Cumberland Community Foundation announced $1,164,024.36 in scholarship awards and thanked the longtime program leader, Susan Barnes, at its awards reception today, May 23. Students, family members, scholarship committee volunteers, and donors attended the annual event held at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

“This is the first time we have awarded over a million dollars in a single year,” said Gail Riddle, Chair of the Board of Directors of Cumberland Community Foundation, in a press release. “We plan to continue growing our scholarships. Students here need this support.”

The announcement included $726,650.00 in 73 new awards and $437,374.36 in 83 renewed awards for academic year 2024/2025.

Each year, students apply in two separate award cycles:

Robert H. Short Scholars Program – Students may apply in the fall of their senior year. Awards of up to $30,000 per student are made possible by an estate gift from the late Robert H. “Bob” Short, a local businessman and quiet philanthropist who valued education and wanted to help students have opportunities that he did not have. Upon his death in 2011, the Cumberland Community Foundation received a $10 million gift from his estate to continue his support for students forever through a scholarship endowment. Since then, Mr. Short’s gift has awarded $6.7 million in scholarships to local students and his original donation has grown to a $13.9 million endowment fund. 

Community Scholarship Program - Applications are available online in February and due in late March each year. Awards range in size from $500 to $10,000 and are made possible by individuals, families, and civic groups, such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Cape Fear Kiwanis Club.

Several scholarships were awarded for the first time, including Cape Fear Regional Tennis Foundation Scholarship, the Lula T. & James L. Crosby Scholarship, and the Carter Ray Nimocks & Barbara Detreville Nimocks Scholarship. “We are honored to be part of creating these legacies and helping local students,” said Gail Riddle.

Awards are announced each May at the annual awards reception. A list of recipients for the 2024/2025 academic year is available on the foundation’s website.   

The event concluded with recognition of the foundation’s scholarship program manager, Susan Barnes, who will retire on May 31. Gail Riddle said in a press release, “It is an honor to recognize and thank Susan Barnes for her 19 years of service at Cumberland Community Foundation. Under Susan’s leadership, our scholarship program has grown from $47,000 per year to over $1.1 million per year. Susan, the community foundation and local students thank you.” 

Riddle announced the creation of the Susan Townsend Barnes Scholarship Endowment which will be available to students who have a parent employed at a 501(c)3 charitable organization based in Cumberland County, NC. 

Established in 1980, Cumberland Community Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation that helps donors create endowments to support their favorite causes forever. The foundation manages over 600 individual charitable funds totaling over $133 million.