Talk about a great gig: Dan Winslow’s job is to help a $1.6 billion endowment eventually give away $80 million a year or more for worthy causes in an area totaling about 242,000 people.
Formed by the sale of the Wilmington area’s main hospital in 2021, the New Hanover Community Endowment instantly became among the state’s largest nonprofit charitable organizations. It’s larger than the Winston-Salem Foundation, which has $744 million in assets after operating for nearly 80 years. And it’s slightly larger than the Rocky Mount-based Golden LEAF Foundation, which taps its $1.4 billion portfolio to support dozens of North Carolina counties that formerly relied on the shrinking tobacco industry.
As the endowment’s CEO since October, Winslow is now the quarterback for a community foundation that he says may have more money per capita than any other in the U.S.
The group expressly limits its giving to organizations in New Hanover County, which was the state’s most powerful county in the late 19th and early 20th century because of its port and railroad hub.
Groups across the bridges in Brunswick County and other nearby counties need not apply, based on the logic that only New Hanover taxpayers backed the debt that financed the hospital’s growth. Many question that logic because patients from outside New Hanover make up a majority of the hospital system’s revenue. But no one thinks the rules will change.
WIRED FOR THE JOB
Winslow’s key job is to ensure the group’s philanthropy creates long-term value, which is where things get interesting.
“Transformational change is bigger than funding routine, mom and pop 501(c)3s,” says endowment board member Woody White, who played a key role in its formation. “I never intended for the endowment to be a clearinghouse for local nonprofit grant writers.”
Winslow has his shot because the endowment’s first leader, William Buster, left the job in February, two years after his hiring. Reasons are unclear. Buster and board Chair Bill Cameron won’t say what happened. Buster was paid about $330,000 in 2022, according to the group’s last public filing. Winslow’s starting salary is $325,000.
Other endowment officials also left this fall, including Lakesha McDay, who had been interim director after being among the group’s initial hires.
In response, the endowment hired Durham-based search firm Moss+Ross to lead a nationwide search. After looking at 164 candidates, the 13-member board hired Winslow. It was an unusual decision. The Massachusetts native, 66, has never worked in North Carolina or the South, nor has he worked at a large charitable organization.
But Winslow has had an unusually diverse career, working his way up to partner at a large Boston law firm, serving as an appointed district court judge and an elected Bay State lawmaker
What are the specific criteria the New Hanover Community Endowment considers when evaluating grant applications from organizations within New Hanover County?
## Interview with Dan Winslow, CEO of the New Hanover Community Endowment
**Interviewer:** Dan, welcome! You’re leading a truly unique organization. Can you tell our viewers a little about the New Hanover Community Endowment and its mission?
**Dan Winslow:** Absolutely. We’re a relatively new foundation, formed in 2021 after the sale of the Wilmington area’s primary hospital. That sale resulted in a $1.6 billion endowment, instantly making us one of the largest in North Carolina. Our mission is straightforward: to use these resources to improve the lives of people in New Hanover County.
**Interviewer:** That’s a substantial sum of money. What does that translate to in terms of impact?
**Dan Winslow:** We aim to eventually give away $80 million annually, or even more. That’s a significant amount, given our county’s population of roughly 242,000. We believe this makes us, per capita, one of the most well-funded community foundations in the United States.
**Interviewer:** That’s impressive. The endowment’s size is certainly remarkable, but what sets it apart philosophically from other foundations?
**Dan Winslow:** We’re very focused on New Hanover County. While other foundations may have broader geographical reach, our commitment is solely to this community. Its history, being a major port and railroad hub in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, makes it unique, and we want to ensure its continued prosperity.
**Interviewer:** So, organizations outside of New Hanover County, even those in neighboring Brunswick County, wouldn’t be eligible for funding?
**Dan Winslow:** That’s correct. Our focus is on addressing the needs and opportunities specific to New Hanover County residents.
**Interviewer:** Dan, thank you for sharing this insightful look into your work. It’s truly inspiring to see such a significant commitment to a local community.
