Update from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Maurice "Mo" Green provides an update on the Foundation's work

Announcements, News
Dear Friends,
 
I hope you had a wonderful summer and are now preparing for a new season ahead.
 
It has been a reflective time for me as I think about all that has happened across our state, country and around the world over the past few months. From horrific tragedies and natural disasters, to policies that are impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals living among us, there is much to grapple with.
 
First, our deepest and most heartfelt condolences are with the families of all the victims who were affected by the tragic shootings in Las Vegas on Sunday night. We cannot express how saddened we are by what has happened. Our thoughts are also with those who were impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and remain with those who are still recovering from Hurricane Matthew. We are also keeping close in our thoughts our neighbors in Mexico, who experienced a devastating earthquake a few weeks ago.
 
We also stand in solidarity with our friends across the country who have been deeply affected by the termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Ending DACA would rescind work authorization and protection from deportation for nearly 800,000 undocumented young people and would have a direct impact on nearly 27,500 DACA recipients in our state.

As a North Carolina based Foundation that believes in the values of fairness, justice, dignity, and equity, ZSR Trustees have responded to this humanitarian crisis by providing $100,000 to organizations across the state for renewal clinics, community education, and emergency planning services to assist North Carolina DACA recipients.
 
Recipients whose legal status expires on or before March 5, 2018 will have until October 5, 2017 to renew their two-year period of legal status. It is estimated that approximately 6,800 individuals in North Carolina will need to meet the October 5 deadline.
 
To this end, the Foundation awarded eight “rapid response” grants – through a DACA Rapid Response Fund – to support immigrant-serving and legal service organizations, to provide DACA renewal clinics, community education, and emergency planning services for affected individuals and families through the end of March 2018.
 
We encourage you to read our full press release here to learn more about how the Foundation is working to support DACA beneficiaries across North Carolina.
 
In terms of our other ongoing work at the Foundation, in June 2017, we provided an update on the Foundation’s emerging direction. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to review our microsite – All For NC – which lays out the journey we took in getting us to our emerging direction, as well as learn more about what we heard from North Carolinians throughout our yearlong strategic assessment and planning process.
 
We are in the midst of developing and designing each of the strategies of the emerging direction. We are continuing to do our own due diligence, research, and outreach to various stakeholders as we go through this process. We have also committed to adhering to our core values as well as using a racial equity lens as we flesh out each of these strategies. And as we’ve promised, we will continue to keep you informed as we rollout our work over the next 12 to 18 months.
 
Staff is also in the middle of our Fall 2017 grant cycle. We have been meeting with our incredible grantees for the last several weeks and will be coming together with our full Board of Trustees in November to discuss grantmaking.
 
While there is much happening that keeps many of us up at night, when I take a step back and think about all the good and important work of our grantees and so many other committed organizations across the state, I am reminded that there is great hope that we will continue to make North Carolina a better place to live for all.
 
Maurice "Mo" Green
Executive Director, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation