Elizabeth Brazas Named Second Full-Time President in Foundation's History

Elizabeth Brazas

The Community Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Brazas has been selected to succeed Pat Smith as President of the organization. Brazas, an attorney and banking executive, was the unanimous choice of the transition team and brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She will join the Foundation staff on November 1, 2009.

Brazas is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She has worked in the private sector at Wachovia Bank and the Threshold Group, combining philanthropic, legal and wealth management experience. Her early career as an estate attorney and trust officer developed well-honed skills in compliance, budgeting, strategic planning, marketing, work plan development, implementation and measurement. In the communities in which she has lived and worked, she has been instrumental in forging valued alliances with community leaders and long-lasting relationships with clients and colleagues.

Brazas succeeds Pat Smith, the Foundation's first full-time president. During Smith's career, the Foundation's assets grew from $5 million to more than $130 million today and more than $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations have been made. She was instrumental in the creation of nine regional affiliate funds, the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, the Women for Women giving circle and WNC Nonprofit Pathways. Smith will be honored at a ticketed Community Celebration taking place at the North Carolina Arboretum on Wednesday, September 30.

Read the email announcement

Recession Response Fund

FEATURED GRANT Fields of Hope, Mars Hill, NC Read More

In early 2009, The Community Foundation committed to raise $1 million to help those most hurt by the downturn in the economy. Seeding the fund with $250,000 and working with donors and partners such as the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and nine regional affiliates, the total raised has grown to $930,000. The $1 million goal is in sight, and your gift will help us get there.

Every penny of that $1 million is being distributed in 2009 to organizations providing food, shelter, medical care and creating new jobs. The Recession Response Fund has been deployed quickly and efficiently to organizations doing important work across the region. Many people and projects have benefited, including:

• 9,000 people without adequate food resources, who benefited from food pantries, the Feed-A-Kid Backpack weekend program and Meals on Wheels programs.
• Community garden projects, including Fields of Hope in Mars Hill (pictured), received funds to purchase equipment and supplies. Tons (literally!) of fresh produce has been donated for families in need.
• Nearly 800 individuals who needed utility and rent payments in order to stay in their homes.
• 500 individuals in domestic violence and homeless shelters who had a safe bed, food and services, through $21,000 in operating support for four agencies across the region.
• 539 people who received medical care, prescriptions or counseling because of $25,500 in support for six different clinics.
• 122 low income families, including 267 children and 175 adults, who were helped by Pisgah Legal Services. $10,000 helped stop foreclosures or evictions; secure food stamps, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance; secure rights and child support for domestic violence victims and protect vulnerable consumers from predatory creditors.

You can make a gift to the Recession Response Fund online by clicking here, or by mailing your gift to CFWNC. Fundholders can check Funding Opportunities in your DonorCentral account. Your tax-deductible gift will provide help, hope and a hand to those less fortunate. Gifts of any size are welcome.

Donors to the Recession Response Fund.

Click here for a complete list of the recent grants.

To find out more about services for women who choose to give back, click here >>

Fundholders
You can now access your fund online through Donor Central. If you haven't established a Donor Central account yet or you would like more information, please contact Spencer Butler.

ML Advisors
For donors using Merrill Lynch Community Charitable Fund, a national partnership program