New Hanover County Community Endowment outlines $58M grant budget and multi-million investments in workforce and food programs

Shannon Winslow and Sophie Dagenais briefed the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners on May 4 about recent activity at the New Hanover County Community Endowment, including grant budget figures and early 2026 investments.

Dagenais, the endowment's president and CEO, said the 2026 grant budget is $58 million and that, after accounting for prior commitments and reserves, the organization has roughly $20.5 million available to work with in 2026. She said 54 new grants totaling $16.3 million have been issued so far in 2026 and described the endowment's multi-pronged approach to grantmaking, monitoring and impact measurement.

Dagenais highlighted three recently announced investments: $2 million to expand a Career and Leadership Development Academy; $3 million to establish a New Hanover County Apprenticeship Accelerator at Cape Fear Community College in partnership with national foundations and Live Oak Bank; and a partnership unlocking approximately $1.85 million in food benefits to serve an estimated 15,000 children through a summer nutrition program. She also said the endowment posted a public dashboard and other reports to increase transparency.

Commissioners asked about capacity building and how the endowment supports grantees' ability to measure outcomes. Dagenais said the organization embeds capacity-building elements into some grants, offers professional development pathways, and is piloting supports such as membership in statewide nonprofit capacity programs and data training in partnership with local collectives.

Dagenais invited commissioners and the public to a public listening session on June 3 and said additional program details will be posted on the endowment's website. The board did not take a formal vote on endowment programs during the meeting; the session was informational and followed by commissioner questions.