Entrekin Foundation

Purpose:
The purpose of the Entrekin Family Foundation grants is to provide funding for nonprofit organizations and individuals whose goals meet one or more of the guidelines listed below and thereby merit the attention and financial support of the foundation.

1. Literary / artistic ventures whose main purpose is to promote the works of quality writers and poets regardless of race, creed, or religion, primarily in our local community.

2. Services for children, usually in our local community.

3. Ventures into health research such as diabetes, glaucoma, etc.

4. Other nonprofit ventures that the directors of the Foundation deem worthy of support.

History:
The Entrekin Family Foundation was created in the summer of 1999 by Charles and Gail Entrekin. In its first two years, 78 percent of its grants were given to local organizations.

Forty-eight percent of grants went to arts organizations, 29 percent to children's services, 12 percent to research, and 11 percent to other organizations. The average Entrekin Foundation grant is less than $5,000. As increased funding becomes available, it is hoped that grant amounts will be able to grow. Applicants whose projects are in need of greater financial support must clearly show how the additional funding is to be obtained.

Beliefs:
1. It is our belief that the arts are the embodiment of the soul of a culture, that the promotion of writers and artists through a funding of their work is essential if our current culture, with its emphasis on television and provocative outcomes, is to have a chance to develop that inner voice and ear that expresses and listens to beauty. It is our belief that this type of support is critical for the health of our culture.

2. It is our belief that the physical, educational, and emotional welfare of the children of our community is the responsibility and the privilege of us all. It is our desire to contribute to that welfare through programs which serve children with specific needs as well as programs which serve a broad base of children.

3. It is our belief that certain health research ventures should be supported in order for them to be able to develop cures, in our lifetime, for diseases that have an impact on our family.

4. It is our belief that ventures that we don't yet know about will come to our attention and will require our support.

Operational Commitments:
Charles and Gail Entrekin are the current directors of the Entrekin Foundation. Each year the foundation will divide up the amount of money to be given away based upon the quality of the ventures under consideration. This determination will be based on their own research and subjective evaluations.