As media leaders, Knight Foundation's founders Jack and Jim Knight sought to bring communities together through information. In their publications, they delivered the news that helped people determine their "own true interests," as Jack used to say.
Today, Knight Foundation is also focused on that ideal. Working with community innovators, Knight Foundation fosters informed and engaged communities. The foundation believes residents should have the information they need to make decisions about their lives and community. Knight strives for those residents to be highly engaged in the issues and opportunities that matter most to them and their neighbors.
Towards its goal of informed, engaged communities, Knight Foundation seeks out projects with the potential for transformational change.
In 2010 Knight Foundation announced a partnership with community foundations in the cities and towns where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.
Grant seekers in the Myrtle Beach area should inquire about funding by contacting Jonathan P. Kresken, president of the Waccamaw Community Foundation, at jkresken-wcf@sc.rr.com or by calling 843-357-4483, and asking about Knight Foundation’s Donor Advised Fund.
The 2009 Soul of the Community Survey explores the link between residents' emotional ties to where they live and the community's economic growth. Three main factors bind residents to the area: social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming a place is) and aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces). In Myrtle Beach, social offerings, particularly the nightlife, and aesthetics, especially the area’s physical beauty, are seen as community strengths. Openness, particularly to young, college graduates, continues to be a challenge.
See survey details for Myrtle Beach at http://www.soulofthecommunity.org/myrtle-beach .