January 2026

Entering Camber Foundation’s fourth year in 2026 conjures thoughts of the rhythm of the four seasons. There’s a bit of spring in our curiosity, summer in the vibrancy of our work, autumn in the pause to take stock and listen, and winter in the quiet planning for what’s ahead.

And because the seasons can too easily pass, we must be attentive to each of their unique offerings or risk missing meaningful moments.  Knowing that, what remains consistent as Camber moves through each year is a steady, deliberate vigilance that notices, listens, and responds to the people and places we serve.   

When Camber was just getting off the ground, we went into communities in Eastern North Carolina and held listening sessions to understand, directly from the source, where Camber could find purpose. Even in that initial planning phase, we recognized that being present with the people who matter most to our work was not one occasion, not one conversation, not one season.

Community needs are ever-changing. That’s why last year, in addition to the time we spent in partnership with our grantees throughout the region, we created spaces in Eastern North Carolina, bringing together community members for us to hear what’s new, to welcome accountability, and to invite ideas.

On behalf of our entire team, I want to express immense gratitude for the people who came to these gatherings and shared what they know as trusted community leaders. We were inspired. From these rooms, Camber Foundation’s inaugural Advisory Council has emerged. We are eager to hold our first meeting this year and continue to learn from them.

Whether we were in Scotland Neck, Pembroke, or Washington, the strongest and most common threads were cross-sector collaboration and to quote one voice, “access, access, access”. You can expect that our work in 2026 will reflect these lessons through our grantmaking and our efforts to strengthen the nonprofit network in Eastern North Carolina.

We will raise our funding commitment to $5 million this year, up from $3.5 million in 2025. Naturally, we will continue to grow our community investments as we grow as a foundation, and this year, that means adding more multi-year grants. Inspired by our storytelling series, our new capacity-building venture is designed to support succession planning for key founder-leaders who are preparing for the future of their organizations beyond their leadership.

With our gaze fixed on the fourth year ahead of us, our drive is to steward our resources with care while preserving the agility that has defined us from the very start. Camber carries the energy and innovation of a young foundation, and that spark draws our attention, compels us to dream boldly, and guides us forward into the seasons still to come. We do not go alone, and gratefully, we never have.

With sincerity,

Leslie Ann Jackson, President & CEO