At John Rex Endowment (JRE), we’re focused on one thing: Helping children thrive.

We do so with a steadfast focus on our mission and vision. 

Investing in Local Impact

We believe in putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of the community.

We do so by: 

• Investing in nonprofits and grassroots organizations that know the Wake County community the best. 

• Re-imagining how foundations like us can partner with community organizations. For example, we’re focusing on trust-based philanthropy and exploring ways we can co-create opportunities to enhance the social emotional health of children  — ensuring our funding meets our community’s greatest needs.

• Partnering with fellow funders. We work together to co-fund and co-sponsor funding opportunities, which empowers us to fund bigger and better initiatives. As life-long learners, we also learn from other funders and share our own experiences, too. 

• Sharing proven practices — ones that help Wake County children and families succeed – with community and policy leaders. Child advocacy is what we focus on all day, every day. We’re here as a resource for Wake County leaders as they make decisions that can help our community grow and thrive.

• Working with an intermediary, The Kaleidoscope Project, to propel community-driven, philanthropy-funded projects centered on the social and emotional needs of children. 

• And, of course, incorporating a racial equity and racial justice focus into everything we do. 

We Believe in the Power of Relationships

We know that when we work together, we can create the lasting, systems-level change we want to see in our community.