Sedona AZ (February 20, 2018) – The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors are pleased to announce grant and scholarship distributions for the third quarter of its fiscal year. Between October 1 and December 31, 2017, a total of $16,171,154 was awarded from funds of the Arizona Community Foundation and its six statewide Affiliates in Cochise, Flagstaff, the Gila Valley, Sedona, Yavapai County and Yuma.
The nearly $16.2 million in both discretionary and advised grants and scholarships were awarded in five strategic priority areas: Health Innovations, Community Improvement & Development, Environment & Sustainability, Arts & Culture and Quality Education.
Health Innovations: A total of $5 million was awarded to 570 organizations and programs in the areas of health, health care, medical research and a variety of human services. Among the distributions for the quarter, Honor Health Foundation received $45,000 from the Lillian R. & James M. Reed Charitable Fund to support their Xenex Robotics Program and Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, Inc. received a total of $641,500 from the Armstrong Family Foundation, a supporting organization of ACF, to fund operations and a capital campaign.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT:
Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation is a multi-national, secular, nonprofit organization composed of volunteers who work to improve opportunities on the border between Arizona and Mexico. The group has outgrown their current Exchange Dormitory and has launched a $1.35 million capital campaign to build a new facility. The new Hacienda Feliz Exchange Dormitory, designed by long-time Rancho Feliz volunteer and renowned Mexican architect, Joaquín Alfaro, will accommodate 1,500 volunteer visits per year and is being built to last 100 years. The grant from the Armstrong Family Foundation will provide $500,000 in support of this mission.
Community Improvement & Development: A total of $2.23 million was awarded to 113 programs in this category, which includes housing, community and neighborhood development, financial literacy training, legal assistance and crime prevention programs. Among the grants awarded this quarter were: $84,500 from the Armstrong Family Foundation, Pakis Family Foundation, and the Holbrook Pyle Foundation to support various Seed Spot programs. A total of $500,000 was committed to support the Pathways to Prosperity Program at the Center for the Future of Arizona from a newly-formed alliance of Arizona-based foundations: ACF, the Ellis Center for Educational Excellence and the Rodel Foundation of Arizona.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT:
The Arizona Community Foundation, Ellis Center for Educational Excellence, Rodel Foundation of Arizona, and JPMorgan Chase Foundation joined with Governor Doug Ducey and the Center for the Future of Arizona in January, to announce a $1.24 million public-private investment to fund an expanded system of career pathways, which are responsive to industry growth needs and create long-term career opportunities for young people in Arizona.
The Governor’s Office pledged $500,000 for Arizona Pathways to Prosperity, matched by $500,000 in grant funds committed by the newly-formed alliance of Arizona-based foundations: ACF, Ellis, and Rodel. JPMorgan Chase Foundation extended its support by committing $240,000 in new grant dollars to the initiative.
Environment & Sustainability: A total of $656,962 was awarded to 109 organizations and programs in the areas of environmental education, renewable resources, conservation, and animal welfare. Among the distributions for the quarter, the Humane Society of Yuma received $35,000 to fund the Yuma Public Spay/Neuter program and Audubon Arizona received $15,000 from The Art & Betty Grandlich Foundation for Animals to fund their Downtown Owls project.
Arts & Culture: A total of $377,000 was awarded to 99 artistic and cultural organizations across Arizona. Among the grants were: $22,500 from the Colorado Plateau Foundation to the Pueblo of Acoma in support of preservation of languages and various grants totaling $35,000 to the Arizona Opera Company.
Quality Education: During this quarter, a total of $6.6 million was awarded in scholarships and education-related grants. Among the $943,901 in grant distributions to the Arizona State University Foundation was a $240,000 grant from the Global Education Initiative Fund to fund their SolarSPELL project. Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates, Inc. received $25,000 from the Ellis Center for Educational Excellence to fund site expansion in partnership with the Pascua Yaqui tribe to serve Native American youth.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT:
Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates works closely with education, business, and other community partners to support college and career readiness programs. Program participants receive instruction on these core competencies: self-understanding, career exploration, job attainment and survival, team and leadership, and personal development skills. Youth engage in schools and communities through student-led projects, field trips and hands-on learning experiences. This combination of program elements results in increased knowledge and skills, and the self-confidence needed to pursue career goals. The $25,000 grant provided by the Ellis Center will enable Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates to launch one new program delivered in partnership with the Pascua Yaqui tribe, serving Native American youth. This program provides a valuable opportunity to leverage matching funds provided by the Governor’s Office and the Arizona Department of Education.
College scholarships accounted for $1.45 million of the quarter’s total and were awarded for the benefit of 435 students pursuing higher education. College scholarships are awarded to Arizona students to attend a wide range of colleges, universities and technical schools in Arizona and across the United States.
Private K-12 school scholarships for low-income, displaced and disabled students awarded from ACF’s School Tuition Organization accounted for $1.5 million of the $6.6 million total, and supported 533 students.
In addition to these grants, 19 nonprofit organizations with agency endowments managed by the Arizona Community Foundation received their annual distributions during the third quarter of ACF’s fiscal year, accounting for the remaining $1.3 million distributed during the quarter.
The $16.2 million awarded across all categories represents 2,374 grants and scholarships. Some grants are awarded at the discretion of the Arizona Community Foundation with input from board committees and diverse community panels, while others are awarded through donor advice. All grants are approved or ratified by ACF’s Philanthropic Services Committee whose members include ACF board representatives and other community leaders.
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