In Her Own Words: A Portrait of Our Newby Fellow
In Her Own Words: A Portrait of Our Newby Fellow We asked our 2025 Newby Fellow, Amber Pendergraph, to share her truths, quirks, and reflections on her life and work. Modeled loosely after the famed Proust Questionnaire you may have seen in...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | Building Brains: How and Why We’re Investing in Quality Care During the Early Years
OPEN PHILANTHROPY Building Brains: How and Why We’re Investing in Quality Care During the Early Years By Haley Wicker, Program Director The first 1,000 days of a human being’s life are crucial. Because brain neurons develop so rapidly during...
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How We Are Using All of Our Tools to Build a Healthier Future for Children
How We Are Using All of Our Tools to Build a Healthier Future for Children By Dr. Ebony Gaffney, Mary Black Foundation Trustee & Community Impact Committee Chair, Psychiatrist, and Director of Spartanburg Area Mental Health As a psychiatrist...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | Navigating the Fog: How We Are Responding to Nonprofit Uncertainty
OPEN PHILANTHROPY Navigating the Fog: How We Are Responding to Nonprofit Uncertainty By Molly Talbot-Metz, President & CEO Driving in fog is often used as a metaphor to represent navigating uncertainty. Fog is a temporary state, meaning that clarity...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | You Spoke, We Listened: Changes Inspired by Our Grantee Survey (And What Still Needs Work)
You Spoke, We Listened: Changes Inspired by Our Grantee Survey (And What Still Needs Work) By Amy Page, Grants Manager This year, I celebrated my 25th anniversary working at the Foundation, and I have been the grants manager for...
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2025 Newby Fellowship
Foundation Awards Fellowship to Local Nonprofit Leader The Mary Black Foundation is proud to announce that Amber Pendergraph, executive director of BirthMatters, has been named the 2025 George Newby Community Health Fellow. Under Pendergraph’s leadership, BirthMatters is transforming maternal...
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2025 Grants Awarded
Mary Black Foundation Awards Over $1 Million in Grant Funding Where you live and the opportunities you have in childhood shape your future – impacting education attainment, the risk of chronic disease, and even how long you live. In...
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OPEN PHILANTHROPY | No More Guesswork: Inside Our Grantmaking Decisions
No More Guesswork: Inside Our Grantmaking Decisions By Rochelle Williams, Chief Strategy Officer I work at a foundation, but in the past, I had a love/hate relationship with philanthropy. I had spent over two decades working in the nonprofit...
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Welcoming Our New Trustees
Welcoming Our New Trustees We are excited to welcome two new members to our board of trustees. Spartanburg native Brandi Gist has dedicated 23 years of her 26-year career to education, with a focus on supporting local students and their families....
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New Year’s Message
A New Year’s Message from Foundation President & CEO The staff and board of trustees of the Mary Black Foundation would like to wish you a happy and healthy 2025! We are excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful...
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