Reidsville Area Foundation

08/17/2026

Mark your calendars! The Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) is excited to offer an in-person workshop at our office in Kernersville on Tuesday, October 6th from 9 AM till 12:30 PM as part of the Growing Food Finance Technical Assistance Hub. These workshops are open to food retail and food enterprise (food hubs, farmers markets, farm stores, corner stores, grocery stores, mobile markets, cooperatives, distributors) in the Piedmont Triad Region.

Overall, the workshop will focus on how to “Scale Beyond Startup”. We will be addressing profitability, expansion, building relationships with consumers, producers, and volunteers and making community connections for impacts and funding. As we prepare, we ask that you take 5 minutes to give us feedback about your current interests and needs. The survey will be open for responses through COB on August 28, 2026.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KW2DYCX

Learn more about the Growing Food Finance program here.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

07/29/2026

Last week I was in Rockingham County, NC, a deeply rural and conservative community, to launch a community initiative in partnership with Reidsville Area Foundation.

As documented in our report, Better Together: Creating a Shared Direction for Rockingham County, people there have a strong ethic of helping one another. Now comes the opportunity to extend that ethic of helping to create a stronger community rather than just individual efforts.

I believe Rockingham County can become an example of what's possible in America. Our country needs more communities—especially rural communities—showing that people can come together across political, faith, geographic, racial, and economic differences to shape a shared future.

The regional Fox affiliate, FOX8, covered the launch of the initiative, highlighting the community's efforts to move this work forward. You can watch the story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmlbyU5DS7o

07/24/2026

Yesterday, we gathered in deeply rural Rockingham County, North Carolina, to launch a long-term effort to help shape the county's future together.

I left inspired by the spirit in the room.

As the evening went on, I kept seeing people who first met with us eight months ago. They came back for community conversations. They showed up again last night. And now they're taking the next step by participating in our Public Innovators Lab.

That says something about the breadth and depth of commitment here. People want to come together across politics, faith, geography, race, and economic differences to help move their county forward.
Rockingham County has a strong ethic of people helping people. You can feel it.

Now comes the challenge—and the opportunity—to build on that spirit. Not simply helping individuals, but coming together on behalf of the community as a whole.

I believe that desire is real.

I also believe Rockingham County can become another example of what's possible when a rural community chooses to shape its own future. We need many more examples like that across America.

07/24/2026

This week, we released the findings of Better Together: Creating a Shared Direction for Rockingham County in partnership with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. In this video, Rich Harwood and Dawn Charaba share insights from the report.

Reidsville Area Foundation was founded more than two decades ago on a simple belief: that lasting progress happens when people come together around a shared purpose. This work continues that tradition.

We heard a deep love for this community and a desire for greater connection, opportunity, and belonging. We also heard that too many people still feel unseen, disconnected, or left out of the opportunities. But this report is not about shortcomings. It is about possibilities.

The future of Rockingham County will be shaped not by what is written in the report, but by what we do next. Each of us has a role to play in creating a more vibrant, connected, and thriving community. We hope you choose to join us.

07/16/2026

Our Community Voices Report is HERE! Reidsville Area Foundation partnered with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation on an initiative to catalyze community-led, community-driven change. Today, we are releasing a report showcasing what we heard from communities.

The people of Rockingham County cherish their community. There’s a shared history. Pride runs deep. And shared values of faith and family shape people’s lives. Yet the area is dealing with pressing challenges and faces a fundamental choice: Stay on the current path and risk decline or work together to address what matters to people and restore hope?

This report includes the main themes that emerged from conversations and interviews; voices of the people from Rockingham County; a snapshot and analysis of the fundamental structures, networks, and norms of Rockingham County through the lens of The Harwood Institute’s Public Capital Framework; and key recommendations for investing in and growing the community's civic capacities and renewing a sense of possibility and hope. You can view the report and follow our community's journey on our website at https://www.rafoundation.org/harwood

We also invite you to join us for a discussion about the report on Wednesday, July 22nd at Rockingham Community College. Doors open at 5:00 pm, presentation begins at 5:30 pm. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/better-together-creating-a-shared-direction-for-rockingham-county-tickets-1991129956299?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us for a discussion on the new report, Better Together: Creating a Shared Direction for Rockingham County, and next steps for our work.

06/30/2026

05/21/2026

A handful of our staff, Board and Committee members attended the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce She Means Business event. We are energized after connecting with so many inspiring leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are redefining what’s possible. From powerful conversations to meaningful networking, every moment reinforced the impact of supporting and elevating women in business.

We’re proud to be part of a movement that champions leadership, confidence, and opportunity for women everywhere. Here’s to continuing the momentum, uplifting one another, and leading with purpose.

Amanda Loye, Amanda Allen, Emma Blaylock Crabtree, A’Lexus Monsanto-Harrison, Tango Barham, Dawn Charaba

05/14/2026

Professional Development Opportunity! The Launch Carolinas Leadership Accelerator Program is actively seeking non-profit leader applicants for the 2026-2027 program year. The application window is now open and closes on May 15.


Launch Carolinas is a multi-year leadership, resource, and network-expanding program designed to connect and strengthen relationships between trusted non-profit leaders and philanthropic partners who have a vested interest in addressing social challenges in communities with limited resources in North Carolina and/or South Carolina.

For more details on eligibility, see the attached Launch Carolinas Program Overview or visit

Launch Carolinas Leadership Accelerator Program is designed to connect and strengthen relationships between trusted non-profit leaders and philanthropic partners vested in addressing priority social challenges in North Carolina and/or South Carolina.

05/13/2026

Register today! https://bit.ly/4cC5TPH