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The Belk FoundationThe Belk Foundation, a family foundation, is the public expression of gratitude and commitment shown by the family who created the Belk department store organization, in its third generation of family leadership, to the communities that have helped the company to grow and prosper since its establishment in 1888. How We GiveMission The Belk Foundation believes that education is a basis for successful society and that a quality education is the right of all children and youth. Our mission is to invest in schools and organizations that work aggressively to ensure all students graduate from high school and continue on an intentional path toward college, career and life. In order to accomplish our mission, we invest in schools and organizations that show measurable achievement in the following results:
We expect our partners to collect data and measure their effectiveness. We are committed to doing the same. We are interested in discovering and investing in what works. In the initial years of this grantmaking focus, we are open to a broad range of strategies and programs as long as they can prove measurable gains in the results we seek. We are especially interested in supporting the education of youth to and through college, beginning with kindergarten.  Grant Limitations Grants from The Belk Foundation are not awarded to:
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Application Process The Belk Foundation awards the majority of its grants to organizations identified by our staff and board. At this time, The Foundation does not accept letters of inquiry or unsolicited proposals. Ordinarily, Foundation staff contacts nonprofit organizations of interest for a preliminary conversation about their work and how a grantmaking partnership with The Foundation might help to advance it. We then present the work to a grants committee of our Board for consideration. If the committee expresses a strong interest in the work, we contact the organization and work with them on a proposal submission process. The Board reviews these proposals and has the final decision regarding which organizations The Foundation will fund. The Foundation conducts two grantmaking cycles per year. The deadline for the spring cycle is April 15, with decisions made by late May, and the deadline for the fall cycle is October 15, with decisions made by late November. Foundation History The John M. Belk Memorial Fund was created by the Belk stores in 1928 following the death of Dr. John M. Belk, brother of William Henry Belk and co-founder of the stores organization. Karl Hudson Sr., an early Belk managing partner, supported the creation of the Memorial Fund and served as its Trustee until his death in 1953. The Memorial Fund was operated primarily for the building, re-building and remodeling of Presbyterian churches, manses and Sunday school buildings in the Southeast. The John M. Belk Memorial Fund also supported the education and training of Christian missionaries, the establishment of public libraries, the aiding of hospitals and their indigent patients and the advancement of the YMCA and YWCA. Soon after William Henry Belk's death in 1952, his heirs combined the charitable portion of his estate with the John M. Belk Memorial Fund to form The Belk Foundation. The Belk Foundation remains committed to fulfilling the philanthropic vision of its founders and continues to be an effective means of expressing the Belk family's values. Source of Funds The majority of the principal funds in the Belk Foundation have been contributed annually by the Belk department store organization, beginning in 1928 and extending to the present. Principal contributions were also made by the Belk family following the deaths of Dr. John M. Belk and William Henry Belk. The Belk Foundation's money for grantmaking, like that of most private foundations, comes from the interest income and investment earnings of its endowment. Historically, the Belk department store organization has made an annual gift to The Belk Foundation to support its charitable giving. The Belk Foundation currently has assets in excess of $55 million. Each year the organization gives approximately five percent of its assets to various charitable organizations whose programs and services reflect the vision of our founders and three generations of the Belk family. Belk Foundation Board Katherine B. Morris (Chair), Southern Pines, NC Claudia W. Belk, Charlotte, NC John R. Belk, Charlotte, NC Thomas M. Belk, Jr. Charlotte, NC Katherine M. Belk-Cook, Charlotte, NC J. Kirk Glenn Jr., Winston-Salem, NC B. Frank Matthews II, Gastonia, NC Mary Claudia Belk Pilon, Charlotte, NC Foundation Staff Johanna Edens Anderson, Foundation Director Susan C. Blount, Foundation Administrator Contact Information 2801 W. Tyvola Road Charlotte, NC 28217-4500 (704) 426-8396 susan_blount@belk.com |
