News
Athens Area Community Foundation makes $25,000 available to local organizations
Athens, Ga. -- Athens Area Community Foundation (AACF) is helping area nonprofits with the capital and expertise they need to be sustainable and effective. AACF is launching its fall grant cycle with a request for proposals from local nonprofits. AACF, an outgrowth of the OneAthens process, aims to distribute $25,000 of its discretionary funds in September 2009. Grants will average between $1,000 and $5,000 each.
“Given the level of demand for our first round of grants this past March, we are very pleased to be making the second round available,” said Judge Steve C. Jones, AACF Board Chair. The first round of grants went to 11 local groups that maximized their resources for community benefit. “Each grant leveraged more funds and provided multiple services. For example, a grant that increased access to healthcare also provided workforce development and a grant that provided financial literacy also increased access to emergency funds,” he said.
“Our discretionary grants program is critical for local nonprofits in a time when many people’s budgets are tight and giving is down,” Porter said. Through the Partners for a Prosperous Athens and OneAthens process, Clarke County residents identified several critical issues to address poverty: educational outcomes at all ages, workforce development, economic development, affordable housing, medical care access, transportation, teen pregnancy prevention, and one-stop-shop access to social services.
“Agencies applying for a grant may have identified another area of critical need and we want to know about it,” Porter said. “The Community Foundation is interested in those organizations which can demonstrate that they have planned their projects in light of overall community needs.”
AACF requires applicants to be tax-exempt or provide evidence of their status as an educational, religious, or public entity. The Foundation will not provide grants to individuals. Applications are due September 1, 2009 and awards will be announced at the end of October. Use these links to find application forms or more information about AACF.
Having already established five Donor Advised Funds and made over $55,000 in grants since 2008, AACF is proving itself a powerful ally for both donors and nonprofits. “In a short period of time, AACF has built the infrastructure to help donors receive maximum benefit from their charitable gifts and leverage grants from other foundations into the community,” said Delene Porter, AACF President/CEO.
“With technical assistance from Trinity Accounting Group and North Georgia Community Foundation, AACF has taken large steps forward organizationally,” Jones said. “AACF will be a resource for this and future generations.”
The Athens Area Community Foundation strives to turn donors’ charitable goals into permanent legacies; invest in our community through strategic grantmaking; and lead our community to a better future.
AACF is a 501(c)(3) public nonprofit serving Athens-Clarke, Oconee, Barrow, Madison, Oglethorpe, and Jackson Counties. AACF is a member of the Southeastern Council of Foundations and the Council on Foundations.