to focus on equitable health systems and access to care.
Our efforts were made more difficult in July, when the federal budget bill cut $1 trillion from essential health programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As a result, more than 670,000 North Carolinians could lose their health care, and food assistance for approximately 1.4 million residents is in jeopardy. Thousands of lawfully residing immigrants and refugees recently lost access to SNAP as a result of the federal budget bill. And with the recent loss of enhanced federal tax credits for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, many North Carolina families have already seen their health insurance premiums skyrocket.
Our additional Health Improvement grant dollars provide us with more resources to protect our state’s insurance enrollment infrastructure, advocate for Medicaid coverage, bolster the health care safety net system, and help the state protect eligibility for the SNAP program.
While no amount of additional Trust grantmaking can fill the void created by federal cuts to critical programs such as Medicaid and SNAP or solve the multi-million dollar budget deficit facing our local public education system, this grantmaking adjustment provides us with more responsive dollars to address some urgent needs and maintain critical infrastructure.
Our long-term work continues.
As we work responsively at the Trust, we also continue to support long-term policy change efforts that provide North Carolinians with access to quality health care, equitable PreK-12 public education, and economic opportunity.
The problems created by inequity and racism harm each and every one of us. Until we create systems that value lives equally, we will continue to be in crisis. Together, we must fight for a future that sees everyone’s humanity.
What does that future look like?
- Everyone has access to affordable health care.
- Every family has access to affordable childcare, high-quality PreK, and equitable public education.
- No one goes hungry. Every person who needs food assistance can access it.
- People have opportunities for employment that advance them and their families economically and move people out of poverty.
- Immigrants can continue to work and prosper and take care of their families in our state and country.
- Residents and communities have the power and voice to advocate for what they need to thrive.
- No matter what happens, we will not be deterred.
The magnitude of the emergency facing our country is daunting. We will continue to do what we can as a foundation to improve the health and quality of life of North Carolinians and to collaborate with other funders and partners in this moment.
During these challenging times, we must remain focused on our mission on today’s terms. We must invest in efforts to restitch the fabric of community; and work to ensure our health and well-being so that we can survive today and thrive tomorrow.
Working together, we can and we will stand up for a more just future for all.
Laura Gerald, MD, MPH
President
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust