Davidson, NC (January 30, 2026) – Davidson Community Foundation (DCF) has named Donald J. Waters to serve a three-year term on its board of directors. Prior to moving to Davidson, Waters was a Senior Program Officer for The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, a position he held for 20 years.

During his tenure as a Program Officer with The Mellon Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the country, Waters was instrumental in awarding 1,500 grants to organizations around the world, primarily in the United States. Those grants totaled nearly $750 million.

Waters is an anthropologist, independent scholar, writer, and specialist in the work of libraries, archives, and scholarly publications. Prior to his work with The Mellon Foundation, he was the founding Director of the Digital Library Federation and an Associate University Librarian at Yale University, as well as holding numerous other library and information technology positions. Waters earned a B.A. degree in American Studies from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Yale University. He co-chaired and edited a seminal report in the 1990s on the long-term preservation of digital information. Waters is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, serves on the Executive Advisory Council of the American archive of Public Broadcasting, and is president of the Engineering Information Foundation. Information Foundation. He is also a volunteer with DavidsonLearns and Davidson Housing Coalition.

“Davidson Community Foundation is extremely fortunate to have someone of Don’s background and insights in grants and philanthropy,” says DCF Chair Jim Merrifield. “His expertise and understanding of transformative philanthropy, grants and his passion for community-led efforts such as ours, will help us shape the future of our organization and further enhance the quality of life in Davidson for all residents. Don will work specifically with the board’s grants and community needs assessment committees.”

“I am honored and humbled to join the DCF board and help convert the good ideas of our nonprofit partners into practical and effective ways to strengthen their work and impact,” says Waters. “Philanthropy has the potential to enhance civic life everywhere, and I’m excited to contribute to this objective.”

“DCF was established in 2020 by local residents who raised nearly $500,000 during the COVID crisis to assist nonprofits serving our community,” says Merrifield. “Since then, DCF has raised more than $1.4 million to bolster support in such areas as affordable housing, early childcare and assistance to seniors (especially emergency needs). The Foundation recently awarded a $10,000 grant to the Ada Jenkins Center to help those affected by the interruption of SNAP benefits.”

To learn more about Davidson Community Foundation or to donate, visit www.davidsoncommunityfoundation.org