Phoenix AZ (September 17, 2020) – The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors are pleased to announce grant and scholarship distributions for the first quarter of its fiscal year. Between April 1 and June 30, 2020, a total of $31,836,224 was awarded from funds of the Arizona Community Foundation, including the COVID-19 Community Response Funds, and its six statewide affiliates in Cochise, Flagstaff, the Gila Valley, Sedona, Yavapai County, and Yuma.
The $31.8 million in both discretionary and advised grants and scholarships was awarded in five strategic priority areas: Health Innovations, Community Improvement & Development, Environment & Sustainability, Arts & Culture, and Quality Education.
Health Innovations: A total of $14.5 million was awarded to 1,233 organizations and programs in the areas of health, health care, medical research, and a variety of human services.
Community Improvement & Development: A total of $7.3 million was awarded to 664 programs in this category, which includes housing, community and neighborhood development, financial literacy training, legal assistance, and crime prevention programs.
Environment & Sustainability: A total of $808,355 was awarded to 143 organizations and programs in the areas of environmental education, renewable resources, conservation, and animal welfare.
Arts & Culture: A total of $1.3 million was awarded to 164 artistic and cultural organizations across Arizona.
Quality Education: A total of $4.6 million was awarded in scholarships and education-related grants.
College scholarships accounted for $1.5 million of the quarter’s total and were awarded for the benefit of 536 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.
“The impact of COVID-19 on the overall grant distribution for ACF during our first quarter has been tremendous,” said Chief Community Officer Elisa de la Vara. “The grants team has been working continuously to ensure all nonprofits and small businesses receive grants as quickly as possible. The volume of transactions has been challenging for the staff, with close to 3,500 grants distributed while working remotely over the entirety of the quarter.”
In addition to these grants, 368 nonprofit organizations with agency endowments managed by the Arizona Community Foundation received their annual distributions during the first quarter of ACF’s fiscal year, accounting for the remaining $2.6 million distributed during the quarter.
The $31.8 million awarded across all categories represents 3,497 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.