How a proactive, passionate, and fun-loving approach to giving guides the Walnut Cove Members Association
The Walnut Cove Members Association is proof that a group of passionate people can achieve incredible things—just as the South Carolina communities exemplify with the Cliffs Residents Outreach programs. In addition to their big hearts, fun events, and remarkable giving records, WCMA volunteers make a collective positive impact that spans wildly diverse causes.
Nancy Fredin has been along for the ride since 2012, when her family moved to The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. “We’ve been members since day one. I’ve been on the board for three years, and this is my first year as chair of the board,” reflects Fredin. “WCMA is a grassroots organization that was started by neighborhood residents in 2007, and since that time, it’s pretty much grown exponentially. Last year, we awarded over $570,000 in grants. While there is a small amount of corporate money in there, it generally all comes from our members, which is great. We simply ask, and our neighbors generously give,” says Fredin.
The history is a charming one of friendly competition: originally, 56 men from Walnut Cove chipped in $100 each to found the association. It went so well and was so enjoyable that, just two years later, the women of Walnut Cove said, “If the men can do it, we can do better,” laughs Fredin. The two groups merged in 2009, and the association officially registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2012. It’s even in the bylaws that the board has to include a gender-neutral mix of individuals, “which I find quite funny, really,” adds Fredin.
“Something that is unique to this organization is that for every nonprofit that we support, we require a WCMA member in the neighborhood to actively volunteer there,” reveals Fredin. “This encourages active involvement. In order to apply for a grant, that WCMA member needs to act as a grant sponsor first. Once those requirements are met, organizations are allowed to apply and are vetted.”
Choosing grantees is a very egalitarian process at the WCMA. The association conducts a survey to encourage WCMA members to express their preferences for how the funds are divided. This has naturally created three key focuses that most grantees fall into: health and human services claim roughly 80% of grant funding; education, 12%; and natural and cultural resources, 8%. The results act as an interesting reflection of the interests and values shared by WCMA members.
Having fun is central to the WCMA’s purpose—something that might seem counterintuitive to the traditional fundraising practice of selling $10,000 tickets to dinner. Instead, members give of their own accord—and gather for dinner to celebrate how good that feels. These opportunities allow volunteers to connect the nonprofit’s mission to its impact while also enjoying the camaraderie of teaming up with neighbors for a worthy cause. “Something very successful this year has been our Eight Volunteer Days, where members from our community spend time at the different charities that we support doing different projects,” says Fredin. “We had people cleaning up around the river with RiverLink. We’ve had people at the food bank preparing and serving a meal downtown at one of the centers that feed the less-fortunate population. Everyone really enjoyed that.”
Once a year, the WCMA throws a two-day, action-packed gathering called the Weekend of Giving. “There are croquet and bocce ball tournaments. There’s hiking and a golf tournament,” adds Fredin. “These activities aren’t designed to raise money— it’s just a celebration of the work that we do and of the fact that we live in a great spot where we’re able to reach out and help other folks. Everyone says it’s the slowest round of golf in the year, but for a great reason … It just shows how many people have come together that enjoy giving back.”
For both Fredin and the leadership of the WCMA, the vision for the future is simply to expand on these proactive and fulfilling experiences. “As we continue to grow, I think our Volunteer Days program will continue to expand. If you want to volunteer somewhere, you don’t always know how to start that process—but if we can organize events like this and show you different opportunities for getting involved, that’s great.”
Another arm of WCMA has always been coordinating “outside the gate” activities, as well. “Going to baseball games, wine tastings, Asheville food tours, and such. The intention is for that program to expand, too, so we can continue to give members new opportunities to get together and do something fun, and foster new relationships in the neighborhood,” says Fredin.
This story was featured in Cliffs Living magazine. To see more stories like this one and learn more about The Cliffs, subscribe here.
