The Community Chest, Inc.

The Mission

At the heart of our mission is The Cycle of Giving:
The synergistic effect of giving back to the community, building stronger community relations, supporting economic development as it pertains to community growth, and enriching the community by contributing to high-quality lifestyle experiences with arts and cultural theme programs and festivals.

The Focus

The Community Chest (TCC) is a philanthropic organization that supports community interests and needs through distinctive festivals and programs. TCC's vision is to create a "Philanthropic Giving Engine" that gives back in so many ways. Our focus is on creating and establishing successful business development infrastructures that become a sustainable part of the community while contributing to community needs, programs, and charities with festival proceeds.

The Cycle of Giving

TCC incorporates a nontraditional mix of festival planning with business support mechanisms that can support economic and community development issues. We focus on these variables and strategies to develop our community enrichment initiatives. Our approach, called "The Cycle of Giving," produces festivals and programs that support the community with high-quality lifestyle experiences. The festival production relies on financial con tributions from corporations along with participation from businesses and organizations as integral components of the events. In return for their investments and time, not only do the participants support a charitable cause, they receive wide visibility opportunities to support their business growth. The festival continues to give back to the by distributing festival proceeds to area charities. This philanthropic model, in line with community interests, will facilitate systems in which individuals, businesses, and organizations can help to sustain and preserve the TCC Mission with strong business foundations and an honest agenda for many years to come.

Launching the Vision

The theme for the first festival is "Celebrating the Good Life" with international food, music, and cultural arts and entertainment. The intent is to create a signature event that showcases artists and performers whose work relates to the theme while providing welcoming opportunities for businesses, organizations, and members of the Triangle communities to connect.

Philanthropic Focus and Charities

Each fiscal year, (TCC will select its special event projects and determine which charities to fund.) Flexible inclusion criteria will allow us to support:

• A wide variety of groups and individuals involved in solutions for people in underprivileged situations, prevention, intervention, mentoring, and education programs.

• Philanthropic initiates and organizations that need exposure, support, and fundraising resources but do not have the means to create high-profile fundraising events.

• “The Bill Fund" which offer support to charitable organizations that encounter emergencies which serve the community

• Future initiatives to develop business plans, special task projects, administrative systems, and resources to fund infrastructures that support the mission of TCC.

Future Plans

We will strive to fulfill our mission by developing a nontraditional mix of special events, by incorporating public exposure opportunities for organizations with similar missions, and by creating other special task projects that will support the Triangle as well as other areas.

Phase I Project: Taste of Durham Festival

The Taste of Durham is the first project designed to launch our vision into action. This festival model can be an invaluable tool to support economic development, local businesses, and artists; serve community interests; and so much more. Similar festival formats including Taste of Chicago, Taste of Buffalo, and Fall For Greenville in South Carolina have a long-standing history of success.

Major Supporters


Optilife Communications
Produces multimedia productions and publications to promote and support marketing and business development initiatives that help to sustain the mission of The Community Chest such as:

• The official websites: www.tasteofdurham.org and www.tasteofdurham.com

• The official festival publication: Revive5

OptiLife Communications is a multifaceted marketing and business consultant agency, established in 1989 in Ft. Myers, Florida. Driven by entrepreneurial spirit, OC offers well-rounded strategic business development and marketing strategies to promote business growth during these competitive and challenging economic times.

• Strategic business development and integrated marketing plans and consulting
• Multimedia productions and programming
• Consumer marketing
• Lifestyle marketing
• Arts and culture marketing
• Custom publishing and print media campaigns
• Website development and strategies
• New business launching and business planning: "The Blueprint to Success"
• Corporate promotional programs and events

For editorial submissions, press releases, news stories, art and music reviews, interested partners and affiliates, sponsorships and visibility opportunities contact:
Optilife Communications
P.O. Box 14094
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
(919) 401-2926
www.optilife.biz
Email info@tasteofdurham.org

For festival, sponsorships, and community programs information contact:
Community Chest Inc.
P.O. Box 13793
Durham, NC 27709
919-572-6551

Blue Devil Ventures
Blue Devil Ventures, LLC (BDV) is a Durham-based community development company specializing in the adaptive reuse of historic urban properties. Our mission is to use the renovation of abandoned historic properties in downtown communities as a catalyst for urban revitalization and economic development on a larger scale. By creating attractive mixed-use communities in the heart of the city, we hope to re-introduce people to downtown, and promote a healthy and thriving urban environment. In particular, BDV focuses on developing downtown Durham residential opportunities that will act as a catalyst for urban revitalization and the creation of a "24-hour" city.

BDV is committed to restoring downtown Durham landmarks and preserving the historic and aesthetic character of the central city, while breathing new life into the community through pedestrian-oriented residential and mixed-use development.

Community Development
BDV takes a holistic approach to community development, working to promote physical as well as social change in urban neighborhoods. In addition to renovating downtown historic properties, BDV supports local community-based organizations, particularly those groups that work with at-risk, urban youth.

Projects
The West Village project is an adaptive reuse of five former Liggett & Myers ornate brick tobacco warehouses on eight acres of land totaling approximately 313,000 square feet, located in historic Durham, North Carolina. The Hicks Warehouse, the Toms Warehouse, and the Coopers Building were built by the American Tobacco Company between 1900 and 1910. The Flowers Warehouse and the Power House were constructed by the Liggett & Myers Company, in 1916 and 1926.

Rehabilitation plans include 243 market rate, loft-style rental apartments and approximately 31,500 square feet of commercial space. The project is located two blocks from Duke University's East Campus and adjacent to the highly successful Brightleaf Square historic retail and commercial district. Approximately 50,000 people live and work within a two-mile radius of West Village.

Blue Devil Ventures
604 West Morgan Street, Suite B3
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 956-5957
www.bluedevilventures.com