Grantmaking from Community Funds

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Community Fund grants $1.9 million for 2011

Nonprofit organizations in the Birmingham region are using more than $1.9 million in grants awarded in 2011 to drive positive change in partnership with the Community Foundation. These grants from Community Funds address four specific Results within the Results Framework:
- $444,000 toward this Result: Children are successful along the education pipeline.
- $530,000 toward this Result: People can lead healthy lives.
- $647,500 toward this Result:  Communities are sustainable, livable and vibrant.
- $290,000 toward this Result: Individuals and families are economically secure.

Nonprofit organizations serving Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Walker and Blount counties can apply for grants during two cycles each year. Read more about the process if you represent a nonprofit organization or contact James McCrary to learn more. If you wish to support one of these Results for our region, use our on-line service to make a gift or contact Erin Stephenson.

More about Results, Strategies & Grants

RESULT: Children are successful along the education pipeline.
STRATEGY: Decrease high school dropout rates
GRANTS: $264,000 to the following organizations:

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham, $100,000 over three years to support the School-based (SB) initiative in Jefferson County through a High School Drop-out Prevention Specialist.
  • Birmingham Education Foundation, $100,000 for a pilot project on the dropout problem based on the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide on Dropout Prevention from the Institute of Educational Sciences.
  • Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, $25,000 for Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy (PAP), including partial salary support for the PAP Coordinator and Hispanic Specialist, serving students ages 12-18 in Jefferson and Shelby County.
  • Jefferson County Schools Public Education Foundation, $25,000 for a summer program serving seventh and eighth graders with reading deficits and a history of school behavioral problems, in collaboration with Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority and Samford University.
  • New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church Community Support Corporation, $14,000 toward hiring additional teachers for 100 after-school students and 250 spring/summer campers in kindergarten through ninth grade.

STRATEGY: Increase high quality early learning opportunities for birth to eight-year olds
GRANTS: $180,000 to the following organizations:

  • YMCA of Metropolitan Birmingham, $100,000 over two years to help expand the International Children’s Initiative’ (ICI) to YMCA branches in Avondale, Downtown, Trussville and Hoover (2012).
  • United Way of Central Alabama, $75,000 over three years for the Blueprint for School Readiness and the work of Success by 6 to assure children are ready to learn, families are engaged, quality early learning is accessible and transition to kindergarten is smooth for children.
  • Jasper Area Family Services, $5,000 to help expand the Baby Talk Program to the Walker County Health Department by hiring an interpreter and buying bilingual books for Hispanic families.

RESULT: People can lead healthy lives.
STRATEGY: Improve nutrition/healthy food access and increase opportunities for physical activity
GRANTS: $265,000 to the following organizations:

  • Jones Valley Urban Farm, $75,000 over three years to improve access to healthy food for children and for communities through partnerships with local and regional schools and home and community gardens.
  • UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences EatRight Program, $75,000 over two years for the EatRight Nutrition Guidance System, in order to leverage partnerships in the private and public sectors and create a unique collaboration designed to help Alabamians make more informed food choices.
  • Main Street Birmingham, $65,000 over two years for Project for Public Spaces, toward implementing the recommendations of studies and developing a Market Alliance for Birmingham that will foster public markets in underserved communities.
  • Urban Ministry, $50,000 over two years toward expansion of West End Community Gardens, including development of a curb market and community center.

STRATEGY: Improve access to care for vulnerable populations
GRANTS: $265,000 to the following organizations:

  • Cahaba Valley Health Care, $90,000 over three years to support this dental and vision care program for the underserved in Shelby County, primarily Hispanics.
  • Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Impact Alabama and Sight Savers America, $50,000 over two years for a pilot collaboration to improve access to vision care for low-income children.
  • Kid One Transport, $50,000 over two years toward operating costs and capital match funds to meet the increasing need for service in greater Birmingham.
  • M-POWER Ministries, $50,000 over two years for M-POWER Health Center, evening walk-in clinics and a new PATH (Providing Access to Health Care) Clinic.
  • Travelers Aid Society of Birmingham, $15,000 toward the Medical Transportation program serving low-income elderly and disabled individuals in Jefferson County.
  • Crisis Center, $10,000 toward an on-line resource directory of mental health resources, created in partnership with the Mental Health Goal Group of the Health Action Partnership of the Jefferson County Department of Health.

Result: Communities are sustainable, livable and vibrant.
STRATEGY: Expand access to arts and cultural opportunities
GRANTS: $135,000 to the following organizations:

  • Shelby County Arts Council, $100,000 over two years to help expand its base of donors toward construction of a performing arts and community education facility.
  • UAB/Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center, $25,000 toward Phase I of ArtPlay’s weekly education outreach program, ARTreach, serving 100 homeless families living in YW Woodlawn residences.
  • Seasoned Performers, $10,000 toward the cost of replacing the touring van which currently transports actors and props to more than 64 performances for underserved seniors and school children annually.

STRATEGY: Expand and improve public green space
GRANTS: $262,500 in grants to the following organizations:

  • Railroad Park Foundation, $50,000 over two years for improvements to safety and park usage, including additional security cameras, tables, chairs, plantings and maintenance services.
  • Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, $100,000 over two years toward Phase 1 of a Conservatory Master Plan which will allow this historic gem to be reopened as hands-on classroom of rainforest and desert plants.
  • Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers, $12,500 as a match for funding to build a single-track trail system at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, serving mountain biking, hiking, trail running and nature enthusiasts.
  • The University of Montevallo, $100,000 over two years to expand an existing trail into a state-of-the-art one-mile Par/Course/Fitness Trail as part of a planned 35-acre Eco Park.

STRATEGY: Further develop vibrant city center for Birmingham
GRANTS: $175,000 to the following organizations:

  • Birmingham Business Alliance Foundation/City of Birmingham, $50,000 over two years as a match for funding to improve gateways from highway corridors into the city center.
  • Alabama Moving Image Association, $15,000 to improve the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival experience with components such as outdoor staging, special event lighting and live entertainment.
  • Innovation Depot, $75,000 over three years toward building out the current facility in order to achieve full occupancy and self-sustainability.
  • Red Mountain Theatre Company, $20,000 toward a strategy to position this as the premier destination for family entertainment.
  • YouthServe, $15,000 toward operations of Urban Service Camps in downtown Birmingham, bringing young people throughout the metro area to experience life downtown and form relationships across race, class and neighborhoods.

STRATEGY: Improve the natural environment
GRANTS: $75,000 to the following organizations:

  • Black Warrior Riverkeeper, $20,000 toward the work of the organization in watershed protection, from patrols to education.
  • Cahaba River Society, $50,000 over two years toward policy advocacy and education work to improve development practices, restore drinking water supplies and the Cahaba’s natural values in concert with economic growth.
  • Coosa Riverkeeper, $5,000 toward the program to improve environmental quality in the Coosa Valley through patrols, monitoring and education.

Result: Individuals and families are economically secure.
STRATEGY: Improve housing stability
GRANTS: $125,000 to the following organizations:

  • AIDS Alabama, $50,000 over two years toward rehabilitating housing facilities for low-income, HIV-positive persons and their families to HUD Housing Standards and implementing tenant training on how to care for homes.
  • SafeHouse of Shelby County, $50,000 over two years to help survivors of domestic violence and their children in Residential Services Program learn to become self-reliant and get help with financial needs before moving to permanent housing.
  • Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity, $25,000 toward creation of a Homeowner Education Center with hands-on learning stations and classrooms, with the goal of helping more people prepare to move toward homeownership.

STRATEGY: Increase public policy changes and direct services that positively impact low income individuals and families
GRANTS: $165,000 to the following organizations:

  • Gateway, $50,000 over two years for direct services, follow-up and outreach to the economically unsecure, including clients who need longer-term financial counseling to stabilize their financial situation and build assets.
  • Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, $50,000 over two years toward efforts to facilitate economic integration with its immigrant constituents, including financial literacy program and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance services.
  • Magic City Harvest, $10,000 to support a full-time refrigerated truck driver serving Jefferson and Shelby counties.
  • Aletheia House, $30,000 toward an innovative workforce training program to prepare adults who did not finish high school for administrative and support positions through education, supportive services and on-the-job training.
  • The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, $15,000 toward public policy reform strengthening women’s economic security through “Stepping Up” – including a report, community listening sessions, public policy campaign and future ideas for implementation.
  • Norwood Resource Center, $10,000 for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, to help low-and moderate-income families with financial literacy, Earned Income Tax Credit and banking accounts as a means to homeownership.