A NOTE FROM JOY

Dear friends,

Over the past week, a small group of Buddhist monks has been walking across North Carolina as part of a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace, a months-long journey on foot from Texas to Washington, DC. They move mindfully, often in silence.

As they’ve passed through our state — welcomed by thousands in places like Pineville, Kannapolis, Thomasville and Greensboro — they’ve tapped into something many of us feel deeply here in North Carolina and across the country.

A longing for calm in the midst of chaos. A hunger for connection over division. A shared hope that we can choose love, dignity and peace, even when fear feels louder.

That message doesn’t end with the monks’ footsteps.

Across North Carolina, people are carrying it forward in their own ways, through acts both big and small. By showing up for neighbors, filling the streets, calling their representatives, donating to community groups and showering love on strangers in fear and crisis.

At ZSR, we see this message of love and hope in the work of our grant partners. This month, we began to deploy $9.4 million to organizations working on state-level systemic change, addressing the root causes of the inequities and distrust we experience today and co-creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable future.

We are inspired by the monks' journey and by the extraordinary work being done by North Carolinians who are building a better future for all of us.

In 2026, we commit to continuing to carry the message forward: love over fear.

We hope you’ll join us.

All For NC,

Joy Vermillion Heinsohn

ZSR Executive Director

GET INSPIRED

Stories of hope and action

from our partners across NC

As more NC families face rising costs, the NC Budget and Tax Center makes a compelling case that continued tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest come at the expense of the majority of North Carolinians, and that our state must commit to critical investments in education, health care, and other public services that improve the quality of life for all people living in NC. 

Embracing wind power, even as federal actions threaten progress, can help North Carolina lower costs, create jobs, and diversify our energy sources. Southeastern Wind Coalition, in a recent national opinion piece, underscores our state’s abundant resources and the benefits of wind energy, showing how greater investment in clean, reliable power are essential to a sustainable future. 

RREPS (Recidivism Reduction Educational Programs Services, Inc.), a nonprofit led by formerly incarcerated advocate Kerwin Pittman, recently made history by purchasing a decommissioned North Carolina prison. The organization plans to transform the facility into a first-of-its-kind Reentry and Workforce Development Campus, designed to support people returning home from incarceration with housing, job training and wraparound services.

The Southern Environmental Law Center’s moving new multimedia series Plantations to Pollution traces the line from slavery-era land exploitation to today’s environmental injustices across the South, including in Durham, NC. By connecting this history to present inequities, the series amplifies voices of people who are leading us to a future where we all have clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment.

Several NC groups, including Democracy Green, MDC Inc. and Hispanic Federation, lost tens of millions in federal funding aimed at ensuring clean water, reducing toxic exposure, and developing community leadership on environmental issues. Instead of backing down, these groups are now adapting their efforts, taking legal action and more as they continue fighting for health, justice and sustainability for all North Carolinians. 

WHAT’S NEW WITH ZSR?

ZSR’s Community Progress Fund applications are open through Monday, February 2, at 12:00 noon ET. These grants help organizations in rural NC build on existing momentum to improve their local communities. Grant amounts range from $20,000-$30,000 per year for one or two years. Learn more.

Note: We're using a new software for grant applications. If you've applied for a ZSR grant before, simply hit "Forgot Password" to reset your credentials. If you have not applied before, hit "Create Account." Please email [email protected] if you have issues logging in!

During our November 2025 board meeting, ZSR’s Board of Trustees awarded 102 new grants totaling $9.4 million to organizations working toward state-level systemic change in North Carolina. The grants support nonprofit organizations working to change policies, power structures and other root causes of challenges so that all North Carolinians can lead fulfilling lives. Learn more and see the full list of grants awarded.

Applications for the Nonprofit Internship Program (NPIP) are open through January 30! NPIP provides dozens of paid nonprofit summer internships for Pell grant-eligible college students in NC. Learn more and apply.