Beyond par for the course

Fourteen years and nearly $3 million.
That’s how long the Wade Hampton Golf Club Donor Advised Fund has existed and how much it has doled out thus far to area nonprofits.
On the afternoon of Aug. 26, fund recipients gathered at the clubhouse where they were able to meet and thank members of the Donor Advised Fund committee and network with each other.
Stacy McIntosh, with Wade Hampton Golf Club, said the event, which typically takes place around the Labor Day holiday, gives fund recipients further recognition and an opportunity to celebrate with others.
“This year we distributed over $300,000 to 29 organizations,” McIntosh said. This was the eighth year the organization has funded an additional $5,000 to a person the committee has identified as an outstanding leader and asset to the community. This year’s honoree is Kurt Pusch, Head of Summit Charter School, and the school received the funds.
“Summit was honored to be included alongside many hard working, impactful organizations from the Plateau at Wade Hampton Golf Club’s awards ceremony for their Donor Advised Fund,” Pusch said. “We’re also very grateful for the generous recognition of Wade Hampton Golf Club Community Leadership Award. This recognition is truly a reflection of the extraordinary leadership across the school community at Summit, including the incredible work of our teachers, parents, and students each day. For me personally, it is an honor and privilege to represent Summit with this award.”
Pusch said the additional $5,000 from the award will help fund Summit’s college and career counseling program that supports students in navigating the college and career application process and achieving their goals after graduation.
“After surveying our members several years ago, we found a desire by our members to focus on giving toward emergency services and educational organizations that serve the Cashiers area,” McIntosh said. “In addition, health and wellness organizations were favored.  As a result, while funding 20-plus organizations each year, over 75 percent of our funds have been focused on these three areas of need.  Large recipients of our funds have been the fire and rescue squads, the local schools, and the dental and community care clinics providing medical services to low-income families,” she said.
Since the Donor Advised Fund was formed in 2011, McIntosh said more than $2.7 million has been given to more than 30 different area nonprofits.
“As a result of our combined efforts, the nonprofits serving our surrounding area have been able to provide much needed services,” she said.
Local program 
benefit
Hampton Preschool and Early Learning Center is one of the donor fund’s beneficiaries.
The center “is celebrating the continued generosity of the Wade Hampton Donor Advised Fund, which has played a vital role in sustaining high-quality early education in the Cashiers community,” Misty Berry, director, said.
“One of the greatest challenges in early childhood education is ensuring long-term sustainability,” she said. “Thanks to annual local support such as the Wade Hampton Donor Advised Fund, Hampton Preschool has been able to provide exceptional early education for children as young as six weeks up to age 5 years old. This commitment has made the school an indispensable resource for families in our area,” Berry said.
Since the fund’s inception, Hampton Preschool has received more than $183,000 in financial support, Berry reported. The funds have been used for operating funds, new equipment, classroom materials, tuition assistance and improvement projects, such as flooring and playground upgrades, she said.
“Each of these investments has made an immediate and lasting difference in the lives of children and their families,” Berry said.
Speaking of the fund’s administrators, Berry said, “Their kindness, generosity, and unwavering support have strengthened not just our school, but the entire community. The preschool proudly acknowledges this partnership and expresses the deepest thanks for helping ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.”
Randy Dillard, chief of the Cashiers-Glenville Fire Department, said his organization has received between $12,000 and $15,000 each year from the fund’s committee since its inception.
“Last year we got 15 new electric chainsaws that have made our life a lot easier,” Dillard said. “We appreciate the wonderful members of Wade Hampton and are proud to call them friends,” he said.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau’s Carmen Waite expressed her gratitude for the Wade Hampton Golf Club Advised Fund’s support over the past decade, receiving $148,500 total thus far.
Through the Fund’s support, Waite said the club has expanded services from 150 youth annually to over 650 youth and, beginning in 2024, the club has been able to offer programs free of charge, “ensuring all community youth, regardless of need, reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens,” she said.
In addition to expanding the number of youths served, funds have been used to support key programs focused on priority outcomes of academic success, healthy lifestyles, social-emotional wellbeing, and career readiness, she said.
“Wade Hampton members have sent a clear message to BGCP and the community that they care about our communities’ families and for that we are truly grateful,” Waite said.
The Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic is another nonprofit that has benefited from the fund all 14 years it has existed.
“Funding has supported our mission of providing comprehensive emergency, restorative, and preventative (care) to low-income residents of our mountain communities,” Melanie D. Jones, executive director of Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Inc., said. “Over the 14 years of partnership with WHGCDAF, we have treated over 6,600 patients at absolutely no cost. That’s 6,600 people who are smiling again thanks to Wade Hampton’s generosity,” she said.
She said the nonprofit has received more than $140,000 through the partnership years. “We simply could not continue to help our mountain neighbors without the help of the Wade Hampton community and the fund committee,” Jones said. “The fund committee is so thoughtful and thorough in its grant making process. They take the time to visit with each applicant and really learn about the needs of our community.”
Funds have been used for general support for key staff positions and equipment needs to supporting youth outreach programs and vital supplies for the clinic, Jones said. “Every dollar had been used to restore lives, one tooth at a time!”
Nine members of the Wade Hampton Golf Club serve on the Donor Advised Fund committee.

- Richard Whiting
rwhiting@cninewspapers.com