How 111 Wilmington nonprofits will spend $9 million from hospital sale

Less than two years after the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center became final, part of the more than $1 billion in proceeds are heading out into the community.

The endowment established by New Hanover County leaders following the sale recently announced its first round of grant recipients. The endowment plans to give more than $9 million in one-time grants to 111 community organizations.

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The recipients include various organizations that range from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the YMCA to organizations like Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard of Wilmington and No Limit Boxing Club.

Naming the grant recipients was the product of months of planning and a long-time coming for some in the Cape Fear community.

Following the controversial sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, its proceeds were divided into three buckets: a $50 million mental and behavioral health fund, a $300 million revenue stabilization fund, and a $1.25 billion community endowment.

In the past two years, the endowment organized as a nonprofit, adopted bylaws and a mission statement and hired William Buster as the endowment’s president and CEO to guide the process.

Since starting in March, Buster has hired additional staff members, held numerous community listening sessions and formed a community advisory committee to help advise the endowment board on community needs.

Applications for this round of grants were open from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30. The endowment received a total of 291 applications during that period with recipients being chosen by the endowment's 14-member board. Those selected will receive the grant money by the end of the year, according to endowment spokesperson Jada Harkins Andrews.

Here are the groups that received grant money and what they to do with it:

• Cape Fear Community College: Child Day Care: $250,000 – Supports establishing a childcare center.

• Cape Fear Community College: Underserved Students: $250,000 – Supports scholarships for underserved students.

• Coastal Horizons Center: $250,000 – Supports youth shelter renovations and MAT facility construction.

• East Carolina Community Development: $250,000 – Supports Covenant Senior Housing development.

• Eden Village: $250,000 – Supports construction of tiny homes.

• Good Shepherd Center: $250,000 – Supports rapid rehousing program.

• Wilmington Fire Department: $219,500 – Supports new vehicles.

• Domestic Violence Shelter and Services: $203,000 – Supports capital equipment purchase and shelter services.

• Beacon Education: $200,000 – Supports commercial kitchen installation.

• Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity: $200,000 – Supports homeownership program and critical repair program.

• The Healing Place: $200,000 – Supports new vehicles and clinic.

• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, Cape Fear Regional Office: $197,500 – Supports capital spending.

• Classical Charter Schools of America: $194,900 – Supports new air conditioning unit, building sealing and asbestos removal.

• YMCA of Southeastern NC: $190,000 – Supports new vehicles and scholarships.

• American Red Cross Cape Fear Chapter: $170,735 – Supports Sickle Cell initiative.

• Diaper Bank of North Carolina: $170,000 – Supports supply purchases and new delivery vehicle.

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC at Wilmington: $165,000 – Supports new commercial kitchen, vehicle and student support services.

• Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry: $165,000 – Supports program for affordable housing retention.

• MedNorth Health Center: $162,500 – Supports capital expenditures and new staffing.

• WATERway NC: $157,025 – Supports Leak Repair Pilot Project.

• Leading into New Communities (LINC): $149,000 – Supports capacity building and operational expenses.

• A Safe Place: $148,000 – Supports case management, occupancy and outreach center program.

• Lower Cape Fear LifeCare: $147,500 – Supports patient charity care, health summit and veterans event.

• Access Dental Care: $140,500 – Supports mobile dental services.

• Harbor United Methodist Church: $135,000 – Supports feeding 200 more people.

• Community Boys & Girls Club: $133,650 – Support unification of Brigade Boys & Girls Club and food program.

• Kids Making It: $132,500 – Supports capital expenditures and an instructor.

• Community Enrichment Initiatives: $129,200 – Supports capital improvements and new equipment.

• StepUp Wilmington: $125,500 – Support programs and launch new initiatives.

• Easter Seals UCP North Carolina & Virginia: $125,000 – Supports Culinary Connections program.

• YWCA Lower Cape Fear: $122,125 – Supports Leadership for Inclusive Community program.

• Feast Down East: $120,000 – Supports operational expenses and internal capacity building.

• Smart Start of New Hanover County: $120,000 – Supports research and development project.

• DREAMS Center for Art Education: $115,000 – Supports upgrades to technology and program spaces.

• NourishNC: $105,000 – Supports vehicle purchase and upfit.

• Cameron Art Museum: $104,000 – Supports United States Colored Troop project.

• Voyage of Wilmington: $100,000 – Supports summer employment program.

• Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center: $100,000 – Supports Housing Empowerment partnership.

• Children’s Museum of Wilmington: $86,400 – Supports capital costs and Title 1 school discounts.

• UNCW: Public Health: $85,825 – Supports TimeSlips program.

• Tides: $85,500 – Supports housing for homeless women.

• UNCW: Health & Human Services: $82,567 – Supports mobile health clinic and resource fairs.

• Cape Fear Center for Inquiry: $80,000 – Supports new vehicle purchase.

• Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear: $80,000 – Supports capital improvements to apartments used for emergency shelter and transitional housing.

• Wilmington School of the Arts: $80,000 – Supports new bus with air conditioning.

• Financial Protection Law Center: $77,000 – Supports operational expenses and free legal services.

• Child Development Center: $75,000 – Supports teacher salaries.

• Community Counseling Center: $75,000 – Supports increased capacity of sliding scale program.

• NSEA Swim: $75,000 – Supports pool cover purchase.

• Soaring as Eagles Outreach Ministry: $75,000 – Supports a new van and operational support.

• Youth Villages North Carolina, Wilmington: $75,000 – Supports LifeSet program for those transitioning out of foster care.

• Cape Fear Collective: $70,000 – Supports mapping of affordable housing.

• Cape Fear Literacy Council: $69,100 – Supports several purchases, parking lot upfit and operational costs.

• UNCW: MI CASA: $66,500 – Supports college campus visits.

• First Tee Greater Wilmington: $64,400 – Supports a new vehicle.

• Cape Fear Group Homes: $60,000 – Supports new vehicle.

• Elderhaus: $59,887 – Supports capital expenses for PACE clinic.

• Canines for Service: $55,000 – Supports new vehicle and new fire alarm system.

• City of Wilmington: Recreation Division: $55,000 – Supports adaptive sports equipment and storage space.

• UNCW: Learn-to-Swim Program: $50,660 – Supports Learn-to-Swim program.

• ACCESS of Wilmington: $50,000 – Supports membership fees and purchase of adaptive sports equipment.

• Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard of Wilmington: $50,000 – Supports occupancy costs for 2023.

• Welcome Home Angel: $50,000 – Supports bedroom and home modifications.

• Young Mogul Development Group: $50,000 – Supports Young Mogul Vision Center.

• Comprehensive Care of Wilmington: $48,070 – Supports outreach expansion, counseling and property acquisition.

• Camp Schreiber Foundation: $48,000 – Supports operational expenses.

• UNCW: Health & Applied Human Sciences (D.C. Virgo Prep): $46,656 – Supports new community garden.

• NCSU Cooperative Extension: New Hanover County Center: $38,500 – Supports food security plan.

• Greater Wilmington Chamber Foundation: $37,000 – Supports Career and Leadership Development Academy.

• Wrightsville Beach Museum of History: $34,500 – Supports Black Community/Shell Island and climate change program.

• The Anchor United Methodist Church: $32,000 – Supports day shelter.

• Cape Fear HealthNet: $30,000 – Supports outreach efforts.

• El Cuerpo (Christ Community Church): $30,000 – Supports medical services, English classes and tutoring.

• Hope Recovery United Methodist Church: $27,800 – Supports overnight emergency and day shelter.

• Genesis Block Foundation: $26,200 – Supports entrepreneur trainings and workshops.

• UNCW: Nursing (Barbershop Initiative): $26,000 – Supports blood pressure monitors for barbershops.

• Brooklyn Arts Music Academy: $25,000 – Supports Music is Life! Classes.

• SEEDS of Healing: $24,000 – Supports operational expenses.

• Young Scientist Academy: $21,000 – Supports STEM experiences for youth.

• No Limit Boxing Club: $18,500 – Supports equipment and scholarships

• Masonboro.org: $18,000 – Supports ferry costs for student trips.

• Cape Fear Museum Associates: $17,000 – Supports STEM program.

• Third Person Project: $17,000 – Supports research database and archival materials.

• Children’s Cancer Patients of the Carolinas: $16,184 – Supports milage, airfare, meals and other expenses.

• A Bike for Every Child: $16,000 – Supports Junior Bike Mechanics program.

• Alliance for Cape Fear Trees: $16,000 – Supports beautification and green space expansion.

• Transitions Foundation NC: $15,500 – Supports student services.

• Bread for Life Senior Pantry: $15,000 – Supports improved quality and quantity of food.

• Advance Youth Outreach: $14,000 – Supports YES program cohort.

• Quality Life Blueprint: $14,000 – Supports trainings.

• Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association: $13,400 – Supports updated meeting and presentation services.

• Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum: $13,442 – Supports new permaculture food garden.

• Cape Fear Guardian ad Litem Association: $12,500 – Supports tutoring program and campus visits.

• UNCW: Health & Applied Human Sciences (Street Medicine): $12,057 – Supports Wilmington Street Medicine program.

• Five14 Revolution: $11,375 – Supports safe housing.

• Peer Recovery Resources: $11,250 – Supports North Carolina Peer Support training.

• UNCW: Social Work: $10,206 – Supports group wellness counseling for young adults.

• Global Connections: $10,000 – Supports program and operational expenses.

• Pine Forest Cemetery Board: $10,000 – Supports program and outreach.

• St. Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church: $8,000 – Supports food and personal products.

• UNCW: Center for Education in STEM: $7,900 – Supports professional development and STEM equipment.

• This Whole Life Foundation: $7,500 – Supports educational curriculum for churches.

• Coastal Bringing Up Down Syndrome: $6,175 – Supports trainings and workshops.

• Cape Fear Volunteer Center: $5,000 – Supports new volunteer management software.

• The Kairos Center: $3,961 – Supports Living My Best Life program.

• Blank Canvas Awareness Art: $3,500 – Supports specialized student tutoring.

• Association of Fundraising Professionals, Cape Fear Chapter: $3,000 – Supports diversity training, outreach and scholarship program.

• Port City Breastfeeding Project: $1,500 – Supports educational courses and lactation supplies.

• The Dance Cooperative: $1,400 – Supports K-12 scholarships.

• Independent Works: $1,000 – Supports partnership with Harrelson Center.

Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at edill@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: These Wilmington nonprofits will get hospital sale, endowment money