The past week has been difficult. The cruel death of George Floyd has caused grief, frustration, anger, and fear.  These emotions have been amplified by our environment of isolation and social distancing.

In response, our foundation has issued the following statement. It reflects our values, our work, and our commitment to hold ourselves accountable.

“Central Carolina Community Foundation joins our community and others around our country in mourning the death of George Floyd. We feel despair at the frequency of such tragic events and know that much work must be done to address inequality and bring our region together.

Our Foundation is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization, the region we serve, and our field of philanthropy. This commitment is demonstrated in our policies, partnerships, and charitable investments.  We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to help heal and connect our city. And, we will continue to work with others to build a livable, equitable, and just community – for everyone.”

Finding the right words was challenging.  In the end, I decided to share a short statement as actions, not words, are what matter today.

As our Foundation enters our new fiscal year, we will hold ourselves accountable to help heal and connect our community. How will we reframe On the Table? How will we restructure our grantmaking priorities to address inequity?  What partnerships must be strengthened?  What new collaborations built?  What will our storylines, posts, and tweets reflect?  How will we bring our community together – one that is separated by so many factors?

We have a great deal of work ahead of us.  I am hopeful that our leadership boards — Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees and African American Philanthropy Committee, in concert with the CCCF staff, can work together in the days and months ahead to build a livable, equitable, and just community — for everyone.

JoAnn Turnquist
President & CEO