Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation


The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was formed by R. J. Reynolds' daughter, Mary Reynolds Babcock, and her siblings to honor their brother, Zachary Smith Reynolds, who was murdered at the age of 20 at the Reynolds family home, Reynolda House. The Foundation to this day gives away millions of dollars annually in the state of North Carolina. In 2008, the fund gave away $18 million in grants, including $2 million to Wake Forest University.
During the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the value of the Foundation's trust declined 30% from its high of $470 million in November 2007. The Foundation subsequently announced plans to revise the way it processes grants. The Foundation, which has focused on affordable housing, immigration, education and the environment, will focus its environmental grants on water, energy and growth. The Foundation's grants will be slightly less than the $18 million given in 2008, but cuts will be steeper in 2010 and 2011.
In the past, the foundation has paid for a study about North Carolina's Work First welfare reform program, conducted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.

Current Framework for Grantmaking and Learning

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation's Framework reflects a longstanding commitment to improving the quality of life for all North Carolinians. It infuses what was heard during a statewide listening and learning tour about what is critical, and visionary, at this moment in time.
All For NC: ZSR’s Framework for Grantmaking and Learning builds from the strategies of the Foundation's emerging direction and aligns with its mission and core values to:
Alongside these three main strategies, the Foundation also has expressed its commitment to:
The intent of the Foundation's Framework for Grantmaking and Learning is to provide different strategies that meet people and communities where they are, as well as to break down the silos of traditional focus areas, allow more flexibility in grantmaking, and provide multiple entry points for potential applicants.