Categories

Category: Philanthropy

Oct
22
2015

Occoneechee Council Announces 2015 Pope Scholarship Recipients

From the John William Pope Foundation: October 10, 2015 Raleigh, NC — The John William Pope Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America Occoneechee Council have announced the recipients of the 2015 Pope Eagle Scout Scholarships. This March, four area high school students were selected from an applicant pool over 50 young men to each receive a $20,000 scholarship to be applied towards their post-secondary undergraduate education. Recipients of the 2015 scholarships included: Joseph Daniel Melvin of Southern Pines; Andrew John “AJ” Raulynaitis, II of Willow Spring; Andrew Walker Smith of Cary; and Jesse Franklin Tarte, III of Raleigh. “Seeing such a promising group of young men who are committed to making a difference in both their communities and academic studies is rewarding and fulfills the vision of this grant program,” said Joyce Pope, vice president of the Pope Foundation. Applicants were required to have completed the rank of ‘Eagle Scout’ and be a current or former member of the Occoneechee Council. The scholarship is payable over the course of four years and offers a unique opportunity to provide funds for a summer internship that builds knowledge and appreciation of our nation’s free enterprise system. The late John William Pope, a Raleigh businessman and philanthropist, established the Pope Eagle Scout Scholarship Program in 2001 to support the studies and development of future free enterprise leaders. The program has continued with an annual $40,000 matching grant from the Pope Foundation. This year, matching support came from both the Stone Family Foundation and past council presidents. ###
Read more
Sep
24
2015

Pope Foundation will award $200,000 to arts and human services organizations

From the John William Pope Foundation September 23, 2015 RALEIGH – The John William Pope Foundation has announced a new competitive grant initiative that will award two $100,000 grants to North Carolina nonprofits.  Organizations can apply for the Joy Pope Memorial Grant in the Arts and the Joy Pope Memorial Grant in Human Services until October 30. This is the first competitive grant program the foundation has offered. “Traditionally, the Pope Foundation has given to arts and human services in the Triangle region.  But we know there are innovative approaches to pressing needs outside of our regional scope,” said foundation president John Hood. “Through this competitive grant process we hope to bring awareness to underserved causes and model potential solutions and new ideas.” The grants are one-time gifts and will be issued for projects that will be completed in 2016. Applicants should be IRS compliant non-profits, based in North Carolina. New, former and existing foundation grantees are all welcome to apply. The foundation will accept traditional fall grant applications concurrently.  For more information, including application instructions for all foundation grants, visit www.jwpf.org. “Our goal has always been to benefit the greatest number of people possible through our giving.  As North Carolina grows and continues to create jobs, old challenges will continue,” said foundation chairman Art Pope. “My mother’s legacy provides a wonderful guiding example for our arts and humanitarian grants, so we thought it was appropriate to name the award in her honor.” Joy Pope was the wife of the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope and the mother of foundation chairman Art Pope.  She was a dedicated patron of arts and human service organizations and served as president of the foundation from 1986-1992.  The John William Pope Foundation works to improve the well being of citizens in North Carolina and the nation through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. The foundation’s giving has totaled more than $100 million since its founding, primarily directed to organizations in North Carolina. ###
Read more
Sep
9
2015

Library in Vance County installs bilingual Spanish early literacy stations with Pope Foundation support

From the John William Pope Foundation September 9, 2015 RALEIGH — With recent grant support from the John William Pope Foundation, the H. Leslie Memorial Library in Vance County has added new technology to the youth services area to their Henderson, N.C. facility.  The new installation features additional early literacy stations that offer over 70 educational software programs in several curricular areas.  Several of the station’s programs are offered in Spanish, making the bilingual offering beneficial to the entire family. The official press release can be read online at The Daily Dispatch: http://www.hendersondispatch.com/homepage/check-it-out-news-from-the-perry-memorial-library/article_d6f56bee-6b76-52e5-9f65-699bb288b06b.html The Pope Foundation receives its support from the Pope family, owner and operator of the Henderson, North Carolina-based company Variety Wholesalers, Inc. For more information about the Perry Memorial Library, visit their website here.
Read more
Aug
22
2015

Pope Foundation makes emergency grants to Raleigh-area animal shelters

From the John William Pope Foundation August 20, 2015 RALEIGH, N.C. — The Pope Foundation has issued two emergency grants to local animal rescues.  Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh and the Vance County Animal Shelter in Henderson were each awarded $1,000 to aid with pressing issues. “Both Safe Haven Rescue and Vance County Animal Shelter are doing their respective parts to keep communities clean and safe by providing shelter and care for animals that would otherwise be neglected or endangered.” said Joyce Pope, vice president of the John William Pope Foundation.  “Furthermore, their work to care for and rehabilitate abandoned and abused animals adds important value to our society and underscores how important it is to care for all community members, great and small.” Safe Haven for Cats took 34 cats into their facility after a July animal hoarding case that removed over 150 animals from a Chatham County home. The shelter has run out of space and resources during the summer months when they are typically already crowded.  Vance County Animal Shelter has also been struggling.  Their shelter has not been updated since it was built 40 years ago, and is regularly well over capacity.  This spring they received a five-acre land donation and are working to raise the funds to update their existing space. The Pope Foundation receives its support from the Pope family, owner and operator of the Henderson, North Carolina-based company Variety Wholesalers, Inc.  Art Pope is chairman of the foundation.  For more information, visit www.jwpf.org.   ###
Read more
Jul
24
2015

White Oak School gymnasium effort receives $5,000 grant

From the John William Pope Foundation July 24, 2015 RALEIGH – The John William Pope Foundation recently announced the award of a $5,000 grant to the White Oak School gymnasium revitalization project in Elizabethtown. “Buildings like the White Oak gymnasium are the backbone of many small communities,” said Art Pope, chairman of the John William Pope Foundation. “The Pope Foundation is proud to support a project that the people of Bladen County will find useful and important for years to come.” The Pope Foundation receives its support from the family of Art Pope and from Variety Wholesales, Inc., owner and operator the North Carolina based Roses and Maxway stores. The White Oak school doors were shuttered years ago, and all that remains on the property is a gymnasium built in the 1940s. The property was donated to White Oak Baptist Church about a year ago and the White Oak School Reunion Committee began the process of renovating the building into a community center. The grant from the Pope Foundation will help complete the final work on the building, including the installation of heating and air conditioning systems. Read the original press release at Bladen Journal online: http://bladenjournal.com/news/education/750/white-oak-school-gymnasium-effort-receives-5000-grant  ###
Read more