The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Book Harvest, a Durham, North Carolina-based nonprofit that is transforming children’s literacy by ensuring that every child grows up with an abundant home library from birth. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2.9 million books to children and families, grounded in the belief that literacy starts at birth, in…
By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate Water is the lifeblood of healthy communities. It sustains vital ecosystems, supports recreation, drives local economies, and, of course, provides the most basic human necessity: clean drinking water. Yet, our water resources face mounting pressures from aging infrastructure, invasive species, pollution, and increasingly severe weather events linked to our changing climate. According to the American…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation Board of Directors announced that 269 grants totaling $17,052,062 were paid in 2025 to nonprofit organizations working to increase the strength and vitality of their communities. A total of 167 grants provided general operating support, while 136 grants were awarded to organizations that have partnered with the Foundation for over 25 years, reflecting the Foundation’s…
By Justin Kiczek President Good stewards protect what is important. Donning kid gloves, they handle with care what has been passed to them, with the knowledge that someone else will, in turn, guard it further into the future. Stewards recognize their temporary responsibility within a larger chain of caretaking and concern. Entrepreneurs, in the parlance of Silicon Valley, are known to “move fast and break things.” As catalyzers and first movers, entrepreneurs spot overlooked…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation has announced the recipients of its inaugural Innovation Engine Grant Program, awarding three organizations $300,000 each, to be distributed over the course of three years. In sum, the Foundation is committing $900,000 to these pioneering new approaches. The recipients — Adirondack Community Foundation, Braver Angels, and Prevention is Key — were selected from a competitive…
By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate Federal legislation passed this summer significantly restructured the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with changes taking effect in recent months that have reduced or eliminated benefits for many recipients. Additionally, the ongoing federal government shutdown disrupted SNAP payments in November, leaving approximately 42 million Americans without expected food assistance. These circumstances have created unprecedented…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Summit Speech School, a half-a-century-old institution based in New Providence empowering children with hearing loss to become more confident, effective communicators through listening and spoken language. Founded in the 1960s as one of the country’s first auditory/oral speech schools, Summit Speech combines cutting-edge methodologies, technology, and expert teaching to help every…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is honored to celebrate 20 years of partnership with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving land in ways that build resilient communities across North Carolina. Since its founding in 1991, CTNC has protected over 35,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway, working with landowners, public agencies, and land trusts to…
By David Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate When Mark Hoebee joined Paper Mill Playhouse in 2000 as a choreographer and director, the historic Millburn theater was already a regional institution. Twenty-five years later, as Producing Artistic Director, he has transformed it into something more: a creative incubator where 27 new musicals have premiered since 2010, with shows like Newsies and…
By David Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate When Brian Crowe arrived at what was then the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 1996, he intended to stay for just eleven weeks. Three decades later, he leads one of America’s most respected classical theaters as Artistic Director — a testament to the enduring value of institutions that grow their…