Our Path to Progress

Past grant funding has influenced who we are today as an organization and our grantmaking areas of interest. 

We listen and learn – that is now, and has always been, how we make informed decisions about our approaches and areas of interest.

Here is the evolution of our commitment to helping Wake County children lead healthy lives: 

  • When we began our grantmaking in 2001, a priority was placed on ensuring access to care for vulnerable Wake County children.
  • Seven years later we responded to the growing concerns around the issue of childhood obesity and focused attention on promoting healthy weight among children in Wake County.
  • In 2012, we engaged in a multi-faceted assessment of community needs and interests. As described in Our Plan for Impact, 2013-2018, we focused on five goals Healthy Weight and Active Living; Preventing Injury; Positive Mental Health; Nonprofit Capacity Building; and Coalition Effectiveness. 
  • In 2017 we knew from our experience that it was time for another multi-faceted assessment to determine how to best continue our commitment to helping Wake County children live healthy lives. 
  • The launch of our Strategic Roadmap in 2018 restated our commitment to the well-being of Wake County children and the prevention of health problems.

While the John Rex Endowment has begun implementation of our Strategic Roadmap in 2019, more than 20 grants funded under Our Plan for Impact, 2013-2018 are still active and will continue through 2020. We will report the findings of these grants when they are available. 

Our Strategic Roadmap reflects what we have learned and how we will meet our desired impact that Wake County children and their families are safe, healthy and living to their full potential. This is a broader vision for our efforts that builds upon what we have accomplished through Our Plan for Impact, 2013-2018 and what we are still learning. Through experience, we have learned that in order to be effective, the Endowment must make long-term commitments to these efforts. We expect our Strategic Roadmap will guide our work and partnerships for the foreseeable future.

In addition to grantmaking, we will also use approaches such as convening, collaborating and advocating to reach our impact.