Coopers awarded

as top local philanthropists
By Caroline Monday
cmonday@mountaintimes.com

The Watauga County Community Foundation (WCCF), an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF), hosted its second annual luncheon honoring National Philanthropy Month.

WCCF board members and representatives from organizations with endowments under the foundation gathered at Blue Ridge Electric’s Boone office last Thursday, Nov. 29.

The WCCF is a charitable foundation that provides services to individuals and organizations who wish to establish charitable endowment and scholarship funds. It also makes grants to local nonprofit organizations, grows charitable assets and coordinates agencies. The foundation manages 28 endowment funds.

The NCCF is a statewide community development organization and currently administers more than $120 million in assets, sustaining nearly 1,000 endowment funds.

“The NCCF enables donors of all means and experience to establish endowments without the burden of complicated investment, management and administrative fees,” WCCF board member Brain Crutchfield said, while addressing those in attendance at the luncheon.

“They make giving easy by providing research on charitable needs, a wide range of options for establishing funds, high quality investment management, professional advice on giving options and their tax consequences, regular audit and reporting mechanisms, involvement in grant distribution and donor recognition,” Crutchfield said.

The foundation recognized two local philanthropists with the presentation of the Spirit of Philanthropy Award.

The award recognizes individuals who have shared their time, talents and treasures for the betterment of Watauga County and the High Country. “This award honors perseverance and commitment to improving the quality of life in our community and efforts directed at creating a better and brighter tomorrow,” Crutchfield said.

This year’s award recipients were John and Faye Cooper, owners of Mast General Store. The Coopers participate in a number of and community organizations, such as the Valle Crucis Conference Center, the Holy Cross Episcopal Church, the Valle Crucis Community Park, Valle Crucis Elementary School and the Valle Crucis Historical District.

They are also active in service groups such as Boone Sunrise Rotary.

They serve on the board of trustees for Appalachian State University and on other statewide boards.

At ASU, they have established two endowment funds, the Appalachian Summer Festival Unrestricted Fund and the Mast Store Heritage Endowment for an Appalachian Summer.

Through their involvement with local land trusts and environmental organizations, the Coopers have supported environmental and land conservation efforts, recently giving a conservation easement on 22 acres located within the Valle Crucis Historic District.

Ten years ago, with their Mast Store employees, they established the John E. Cooper III Memorial Scholarship Endowment to honor their late son. Through this endowment, eligible employees of Mast Store can receive financial support as they pursue their education at an institution of higher learning.

Mast Store recently received the Outstanding Business in Philanthropy Award from the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“They truly provide a model for all of us and for this reason, and more, they are the recipients of this year’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award,” Crutchfield said.