The John Rex Endowment works alongside local nonprofits who share our desired impact that all Wake County children and their families are safe, healthy, and living to their full potential.  Our commitment is to strengthen the infrastructure of nonprofit organizations who are supporting children’s social, emotional, behavioral health and well-being.  Throughout our work we are taking steps to be more strategic in the ways we support our nonprofit community. This approach brought us to the decision that for the remainder of 2021 we will not announce any new funding opportunities through the request for proposals process.

The focus of our funding resources is on existing grant-funded partners to allow these organizations to grow even stronger in their ability to fulfill their missions. An additional step we are taking is based on what we learned from the release of our most recent funding opportunity - that requests for proposals do not necessarily align with the unique needs of grassroots nonprofits.  We will explore ways in which the Endowment can support those collaboratives that applied for Endowment funds but did not receive funding.

The Endowment is committed to being an anti-racist funder which means our work is centered in advancing equity for children and their families who have been made most marginalized by systemic racism. As we emerge from the pandemic, the Endowment will work with nonprofits to tackle the racial inequities that are impacting the positive social, emotional, behavioral health and well-being of children.  Grantmaking is only one of the strategies the Endowment is using to create impact; we are also making use of our advocacy voice and the knowledge and experience of our staff to support the community.

“For the Endowment to be its best and to do our work effectively we must continually listen, learn and evolve,” said Kellan Moore, president and CEO of the John Rex Endowment.  “To reach our desired impact, we must actively and intentionally build a more equitable Wake County, especially for our Black and Brown children.”

Please continue to watch our website for updates as we work together to create an environment where all children and families can thrive.