County nonprofits receive grant funds

From Staff Reports

Published Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham recently awarded $135,700 to 10 nonprofit organizations serving Shelby County, including $15,000 to help Safehouse of Shelby County respond to those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.

“In this first round of grants for 2009, we invited our nonprofit partners to tell us how we could help meet many needs that are growing because of the economy,” said James McCrary, senior program officer for the Community Foundation. “Safehouse is one of many important agencies that are facing significant increases in requests for services.”

Comparing requests from 2008-2009 over the same eight-month period in the previous year, Safehouse reported 44 percent more in emergency shelter residents, 160 percent more residents in transition and 69 more units of service. At the same time, donations of support dropped almost $70,000.

“The grant from our Community Funds won’t replace that loss,” McCrary said, “but it will help, and we hope others will join us in supporting this and other great organizations in these tough times.”

Other Community Foundation grants to organizations serving Shelby County exclusively or as part of a regional effort include:

-Shelby County Arts Council, $20,000 toward salaries of executive director and bookkeeper to manage operations and acquire on-going funding for cultural programs in Shelby County.

-Alabama Symphony Orchestra, $25,000 to expand the Education Concert program, and develop a plan to better serve low-income families in Jefferson and Shelby counties.

-Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama, $8,400 for software and hardware upgrades. This group serves youth in Jefferson, Walker, St. Clair and Shelby counties.

-Camp Smile-A-Mile,  $4,900 toward year-round programs offered to children and their families fighting pediatric cancer.

-Exceptional Foundation, $10,000 for the transportation project and hiring a transportation coordinator for mentally challenged children in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties.

-Full Life Ahead Foundation, $5,500 for technology enhancements, including making the website more accessible for individuals with disabilities.

-Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama, $6,900 for technology upgrades and computer training.

-Impact Alabama, $15,000 toward hiring three full-time Regional Coordinators for this student service initiative, vision screenings and tax preparation and financial literacy.

-Kid One Transport, $25,000 for general operating support to provide access to care for approximately 16,000 children and expectant mothers statewide.

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