The A.J. Fletcher Foundation supports public charities located in North Carolina or serving North Carolina residents that have as one of their purposes in the following areas:

Transformative Change in Southeast Raleigh

We are proud to collaborate and work with many partners including Southeast Raleigh Promise (SERP), a Community Quarterback Organization whose mission is to end the cycle of intergenerational poverty in and around the Rock Quarry Corridor. SERP manages collaboration and supports strategic investments in high-quality education from birth-to-career, safe and healthy housing, health and wellness, expanding economic opportunity, and leadership development. They work with community partners such as the YMCA of the Triangle, Wake County Public Schools, DHIC, and many others.

Southeast Raleigh has been, historically, a neglected community in the city of Raleigh. The unemployment rate is 50% higher than the rest of Wake County, 23% of households live below the poverty line, and the average lifespan of someone living in the heart of the community is 12 years less than that of someone living outside of it. However, demographics are not destiny and SERP is already having a positive impact on the community.

In the fall of 2019, Southeast Raleigh’s “Beacon Site” opened. The site includes the Southeast Raleigh YMCA and Southeast Raleigh Elementary School. Planned expansion includes affordable housing and commercial development to serve an often-underserved part of Raleigh’s community.

Supporting North Carolina’s Central Park

Studies show that parks and green spaces provide huge benefits to our physical, mental, environmental, and economic health. We are proud to support, through the North Carolina Community Foundation, the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy, the non-profit philanthropic partner of the City of Raleigh’s Dix Park. The Conservancy focuses on community engagement, advocacy, and fundraising to ensure there’s long-term, sustainable support to create a park for everyone.

Dix Park boasts 308 acres and aims to serve as a place for community gatherings, civic engagement, family fun, and a space where people can relax and reflect. The park sits on the campus of the former Dorothea Dix Hospital, the first psychiatric hospital in North Carolina, opened in 1856. The park has a storied and complex history. With this legacy and a bold vision, we share in a beautiful task to share all parts of its history to create a place that is welcoming to all.

In the planning process, the park is still in operation with the city and organizations hosting several events throughout the year, like J Cole’s Dreamville Festival, Spring Fling, and SunFest, the annual sunflower festival. We are thrilled to see where this park will take us as North Carolina’s premier destination park and are proud to support all its efforts.