It's hard to know exactly what inspired our very first donors, Mervyn and Dorah Sterne, when they made possible the first grant ever from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham in December 1959. That grant of $100 to Fairhaven Methodist Retirement Home was the start of something big and, today, your Community Foundation has made more than $200 million in grants from more than 350 different kinds of grantmaking funds.

In December, our Board of Directors approved grants of $1.1 million to 63 nonprofit organizations across Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties. Click here for the full list.  That makes a total of $2.1 million in 2009 from Community Funds to 136 nonprofits from our Community Funds, the flexible grantmaking funds established as part of your Community Foundation by donors who want to support forever the greatest needs and best opportunities to make life better in Greater Birmingham.

Many of those great needs in 2009 were for operating dollars, $184,700 to 19 nonprofits in the first round of Community Fund grants in May and another $426,000 to 28 nonprofits in December. Recipients ranged from KidOne Transport, SightSavers America, the Lovelady Center and Safehouse of Shelby County to Alabama Ballet and Birmingham Children’s Theatre.

“We responded to the tough economic climate by changing our grant guidelines for 2009 to consider applications for operating dollars,” said Senior Program Officer James McCrary. “We know our nonprofit partners are facing increased demands as well as reductions in support from traditional bases of support, such as donors and other foundations. Our Board made the decision to consider requests for operational dollars which are so vital in keeping our nonprofit support system strong."

In 2009, we were able to add more than $500,000 in additional grants from Advised Funds of the Community Foundation to the amounts awarded to area nonprofits through our competitive process. These dollars were committed by donor advisors who want to join in supporting the work of nonprofits whose grant applications have been vetted by Community Foundation staff and approved by our board.  Thanks to these active and engaged families and individuals, even more needs can be met for our whole community.

When students and parents learn English through the Communities Program at Guin Elementary School in Hoover, when teachers and administrators receive training in how to engage students more effectively, when Auntie Litter campaigns for Idle Free Zones during school pickup times, when St. Clair County parents participate in home-based abuse prevention programs, all these donors are part of making life better in greater Birmingham. You can join them with a gift to our Community Funds today or in the future, perhaps through a planned gift.

Learn more from Kathryn Corey, Director of Donor Relations, about how you can use your Advised Fund to participate in our Giving Together program, including site visits to organizations that you want to know more about. Contact Erin Stephenson about making a gift or use our secure on-line giving to donate now.

We are working already on more great opportunities to transform our community. And in another 50 years, who knows what we will be able to accomplish – together.