Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila Valley among those receiving grants
PHOENIX—The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors and partners are pleased to announce grant, scholarship, small business relief, and loan distributions for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. A total of $147,193,601 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.
“One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, ACF donors continued to give in record numbers as a new normal was beginning to take shape,” said Steve Seleznow, ACF President & CEO. “While some landscapes changed, the philanthropic heart of Arizona donors and communities didn’t, as organizations saw support in myriad ways.”
Excluding small business relief grants and impact loans, ACF and its donors distributed more than $113 million across 7,345 grants, showcasing a 22% increase from FY21. 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.
In the area of Quality Education, the Arizona Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $33 million during the year, including $5.4 million in college scholarships for the benefit of 1,707 Arizona students. The Arizona Community Foundation is the state’s largest independent provider of college scholarships.
At nearly $46 million, grants in the area of Health Innovations received the largest share of distributions, which were awarded to 2,914 organizations and programs in the areas of health, health care, medical research, and a variety of human services.
Over $6.8 million went to 596 programs in the category of Community Improvement & Development, which includes economic development, law, justice, public safety, housing, and neighborhood programs.
Just over $4.9 million went to 533 organizations and programs in the areas of Environment & Sustainability, including environmental education, renewable resources, conservation, and animal welfare.
A total of $5.7 million was awarded to 480 Arts & Culture organizations across Arizona, including artists, music, and cultural institutions.
In addition to these grants, 138 nonprofit organizations with dedicated agency endowments managed by the Arizona Community Foundation received their annual distributions, accounting for the remaining $17,163,358 distributed during the year.
ACF also granted over $30 million to 1,930 small businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, through continued partnerships with Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix.
ACF has emerged as a national leader in impact investing, through which the Arizona Community Foundation and partners invested an additional $3.6 million in below-market loan funding to six organizations in fiscal year 2022.
These funds work alongside traditional grantmaking accomplishing two important goals: producing measurable social impact; and building resources for future investing. Working together with a variety of capital partners, grantmakers, and nonprofit leaders, ACF’s impact loan program produces capital solutions that are more robust than grants alone.
DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE 2022 FISCAL YEAR, the Arizona Community Foundation distributed $34,490,862 in grants and scholarships. These dollars were awarded between January 1 and March 31, 2022, in five strategic priority areas: Health Innovations, Community Improvement & Development, Environment & Sustainability, Arts & Culture, and Quality Education.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT: Ukraine Relief
In the fourth quarter, the Arizona Community Foundation was able to support Ukrainian efforts with $346,800 in granted funds. A total of 64 different organizations had access to generous donations in an effort help with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. There are currently 19 different funds to help support the people of the Ukraine on the ACF website. Funds support everything from women and children to providing access to clean food and water. Please visit azfoundation.org/ukraine for more information on how to support ongoing Ukrainian relief efforts.
Health Innovations: A total of $8.3 million was awarded to 747 organizations and programs in the areas of health, health care, medical research and a variety of human services. Among the distributions for the quarter were: $20,000 from Season for Sharing to support the Academic Success Program at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley and $340,500 from the Betty Carnes Endowment Fund to the Area Agency on Aging to support home delivered meals for elderly and disabled persons in Scottsdale.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley is the largest youth-serving organization in the Valley. Offering affordable after-school and summer programs, parents trust the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley to provide a safe, positive, fun environment for their kids’ out-of-school time. The organization’s target population is low-income, at-risk youth. Currently, 58% of members live below the Federal Poverty Level ($25,100 for a family of four). At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, youth have the chance to focus on more than surviving; they have the chance to make concrete goals to overcome the generational or situational poverty that they have had to live in.
Community Improvement & Development: A total of $1.6 million was awarded to 137 organizations and programs in this category, which includes housing, community and neighborhood development, financial literacy training, legal assistance and crime prevention programs. Among the distributions awarded this quarter was an unrestricted grant for $60,900 from the Arizona Equal Justice Foundation to Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc.
Environment & Sustainability: A total of $850,397 was awarded to 144 organizations and programs in the areas of environmental education, renewable resources, conservation, and animal welfare. Among the distributions for the quarter was a grant of $3,750 from Two Pups Wellness Fund to Forever Friends Humane Society to cover medical bills.
Arts & Culture: A total of $1.5 million was awarded to 123 artistic and cultural organizations across Arizona. Among the grants were: $130,000 from the Newton and Betty Rosenzweig Fund for the Arts to the Arizona Commission on the Arts for grantmaking and professional development services and support for Arizona artists and $20,000 from ASIS to the Smithsonian Institute for an Artist x Artist Donation to the Hirshorn Museum.
Quality Education: During this quarter, a total of $3 million was awarded in scholarships and education-related grants. Among the grants were: $15,000 from the Pakis Family Foundation to Teach for America for general support.
College scholarships accounted for $122,797, awarded for the benefit of 40 students pursuing higher education in the final quarter of fiscal year 2022. 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.
During the fourth quarter, $18 million supported 1,300 small businesses and nonprofits through ACF’s ongoing partnerships with local municipalities. In addition to these grants, 24 nonprofit organizations with agency endowments managed by the Arizona Community Foundation received their annual distributions during the fourth quarter of ACF’s fiscal year, totaling $1 million distributed during the quarter.
The $34.5 million awarded in the final quarter of FY22, across all categories, represents 2,701 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 Donor & Community Engagement Committee whose members include ACF board representatives and other community leaders.
