William R. Kenan, Jr.
Charitable Trust
2020 in Review

197 Grants | Over $28.3M Awarded

Aspiring to fulfill its mission to improve lives by helping and educating people, the Trust focused its major grantmaking in 2020 on whole community health, concentrating on the crucial areas of rural health and economic prosperity in underserved and displaced communities.

Grants awarded in the area of Education, both Birth-12 and higher education, also took precedence. Programs for B-12 (children from birth through grade 12) encompassed a large area of support. Higher education funding support included student scholarships, program enhancement for infrastructures and technology, and funding for teachers and professors. Finally, arts and culture; and historic preservation, rounded out the Trust’s portfolio, with several grants serving a dual purpose of art positioned to educate children in underserved communities.

The year 2020 presented new challenges faced by grant partners due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trust strived to provide a ray of light in the face of despair, awarding a number of grants on an emergency basis to support general operating costs and address the evolving needs of their communities during the crisis.

Whole Community Health
$12,649,104 | 45%

Birth – K12
$6,425,000 | 23%

Higher Education
$4,875,000 | 17%

Arts and Culture
$3,870,000 | 13%

Historic Preservation
$525,000 | 2%

Some Grantees in Action

A student and his mother interact while admiring a painting by Barkley Hendricks at University of North Carolina’s Ackland Art Museum.

Young musicians, with no previous training, rehearse to perform through an innovative creative youth and development program at KidzNotes.

Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, FL, created special provisions for children and church members to meet during the pandemic.

GLOW Academy Coding Workshops are hosted by the College Bound Team, replacing what would have been in-person club experiences during COVID-19.

Children participate in a unique music therapy model that transforms the lives of people on the autism spectrum at Voices Together. Photo: Simon Griffiths.

Groundbreaking of the Veterans’ Life Center, the first facility of its kind, helping at-risk 21st-century military veterans reintegrate into civilian life. Photo: ©Aesthetic Images Photography

A student engages in high-tech platforms, though the Hill Learning System, s a tool for literacy development at the Hill Center. Photo: Kim Walker

The New York Common Pantry distributes hot meals outside in New York City during the pandemic. Photo: Daniel Serrette

Children engage with the range of PBS early education resources delivered to them by their local Rootle Ambassador at PBS North Carolina.

"Give light and people will find the way." —Ella Baker

The darkness that descended upon our country over the past year, from the tragic loss of lives and livelihoods because of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the painful and overdue reckoning of our country’s legacy of racism, to the political and social divisiveness that threatened to undermine our democracy, left many to wonder, where is the light? Yet even in our darkest days, the light of compassion has always been there, even when buried behind the calamitous news that always leads.

One need look no farther than the extraordinary women profiled here to see how brightly the light of hope and empathy can shine. These women lead organizations that are doing critical work for the underserved and disenfranchised, and serve as beacons of what is possible when individuals make a steadfast commitment to service beyond self.

The past year brought into stark relief the fact that we are all connected through our shared humanity, and that to survive and thrive, our common welfare and wellbeing must come first. We are all one step away from adversity and tragedy, and cultivating a deep, authentic understanding of how our fellow human beings arrived at their current state is essential for building a more just and equitable world. The women featured here are “candles of hope” for the communities they serve, and they are also inspiring and empowering others to shine their own light.

The Kenan Trust is privileged to have these women, and the organizations they lead, as our partners. We hope you will be inspired by them and the work they nurture daily.