News & Updates

From the John William Pope Foundation  December 15, 2015 RALEIGH, N.C. — The John William Pope Foundation recently awarded $1.8 million to North Carolina nonprofits in its winter grant cycle. Of that, over $1 million went to humanitarian organizations that meet hunger, housing, and health needs, primarily in the Triangle region. That figure includes $400,000 to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to help fulfill a $1.3 million pledge made in 2014. “We’re pleased to help ease the burden of North Carolinians who are in need,” said foundation Chairman Art Pope. “Our grantees are doing excellent work to ensure that real and pressing issues are addressed in our communities. They are also providing first-class access to arts and education. The true value of our grantees’ work cannot be overstated,” said Pope. First-time grants were made to Camp Corral ($10,000), Dress for Success of Eastern North Carolina ($10,000), the Hope Center at Pullen ($5,000), Junior Achievement of the Triangle ($5,000), TROSA ($10,000), Wake County 4-H ($10,000), and Raleigh Camerata ($2,500).  A full list of the winter 2015 grantees can be found below. The Foundation works to improve the well being of citizens in North Carolina and the nation through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled more than $100 million, and has been primarily directed to organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope Foundation December 2015 Grantees: Artspace $5,000 Carolina Ballet $25,000 Community Music School $5,000 Kidznotes $10,000 NC Theatre $50,000 North Carolina Museum of Art $250,000 North Carolina Opera $15,000 North Carolina Symphony $25,000 Performance Edge $5,000 Raleigh Camerata $2,500 Raleigh Fine Arts Society $25,000 Raleigh Little Theatre $5,000 Asheville School $225,000 Boy Scouts of America – Occoneechee Council $10,000 Neuse Christian Academy $2,500 Raleigh Charter High School $25,000 Ravenscroft School $25,000 Wake County 4-H $10,000 ACTS of Vance County $10,500 Alliance Medical Ministry $20,000 Camp Corral $10,000 CASA-Community Alternatives for Supportive Abodes $5,000 Children’s Hope Alliance $10,000 CORRAL Riding Academy $5,000 Disabilities Education Support Center $4,000 Dress for Success of Eastern North Carolina $10,000 Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina $10,000 Full Gospel Tabernacle Church $25,000 Girl Scouts of America-Vance County $5,000 Green Chair Project $10,000 H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library $15,000 Habitat for Humanity of Wake County $20,000 Helping Horse Therapeutic Riding Program $5,000 Henderson YMCA $5,000 Hope Center at Pullen $5,000 Hope Reins $10,000 Inter-Faith Food Shuttle $10,000 Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women $10,000 Junior Achievement $10,000 Lucy Daniels Center $5,000 NC Youth Legislative Assembly Administration $5,000 Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina $25,000 Raleigh Rescue Mission $10,000 Safe Haven for Cats $6,000 Salvation Army of Wake County $10,000 SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals $30,000 Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen $10,000 StepUp Ministry $50,000 Transitions LifeCare $10,000 Triangle Special Hockey Association $5,000 TROSA $10,000 UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center $400,000 United Way of Vance County $15,000 Urban Ministries of Wake County $10,000 Vance County Historical Society $5,000 White Memorial Presbyterian Church $250,000 YMCA of the Triangle Area $5,000

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio picked up another big-name donor in the presidential race on Thursday, this time one from North Carolina. Art Pope, a philanthropist and CEO of Variety Wholesalers, said he would support Rubio’s campaign in the GOP primary and in the general election. Pope said he’d been meeting with many of the Republican candidates and made up his mind this week. “I think Sen. Marco Rubio is both the most qualified, has the best all-around experience, and I agree with him more so on the issues than all the other candidates,” Pope told CNN.   The businessman and former politician has invested millions in North Carolina politics and is an ally of the Koch Brothers’ network of advocacy groups and foundations. He wouldn’t discuss any dollar amounts behind his planned support of Rubio, but pledged to “do whatever I can” to get Rubio elected, including through his contributions, advocacy for Rubio and frequent role as a national Republican Party convention delegate. Pope said Rubio’s experience as speaker of the Florida House especially appealed to him. “To be elected by your peers, your colleagues, is a good indication of your leadership,” Pope said, adding state speakers have a heavy set of policy responsibilities. “That is more experience than President (Barack) Obama had when he was a member of the Legislature in Illinois.” He also cited the senator’s positions on national security, taxes, immigration and spending as being appealing. North Carolina’s primary is in mid-March, making it a more important prize this election cycle than previous ones, where it voted later in the year. That was part of Pope’s reasoning for getting behind Rubio in the primary, which he sat out last election cycle. It’s the latest victory for Rubio in the GOP donor race, where he’s competing against other big fundraisers, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has been sinking in the polls. Rubio has been endorsed by other mega-donors including Ken Griffin, Paul Singer and Frank VanderSloot.   From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/10/politics/marco-rubio-donor-art-pope-north-carolina/

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. ###

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. ###

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.