Who We Are
Born from a simple belief: no one should navigate hardship alone.
We exist to bridge the gap between people in need and the agencies, volunteers, and neighbors ready to support them — through trusted relationships, real programs, and a community that shows up for its own.
Compassionate Connection
Every interaction is grounded in dignity and respect. How we connect people matters just as much as who we connect them with.
Community First
We work with the people, organizations, and agencies already doing the work — striving to make the whole system more connected.
Accountable and Transparent
We track every connection and outcome with anonymized data so donors, partners, and the community can always see our efforts.
How Grata Connects Came To Be
Grata Connects was born out of a simple but urgent observation: too many people in our community do not know where to turn, and too many organizations do not know who needs them.
We exist to close that gap — building a new model for community connection that is proactive, compassionate, and powered by real data. We do not wait for people in need to find help. We find them. We guide them. And we measure every step so our partners and supporters can see exactly what is working.
Grata Connects is a diverse team of community advocates, policy researchers, UNC students, and local leaders — united by one belief: that every person in this community deserves to be seen, supported, and connected.
Real people who really care
Founder & Executive Director
Jay Radford
This all started with one interaction in August 2023 that simply frustrated and infuriated me. It launched hundreds of conversations with local leaders, community members, and people living on the street or facing eviction. What I learned motivated me to form Grata Connects and begin connecting our well-resourced and well-intentioned community. The sum of my life's experiences have brought me to this moment and I am excited to Dare Greatly.
Board of Directors
- Dr. Angela Kashuba
- Dr. Natalia Mitin
- Cindy Royal
- Scott Jones
Our Guiding Belief
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again... who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."
— Theodore Roosevelt, Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910