Classroom Heroes: Donors Increase Support for Education
Trend: The pandemic spotlighted the shortcomings of education – including accessibility, opportunity and equity. It’s no surprise our donors are as focused as ever on the subject.
Janet Wilson
At Dudley Shoals Elementary School in Granite Falls, N.C., a group of 4-year-olds gathers around a table, excitedly talking about whether to make pancakes or pizza. Before they can decide, one suggests they get ingredients for both, and the group is off and running. Meanwhile, another group is hard at work with an assortment of blocks building a “really, REALLY tall building!
The pre-K class is not in a kitchen or on a construction site. They’re outside, using their imaginations, exploring, collaborating and learning.
“What works best for 3- and 4-year-olds?” asked Vickie Sproul, literacy director of Caldwell County Schools. “Giving them outdoor learning environments is one way. Not just a playground with a swing but outdoor learning environments where they can explore and still have instruction.”
Janet Wilson recognized the importance of early childhood education and the need for those types of learning opportunities. When the longtime civic and education leader embarked on what would be the most transformative philanthropic project of her lifetime and in her community, outdoor learning environments were just one of the opportunities she provided.
Janet might have helped lead the way, but she was far from alone in her dedication to education.
From scholarships and after-school enrichment programs to college readiness and access to technology, many FFTC donors are committed to supporting education and creating a more equitable future. Recognizing the critical role education plays in improving economic mobility, FFTC fundholders are increasingly directing their gifts to nonprofits and initiatives that are addressing disparities in education.
Since 2018, charitable giving to education by FFTC fundholders has increased 98%, with a 28% increase occurring from 2021 to 2022 as donors continue to help close the gaps that became even wider during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation saw a record year in 2022 with its support of students and their families. A regional affiliate and grantmaking arm of FFTC, CMCF awarded $550,000 in grants to 26 local nonprofits who are working to fill gaps between public and private services and provide opportunities for those who need them most.
Among the 26 grants were: Ada Jenkins Center to provide afterschool academic support and enrichment programming for elementary students, Carolina Youth Coalition to provide high school students with mentors and college-preparatory resources, E2D to provide computers for students lacking home-based computers sufficient to do their work, Hack & Hustle Social Entrepreneurship Academy to provide an introductory STEM training program for ages 16-24, and Heart Math Tutoring to provide a math intervention program for students performing below grade level in CMS elementary schools.
One small community has been impacted by this trend in a big way, thanks to a transformative philanthropic vision and investment by the late Janet Wilson. (Continued below.)
Janet Wilson recognized the importance of early childhood education.
“After spending as many years as she did in education, Janet knew – and research has shown us – that the first five years of life is when 80% of brain development takes place. And, so, if you can help them when they are hungry to learn and grow and explore, you can make the biggest impact.”
Vickie Sproul, literacy director, Caldwell County School
Legacy and Education
Devoted to her community and helping those who lived in it, Wilson was especially passionate about children and education. After decades of leadership and service in the education field, she began to consider her legacy and how to make a significant and lasting impact. She developed a vision for what that impact could look like and was willing to participate at every level to see it through.
Wilson wanted every child in Caldwell County to have access to free pre-kindergarten education. Through her tenacity and drive, and with a transformative philanthropic investment and remarkable humility, she made it happen.
Wilson grew up in Shore Hills, N.J., graduated from Wellesley College in 1955 and married Davidson College and Harvard Business School graduate Henry Wilson later that same year. Henry was a native of Morganton with family ties to the furniture industry, so they settled in Caldwell County and quickly became a big part of the small town of Lenoir.
When their children were older, Wilson’s own education journey began – again. She went back to school and earned her master's in psychology from Appalachian State University and in 1972 she was appointed to the Caldwell County School Board. Committed from the start, Wilson served 16 years at the local level.
Henry passed away unexpectedly in 2003. Following his death, Janet was introduced to Foundation For The Carolinas by her estate attorney, Robin Hinson, who had previously helped structure several large, transformative philanthropic gifts with the Foundation. From this spun the idea of creating a fund to provide pre-K education to every child in Caldwell County.
Wilson opened her anonymous fund in 2006 to provide long-term support for quality preschool education for all students in Caldwell County. The fund was established as a quasi-endowment using annual distributions from charitable lead trusts. The annual distributions allowed the fund to grow in the years that followed. Today, the fund is FFTC’s second largest endowment.
Focused on the Impact
Wilson’s deep experience in education gave her insights that she used to inform how the fund would be used. “After spending as many years as she did in education, Janet knew – and research has shown us – that the first five years of life is when 80% of brain development takes place,” said Vickie Sproul, literacy director for Caldwell County schools who worked closely with Wilson. “And, so, if you can help them when they are hungry to learn and grow and explore, you can make the biggest impact.” Since 2011, the fund has distributed more than $19 million to invest in the district’s pre-K programming. Today, Caldwell County Schools is widely recognized by other school districts for its preschool program. Beyond the curriculum and models being developed and used in the classroom, the funding has allowed Sproul and her team to collect, analyze and use data – qualitative and quantitative – from classrooms, student outcomes and teacher feedback to make changes and improve. They’ve also been able to share these insights with other districts beyond Caldwell County, providing more far-reaching impact. Wilson passed away in March 2020, but her impact on students, their families, teachers and her community continues to be deep and far-reaching. “Janet was a change agent,” said Sproul. “The impact of what Janet did, and the philanthropic work that was a gift to this community, has and will continue to impact us for the rest of our lives. Janet changed lives. Children … parents … teachers ... me.”
