Who We Are

In April 2000, the University of North Carolina Health Care System acquired Rex Healthcare, the system in Wake County that included Rex Hospital. Funds from that transaction were designated to advance the health and well-being of the residents of the area to further the original vision of John Rex. As a result, the John Rex Endowment was established as a private, grantmaking foundation.

After more than 20 years of advancing positive change for children, ongoing strategic racial equity work, and a deeper understanding of ways in which systemic racism impacts all children and families, the John Rex Endowment’s refreshed mission statement brings clarity to its identity, work, and aspirations: ​

The John Rex Endowment's mission is to strengthen organizations that center racial equity and justice to improve the social emotional health of children living in Wake County.

It is through this lens that the Endowment approaches its efforts to improve the well-being of children in Wake County. ​

The board and staff of the Endowment acknowledge the history of John Rex, who our organization is named after. John Rex's wealth came from the people he enslaved. Understanding this history, it's our promise to help remove barriers so that all children and their families live to their full potential. We are intentional about supporting the social emotional health of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other People of Color (BILPOC) children and families and organizations that work to do the same.​