Spring 2007 Grants from Community Funds
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham awards grants twice a year from its Community Funds, the discretionary grantmaking funds dedicated to meeting the community's most pressing needs. The following grants are from Community Funds, with additional support from Donor Advised Funds. Organizations that received their first grant from Community Funds in this grant cycle are noted with an asterisk.
3 Parks Project, $1 million over four years as a lead gift in a public-private partnership to support the creation of Railroad Reservation Park and Red Mountain Park and the expansion of Ruffner Mountain Nature Center.
Alabama Poverty Project, $7,000 to support the Faith Initiative in informing and encouraging involvement from Alabama faith leaders in seeking solutions to poverty in our state.
Alabama Public Television, $40,000 for the Ready to Read in Literacy Project to help children in 10 pre-K programs in the Birmingham City District build strong language and reading readiness skills, plus a family literacy component.
Alabama Rivers Alliance, $15,000 (DAF only) to support the Alabama Water Agenda, a proactive policy campaign that aims to achieve four aspects of healthy water in the Birmingham area and statewide with Alliance4 partners, the Cahaba River Society and Black Warrior Riverkeeper.
Assistance League of Birmingham, $22,000 for Operation School Bell in adding a shoe voucher program and increasing the amount of new clothing for school and the number of children served in grades K-6.
Autism Society of Alabama, $5,000 (DAF only) for Adventures in Autism, a therapeutic recreational program which promotes networking and family and peer support for families affected by autism.
*Bare Hands Gallery, $2,000 to support the Day of the Dead Festival and increase cultural understanding between the Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities. Better Basics, $30,000 ($500 DAF) to help first and second graders who struggle to read at grade level through reading curriculum taught by certified teachers and trained volunteers.
Birmingham Artwalk, $4,000 to hire additional performers at the upcoming sixth annual festival in downtown Birmingham as it expands to accommodate growing crowds.
*Birmingham Change Fund, $30,000 in matching funds over two years to help this giving circle establish a way to share knowledge about organized philanthropy with Birmingham's African American communities and encourage more individual investment in collective resources that to make a positive impact locally.
Birmingham Pledge Foundation, $3,500 toward a strategic planning process, update of teachers guide and pledge kit and purchase of new computers.
*Birmingham-Jefferson History Museum, $1,000 to hire a consultant to analyze status and governance, provide training to board members and staff, recommend improvements and begin to develop a strategic plan.
Birmingham-Southern College, $140,000 over three years to support an Urban Environmental Studies major course of study that will train students in natural sciences, society and policy and environmental education.
Boy Scouts of America-Greater AL Council, $20,000 to support the Soccer and Scouting program to help Hispanic youth in Birmingham learn values, American culture and reach their full potential.
Cahaba River Society, $46,000 (DAF only) to support innovative growth solutions by encouraging developers and local governments to adopt improved design standards for development along the Cahaba watershed.
Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council, $20,000 ($10,000 DAF) to assess conditions in Newfound Creek in west Jefferson County, determine costs for restoration and provide information to state and federal funding sources.
Children's Dance Foundation, $10,000 to support community partnership serving young and old with physical, mental or emotional challenges, and to support elementary school performances that that teaches math concepts.
Children's Policy Cooperative of Jefferson County, $50,000 over two years for program/administrative assistant who schedules meetings, maintains the database and supervises volunteers and others.
*Community Health Charities of Alabama, $10,000 toward campaign manager position, which will include work to expand giving campaigns, promote member agencies and work with lawmakers to effect policy change.
Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, $30,000 ($1,000 DAF) to support the Institute for Early Learning, which provides a positive learning experience for at-risk, pre-schoolers from Woodlawn, Gate City and East Lake and training for their parents or caregivers.
Crisis Center, $15,000 toward part-time suicide prevention program coordinator to organize suicide prevention activities and maintain records and data for director and board.
*Downtown Redevelopment Authority of the City of Bessemer, $60,000 toward a capital campaign to renovate and re-use a historic downtown property as affordable work space for local artists and craftspeople and foster a network to collaborate and promote their work.
Family Court of Jefferson County, $18,000 to support a coordinator position to expand Teen Court programs for first-time non-violent juvenile offenders in Bessemer Family Court.
*Family Guidance Center of Alabama, $5,500, to support the Center for Families in Jefferson County by buying new computers and software to develop job readiness and workplace skills.
First Light, $25,000 ($100 DAF) to serve as lead agency in collaboration with Pathways and Jefferson County Housing Authority to reduce the number of women returning to homelessness by offering direct referral vouchers and intensive case management services for women entering the Shelter+Care program.
Full Life Ahead Foundation, $17,000 to support the Planning Process Project, which coaches individuals with disabilities and their families on how to set goals for the future, plan careers and find employment.
Girls, Inc of Central Alabama, $20,000 ($5,000 DAF) to support the program coordinator position for work in preventing pregnancy among girls ages 10-18 and training contract educators to serve the five-county area.
Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership, $30,000 ($5,000 DAF) to supplement a grant from the National Science Foundation for middle and high school teachers so that 30 K-4 teachers from Bessemer, Fairfield, Homewood, Hoover, Jefferson County, Mountain Brook, Shelby County, Trussville City, and Vestavia City schools can take summer courses and participate in the grade-level sessions during the school year.
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, $8,000 to support hiring a part-time teacher of English as a Second Language to expand intensive ESL classes for beginners and help to eliminate a waiting list for participants.
Holy Family High School, $45,000 to purchase and operate a 14-passenger bus to transport the school's 200 Cristo Rey students who are involved in Corporate Work Study Program jobs
*Inverness Vineyard Christian Fellowship, $6,500, toward start-up costs of the Fostering Helps! Program which provides emergency assistance bags for children, bimonthly support groups and quarterly training opportunities for foster parents, and mentoring relationships for novice foster families. J.C.C.E.O./HeadStart, $20,000 ($15,000 DAF) to promote nutrition and fitness for young children in childcare facilities, targeting childcare providers in 749 programs across the five-county area.
*Jefferson County Library Cooperative, $20,000 for the Born to Read Project, introducing each mother and newborn in Jefferson County hospitals to resources at their local public library.
Junior League of Birmingham, $35,000 ($1,000 DAF) over two years to support the All Aboard! Read with Me! Imagination Library Initiative, which mails a book every month to Jefferson County children up to age 5.
Lakeshore Foundation, $15,000 ($500 DAF) to support the All Kids Active Initiative, training teachers and providing resources for students with physical disabilities in Shelby County, including individual education plans and adapted equipment such as sports wheelchairs.
Lakeside Hospice, $8,000 to refurbish and equip the Grief Room, used for group counseling, grief support teacher training, grief training, teen grief seminars and other workshops and meetings in St. Clair County.
*Laps for CF Foundation, $10,000 to hire a development officer who will establish a network between the 400 Alabama families facing the challenges of cystic fibrosis and the fundraising and awareness efforts of the organization.
Liz Moore Low Vision Center, $7,000 to fund support groups that provide access to educational programming, transportation, equipment and social activities for people who share similar needs.
Metropolitan Arts Center/Virginia Samford Theatre, $5,000 to commission a new staging of a 1927 classic musical “Show Boat" in honor of the theatre's 80th anniversary.
McWane Science Center, $90,000 ($7,000 DAF) over two years toward planning and design for the Smart Café, creating a place that offers healthier food choices as well as an enjoyable and educational exhibit.
Music Opportunity Program Foundation, $10,000 toward the String Academy instruction program for some 300 beginning violin, viola, cello, and bass players in third through fifth grades at seven Birmingham City Schools, 10 Jefferson County Schools and six after-school locations.
Neighborhood Network, $15,000 toward renovation of a house at the McCoy Center, in order to increase capacity and effectiveness of services to low-to-moderate income families in the Smithfield community and western Birmingham.
N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, $7,000 toward hiring a learning specialist for the Student Support Service program for students with special needs.
Oak Mountain Missions Ministries, $17,500 to support serve individuals in Jefferson and Shelby counties through distribution of food, furniture and financial assistance.
Outreach Incorporated, $22,000 ($500 DAF) to support the home repair program serving elderly people in the inner city.
Planned Parenthood of Alabama, $11.750 ($500 DAF) to hire a reproductive health educator for the Young Mothers Project, which provides in-depth education on contraception and sexually transmitted infection to young teen mothers, teachers and staff in the Birmingham City Schools.
*Pleasant Mount Baptist Church, $10,000 ($500 DAF) toward the men's ministry home repair program, which assists financially disadvantaged seniors referred by the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging in collaboration with churches in Blount County.
Region 2020, $84,500 ($30,500 DAF) over three years toward the involvement of private and public sectors in the next edition of Community Counts, in the 3 Parks Project and in the Regional Law Enforcement Task Force Initiative, which promotes cooperation among regional law enforcement entities.
Safe Harbor, $10,000 toward the position of director of resource, benefiting parents and family members of at-risk teens residing in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties.
S.A.F.E. Place, $7,000 toward hiring two part-time staff instructors for the "Aspire" curriculum for senior high students in Jefferson, Blount and St. Clair counties.
Samaritan Counseling Center, $9,000 toward salaries for therapists providing counseling, maintaining records and developing a referral network.
Shelby County Advocacy Center, $4,500 ($500 DAF) toward upgrade for technology equipment used in investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases and for professional development of multidisciplinary team members in Shelby County.
*Shelby County Historical Society, $7,500 to enhance and augment displays, including Native American and African American artifacts and memorabilia from Shelby County.
*South Regions Minority Business Council, $15,000 to support Minority Business Enterprise capacity building workshops, educational seminars and training.
*Special Equestrians, $2,500 to update technology for presentations, tracking volunteers, fund development and other tasks serving residents of Jefferson and Shelby counties who are diagnosed with a variety of physical and behavioral disorders.
Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of America, $4,500 to support training for foster parents in handling abused and neglected youth, reducing the number of disruptions in placement and behavior management training.
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, $6,000 to support the Healthy Community Program by hiring a part-time coordinator who will focus on reducing or eliminating breast cancer health disparities among African Americans in Jefferson County.
Success By 6, $45,000 ($30,000 DAF) to serve as lead agency of a community collaborative to support a health and developmental screening project created by the Early Care and Education committee of the Children's Policy Cooperative of Jefferson County for children ages 0-5.
*Umdabu Dance Company, $7,000 toward the position of choreographer and artistic coordinator, who will develop three dance/drama pieces and coordinate outreach and educational activities in Jefferson County, including students and teachers at Jess Lanier High School, Pinson Middle School, McAdory High School and Gardendale Elementary and participants at Birmingham Parks and Recreation Summer Camps and Birmingham Public Library gatherings.
United Methodist Center for Senior Citizens, $4,500 to purchase a dishwasher for use in daily meal and snacks service to elderly people in Jefferson County who use the center.
*Walker County Arts Alliance, $10,000 to support creative writing/story telling and pottery programs to benefit fourth and fifth graders in Jasper City and Walker County schools.
Youth Leadership Forum, $3,000 to support leadership development sessions and community service sessions that will help participants develop skills to be effective members of their community.
YWCA, $150,000 ($20,000 DAF) over three years to support a capital campaign to renovate and expand Interfaith Hospitality House, including 24 two-bedroom apartments for long and short term housing for homeless intact families, homeless fathers with their children, and single mothers with adolescent sons.
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