Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Competitive Grant Cycle

Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Competitive Grant Cycle is sponsored by Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham offers grants to nonprofits serving Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties.

Their priority areas include Thriving Communities, Regional Cooperation, Economic Opportunity for All, Overcoming Persistent Poverty, and Equity and Inclusion. While not exclusively focused on literacy, projects addressing educational outcomes in underserved communities could align with their mission to empower individuals to reach their full potential.

Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham | Inside Philanthropy OVERVIEW: This community funder supports community development and emphasizes economic opportunity for underserved sectors of the community.

IP TAKE: The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham runs an accessible competitive grantmaking program and awards operating and program grants to organizations of every size, including “emerging organizations” with budgets of under $25,000. It accepts applications twice a year and provides the email address of senior program officer who is able to answer questions about the application process.

Information about some of the foundation’s field-of-interest funds and giving circles is also available at the grants page. Birmingham-area nonprofits will definitely want to get and stay on this flexible community funder’s radar. PROFILE: The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (CFGB) was founded by several prominent Birmingham community leaders and philanthropists in 1959 as a permanent charitable endowment.

There are more than 450 grantmaking funds at this community foundation, which range in size between $5,000 and $125,000. At the end of a recent year, CFGB reported assets of $348 million. CFGB is the oldest and largest community foundation in Alabama.

It mission is “to ignite passion for transformational change,” and it envisions a “just, prosperous and unified region where every person is empowered to reach their full potential. ” In addition to its extensive donor-advised funds, CFGB runs competitive grant programs to support community and economic development and related human services.

Its stated program areas are Thriving Communities , Equity and Inclusion , Regional Cooperation , Economic Opportunity for All , and Overcoming Persistent Poverty . Beyond these, there are field-of-interest funds and giving circles that offer competitive grants in the areas of racial justice, LGBTQ rights, arts and culture, animal welfare, health, scholarships and recreational programs.

Grants for Community Development and Environment The foundation’s Thriving Communities grantmaking initiative prioritizes efforts to improve quality of life for all Birmingham residents, especially the “most under-served and dis-invested. ” Priorities of this program include: Creating a healthy and inclusive social environment that encourages learning and “participation in social and civic activities.

” A built environment that is “safe, attractive, and supports equitable access. ” Preservation of the natural environment for the health and enjoyment of the community. Grantees include the Jefferson County Greenways Commission, the Cawaco Resource Conservation & Development Council, Friends of Jemison Park and Renew Birmingham.

Grants for Civic Engagement, Racial Justice and Economic Opportunity The goals of the foundation’s Equity and Inclusion , Regional Cooperation and Economic Opportunity for All programs overlap considerably to support initiatives for equitable participation and opportunity for all Birmingham residents. Notably, these initiatives do not mention race but articulate priorities related to “marginalized groups” and “fairer systems for all.

” The program Equity and Inclusion supports efforts to reduce barriers to equitable opportunity and “meaningful participation” in regions civic spaces. Grants for Regional Cooperation target broad efforts for economic growth, public-private collaborations and sustainable regional amenities.

Economic Opportunity for All refers to the foundation’s efforts in the areas of vocational training, job creation and “the physical and social infrastructure that connects people to what they need to succeed. ” Grants stemming from these programs have supported the United Way of Central Alabama, Prosper Birmingham, the Women’s Foundation of Alabama and the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.

Grants for Public Health Human Services The foundation awards grants for local health and human services organizations via its Overcoming Persistent Poverty initiative, which takes broad approach to addressing “underlying issues that result in persistent poverty. ” An area of specific focus is “reducing the number of children and individuals living in intergenerational poverty.

” Building and strengthening safety net systems to meet the needs of people in crisis. Advancing systemic change through advocacy and policy reform. Grantees include the Megan Montgomery Foundation to Prevent Domestic Violence, the Crisis Center of Birmingham, Blanket for Hope of Columbiana and the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

Other Grantmaking Opportunities The foundation also provides information about some of its field-of-interest and giving circle funds that offer competitive grantmaking opportunities. Opportunities may change from year to year, but the foundation maintains the list here .

At this writing, some of the funds include: The Instruments of Hope Unity Fund Summer Adventures in Learning The Women’s Breast Health Fund The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham made a total of about $31. 3 million in grants in a recent year, but most of this stems from its donor-advised funds. The foundation’s discretionary grants typically range from $5,000 to $75,000.

Information about past grants is linked to the grant overview page. This funder supports organizations of every size in the region with operating or project support, including “emerging organizations” with “documented revenue under $25,000. ” The foundation accepts applications for all five of its priority areas twice a year.

Find current guidelines and due dates here . Questions about the application process may be directed to Senior Program Officer Nicole Standridge by email at nstandridge@cfbham. org.

Submit general inquiries to the foundation at info@cfbham. org or call (205) 327-3800. Enable JavaScript to continue This site uses JavaScript to verify your account, display articles, and provide other features.

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