Tax Deductible Donations: We are pleased to announce we now have non-profit status. The Haywood County Arts Council, a great friend to us, has become our fiscal sponsor and are eager to help us in our recovery.We are incredibly grateful for all of the support we’ve received so far. We’re also really excited that you can now donate to The Village Potters Clay Center and receive a tax deduction! CLICK HERE

For a tax-deductible donation, please use one of the options below:

1. 1. By Check:
      Make checks payable to HCAC (Haywood County Arts Council) and mail to:
      PO Box 306, Waynesville, NC 28786 ***Please note “The Village Potters Fund” in the memo line with your donation.
   2. Online Payment:
      Pay conveniently through our donor portal HERE
   3. If you are donating from your IRA/trust, here is our EIN : 58-1322291

*If you donate through the donor portal, the “tip” feature is optional and is a feature that allows GiveButter to stay free to non-profits. Please select “other” to change the tip amount that goes to give to GiveButter or selection “none” if you choose not to tip at this time.

To make a direct donation with a check via mail, please make the check out to: 
The Village Potters Mail to: Sarah Wells Rolland
The Village Potters Clay Center
324 Smokey Cove Rd, Canton, NC 28716

 A fiscal sponsorship is an existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering to provide its tax-exemption status and associated benefits to another group, typically for a charitable project or an organization that is in the process of becoming a 501C3. By agreeing to partner with us as our fiscal sponsor, they will in turn receive 10% of all donations. This donation to them helps with their administration costs and hopefully leaves a little for the good works they do as well.

 List of Donation Needs and our Larger Fundraiser 

We are creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to preserve the life, legacy and mission of  The Village Potters Clay Center.
The Village Potters Foundation will:

• Sustain our Advanced Studies Educational Programs

• Staff  the Retail Galleries on location

• Provide critical support to displaced ceramic artists facing exponentially higher rental costs

• Ensure the long-term sustainability of working potters in this new post-flood landscape

• Help us recover from the loss of equipment  that cannot be salvaged or repaired. Listed Below

1. $72,196 for Large Geil Downdraft Gas Kiln

• Plus controller for the Geil Kiln costs $6,315
• Plus shipping for this kiln is $550

This kiln is the replacement for our large 40 cubic foot downdraft kiln (image below). We lost Sarah’s personal 40 cubic foot gas kiln valued at approximately $60,000 to rebuild. It was used by resident potters, for large pots, apprentices, and our intermediate student classes. 

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  We lost Sarah Wells Rolland’s 40 cubic foot Downdraft kiln that she built in 1989. This size kiln is critical to high production as well as making big pots.  Sarah teaches Throwing Bigger Pots regularly in our advanced programs and they are fired in this very large kiln. Sarah Wells Rolland and her friend/mentor, Gary Clontz, who taught Sarah how to build this kiln was destroyed from the force of the water which caused the exterior block wall to fall on it.

    

           We need a Geil 36-40  cubic ft Front loading downdraft Brick Kiln, and Ventilation Hood.

 2. Kilns: $32,975 for multiple electric Skutt Kilns, currently priced $6595.50.00 each.    

3. $42,000+ for the extensive Subcontracted Labor Services

• Our facility is 18,000 square feet and currently only has 2 electrical outlets and only has sinks in our bathrooms.
• Extensive Electrical Work needed to accommodate all of our wheels and kilns.
• We have quotes for this work for $25,000. Extensive Plumbing with TP Howard installing multiple sinks around the center. We have a quote at 34,000 and are seeking a better price. 

4. $6,000 for materials to build pedestals for our gallery space

• We need to build over 60 pedestals. We have 14 donated currently. We hope to build them before our soft opening in August 2025.

 5. $11,000 for Small Billboard

• Billboard will be located on I-240, right before our exit. This will let the community and visitors know we are back and at a new location.

 6. $20,000 Electric Powered Forklift for the Clay Company

 If you’d rather all of your donation go directly to us and don’t mind that it won’t be tax-deductible, you can To make a direct donation with a check via mail, please make the check out to:  The Village Potters

and mail to: 

Sarah Wells Rolland
The Village Potters Clay Center
324 Smokey Cove Rd, Canton, NC 28716

We also still have our GoFundMe up if you’d prefer to give that way.

You, our amazing donors, will always be the heart of our recovery and so much a part of our story of Loss, Recovery and Resilience!