About
the Foundation
Charles
A. Cannon Biography
About
the Foundation
The Cannon
Foundation, Inc. began in 1943, much as a corporate foundation,
with giving focused on communities where Cannon Mills plants were
located. Following the 1971 death of its founder, Charles A. Cannon
and the subsequent sale of the Cannon Mills Company, the Foundation
evolved into an independent foundation.
Virtually
all giving is in North Carolina, and over the past few years has
expanded from just the local area to reach from Manteo to Murphy.
However, the highest priority continues to be Cabarrus County
and related communities, followed by the Piedmont region, and
then rural areas of North Carolina. Normally, grant requests from
organizations located in the state's major metropolitan areas
do not receive a high priority unless the organization serves
rural areas.
Historically,
the principal grant fields have been healthcare, primarily in
the local area, and education, especially independent liberal
arts colleges in the Piedmont and Western regions of the state.
In recent years, there has been an increase in grants to human
and social service programs and organizations. A limited number
of grants are made in the fields of arts and culture, historic
preservation and environmental concerns. Grants in the area of
religion normally are reserved for local (Cabarrus County) churches
and are restricted in amount.
The Foundation
makes grants for capital purposes, (new construction, renovation
and expansion) and projects and programs, but generally not for
organizational operating expenses. It does not make grants for
endowments, nor does it make multi-year pledges.
