Danielle Adams Named Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s All For NC Fellow

Winston-Salem, NC – Danielle Adams, from Durham, NC, is one of four recipients of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s inaugural All For NC Fellowship.

In May 2019, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) Trustees awarded All For NC Fellowships of $75,000 each to four young change makers, all between the ages of 21 and 35, with bold ideas for how to make a difference in North Carolina and its communities. The All For NC Fellowship is a 12-month program designed to provide funding, coaching and mentoring to young North Carolina residents who have a vision and plan that could contribute to a better life for North Carolina’s people and communities. 

Through the All For NC Fellowship, Adams seeks to bring a racial and gender equity lens to the emerging, legalized industrial hemp and cannabis industry throughout North Carolina. Her project serves three main purposes including education; agriculture and farming support; and entrepreneurship. Adams wants to ensure that this emerging market will benefit people of color, especially women of color, so as to not reinforce historical inequities. 

“For 11 years, I have had the honor and privilege of serving my community of Durham,” said Adams. “This Fellowship affords me the opportunity to serve the folks of the great state of North Carolina through a project that means a lot to me and the folks that look like me in a way that centers my values.”

Adams talks about her project:

“ZSR has a history of supporting bold and cutting-edge ideas, so we are thrilled to embark on this new Fellowship initiative that will invest in the next generation of North Carolinians who are building the North Carolina they want to see,” said Joy Vermillion Heinsohn, assistant director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and lead staff managing the initiative. “We are excited to see how their projects will unfold across the state over the course of the year.”

ZSR received 361 applications for the All For NC Fellowship and, through a selection committee, narrowed the pool to 11 semi-finalists before choosing the four Fellows. ZSR expects to fund three cohorts of Fellows over the course of five years. Up to five Fellows will be selected for each cohort. The All For NC Fellowship is distinctly different from the ZSR Fellowship – a two-year, salaried position at the Foundation.

Over the course of the year, ZSR will document and share more about the work of each Fellow.

The All For NC Fellowship is one of three initiatives that the Foundation is supporting under its Exploratory, Visionary Ideas Strategy as part of All For NC: Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s Framework for Grantmaking and Learning. ZSR’s Exploratory, Visionary Ideas Strategy will evolve over time, supporting different initiatives from year to year.