Foundation Forward

Life In the Carolina's Podcast

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Mike Unruh and Ron Lewis of Foundation Forward, a nonprofit educational project that builds Your Charters of Freedom Settings in local communities across the country.

Mike is the Resources and Communications Director of Foundation Forward and handles fundraising, press releases, and raises community awareness after Ron, the organization’s facilitator, has completed the initial meeting with the county commissioners.

Mike and Ron reflect on their journey together with Charters of Freedom founders Vance and Mary Jo. Mike refers to the couple as true patriots who were inspired to bring the Charters of Freedom all over the country after witnessing them for the first time in 2013.

Mike, a business partner of Vance in a separate venture, was invited to be on the board at the organization’s inception. He became a full-time employee for Foundation Forward in 2019. As of this conversation, the nonprofit has dedicated a total of 39 settings, with 26 in the Carolinas, and 57 more settings in the pipeline for the next couple of years.

Ron recalls the initial intent of Foundation Forward as focusing on the Carolinas for the first few years before expanding the venture in other states. However, word quickly spread and the team found themselves called to dedicate settings around the country. They have since settled back into their original plan of completing the 74 counties in North Carolina, who yet to have their own Charters of Freedom, within the next three years.

“Once the setting is built,” says Mike, “we don’t just dedicate it and leave. We will continue to reach out to the community in the future and encourage these patriotic events and field trips.”

Their mission is thoroughly solidified via time capsules containing the names of everyone involved in the establishment of the site. Along with these names are letters written by leaders of the community, describing what the Charters of Freedom mean to them. These time capsules are to be buried at each site six months following their dedication, and every single time capsule is to be opened during a planned national ceremony on September 17, 2087—the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.

“A big part of our focus is toward the children,” continues Mike. “The children that we educate and give this sense of community and purpose to—they’re the ones who are going to be the mayor and the sheriff and the council members in 2087 when these are opened. Just like these founding documents—they’re everlasting.”

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