We are a band of five contrarian women trying to shake things up, challenge the status quo, incite others to join- united to make difference in eastern North Carolina. 

We believe that our success depends on how deeply we engage in community with community. We dig to find the diamonds in the rough and leverage our collective gifts to help those diamonds shine. Whether an innovative idea, a startup, a fledgling non-profit with passion but limited capacity or a regional institution, we are committed to work with everyone to create hope and opportunity for all. 

We embrace collaboration and hunger for philanthropy to band with us. While our name will not be found on buildings or billboards, we hope that this work will create positive and impactful results for many years to come.

Education has been at the core of our work since the inception of the Trust, beginning with the establishment of a scholarship program in 2011. To this day, scholarships, teacher fellowships and funding for innovative and sustainable educational opportunities are important to our mission. 

We understand that to work regionally we need to understand the assets and challenges of the community and address those challenges broadly. Our efforts will not be successful if we narrowly focus on a single sector. 

Our support of rural and underserved communities in eastern North Carolina intersects multiple areas including Education, Health and Human Services, the Arts, the Environment, Historic Preservation and Community Development.