Community Investment (Fund for Chattanooga Grantmaking)

Community Investment (Fund for Chattanooga Grantmaking) is sponsored by Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga offers grants through its 'Fund for Chattanooga' with a vision to create a community where all neighbors have access to resources and opportunities to reach their fullest potential.

Access your fund Nonprofit Login Search The Fund for Chattanooga is the living legacy of generous Chattanoogans who knew that our city would grow and evolve in ways they could never have imagined. Through planned and current gifts, they helped create a permanent fund.

It is through this endowed fund that we make grants to support the essential work in this community to both care for our most vulnerable and invest in the kinds of systemic changes that will result in greater opportunity for all of our neighbors. O ur approach to grantmaking is rooted in community.

We are committed to addressing root causes and the systems that perpetuate inequity while also being responsive to the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. We’re proud to work alongside so many dedicated nonprofits in that work. List of Fund for Chattanooga grantees: Community investment stories We're in the process of uploading fresh content.

Stay tuned for more. Fund for Chattanooga Grantmaking Priorities The Community Foundation is focused on grantmaking strategies that support our vision of a community where all our neighbors have access to the resources and opportunities they need to reach their fullest potential, regardless of where they started in life. Stay tuned for more information about the updated process.

The Foundation will consider applications from organizations whose primary mission is focused on one or more of the following: Organizations primarily serving Hamilton County residents will be eligible to apply. Supporting Affordable Housing Our grants process is streamlined, simple, and built with nonprofits in mind. Reach out to our Community Investment manager to talk through your proposal idea.

Complete Your Application Our staff will email you an invitation to complete your application. Our staff will review your application and contact you with next steps. Investing in lasting community change We believe all of our neighbors should have access to the opportunities, resources, and relationships they need to thrive, regardless of place, race, or identity.

That’s why we invest in community partners that help us generate economic mobility and shared prosperity. The Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI) is a partnership between the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the City of Chattanooga, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area, and Legal Aid of East Tennessee.

The EPI was created to ensure that as many people as possible in our community who are facing eviction would have access to a knowledgeable attorney, case worker, and flexible to help them navigate the eviction process. In 2018, our Board of Directors adopted Economic Mobility and Persistent Poverty as the primary focuses of its work in the community.

The Foundation has adopted a holistic definition of economic mobility that goes beyond economic success to include personal autonomy and sense of belonging. Against this backdrop, the Board voted to allocate $1M to a local impact investing strategy to support its overall goal of creating opportunities for economic mobility in the Chattanooga area. We identified entrepreneurship as a powerful mechanism for wealth creation and mobility.

With these values in mind, and together with local partners, we have created the Accelerator Loan Fund and Chattanooga Impact Capital Fund for local entrepreneurs. Chattanooga is always evolving and so too are the needs of our city. We're still working to transform generosity into lasting impact.

The Accelerator Loan Fund assists the growth and development of successful small business enterprises in the Chattanooga/Hamilton County community. As entrepreneurs go through the loan application process, they are exposed to new banking and business relationships. Once approved, they are given an advisor who will walk with them for the next year of their business to provide wisdom, thought leadership, and insight.

At the end of the loan term, the goal is for each entrepreneur to be able to access new sources of capital from other investors and other financial institutions. The Accelerator Loan Fund Program exists to provide access to capital and to increase social capital and pathways to success. We are asking our you to join us in supporting the Accelerator Loan Fund at the Community Foundation.

Donate Here . Safe and affordable housing is a key feature of environments that promote economic mobility for all, and Chattanooga has the opportunity to lead the Southeast in building a vibrant housing market. ‍ Chattanooga is experiencing a deepening challenge with affordable housing fueled by a rapid increase in housing costs, limited housing supply, and slow wage growth.

The city’s population growth has significantly increased demand, driving up prices faster than wages are rising. This leaves many residents, especially those with mid-range and lower incomes, struggling to afford housing. ‍ Nearly half of Chattanooga’s renters are cost-burdened , meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs.

In 2024, the Community Foundation accepted a $5 million line of credit from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), aimed at improving social determinants of health in our community by supporting the creation and preservation affordable housing. Specifically, this loan supports long-term affordable housing development through strategic partnerships with community lenders and nonprofit developers.

Loan applications are reviewed by CFGC staff and approved by a Board-appointed Real Estate Committee made up of local experts in housing development, financing and management. In addition, the Board has committed $400,000 of grant dollars from the Fund for Chattanooga to create a fund to work in coordination with these impact investments.

We are asking our you to join us in supporting the Affordable Housing Fund at the Community Foundation. Our goal is $2 million. Manager, Community Investment