WACF announces Fall 2024 grant recipients | News

Fall’s grant recipients include the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, American Cancer Society, Alabama Symphonic Association, Arthritis Foundation, Awakening Life Church, The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, Better Basics, Bevill State Community College, Birmingham Corps, Black Warrior Council, Camp McDowell, Children’s of Alabama, Curry Volunteer Fire & Rescue, The Foundry Ministries, Glenwood, HARTT, The Healing House, Hope For Women, Laura Crandall Brown Foundation, Mission of Hope, Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center, The Recovery Den, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama, Sight Savers America, Smile-A-Mile, Walker County Arts Alliance, Walker County Humane Society, Wild Alabama and the Winston County Rescue Squad.

“The Walker Area Community Foundation will never be solely focused on education, healthcare, the arts or any single interest, because our grantmaking will always be attentive to the greatest needs and opportunities in our community,” Paul Kennedy, president of the Foundation, said in the newsletter.

Grants were provided through the following funds: Amy Bette Salter Fund; Aubrey Lea Gates Fund; Bankhead Fund; Cannon Family Fund; Community Fund; Crump Family Fund; Don Drummond Family Fund; Drummond, Thorne Stukes Fund; Haig Wright III Fund; KUB Philanthropic Fund; Larry Drummond Family Fund; Matthew and Ashley Laird Fund; Molly Wright Ruble Fund; Oliver Wright Fund; Pinnacle Bank Donor Advised Fund; Patrick and Debbie Drummond Fund; Pam and Kevin Callahan Family Fund; Rotary Club of Jasper Fund; Reed Family Fund; Rebekah L. Black Fund; Samuel Lee Smith Advised Fund; Terri Drummond Lyon Fund; the Tony and Tammy Smith Family Fund; the Clyde “Sappo” Black Family Fund; Steve, Karen and Caitlin Hudson Fund; Dr. Bobby T. & Betty Hooks Underwood Fund; Jackson Family Fund; Laura & David Ulz Family Fund; and the WAWB Fund.

The Collective of the Walker Area Community Foundation — a group of younger leaders in the area — also awarded $118,296 to the following organizations during a Collective Giving Event on Nov. 12, 2024: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham, Black Warrior Council, The Bridge Educational Philanthropy, City of Cordova, HARTT, Jasper City Schools, The Literacy Council of Central Alabama, The Lovelady Center, Main Street Alabama, Sight Savers America, Walker County Children’s Advocacy Center, Walker County Community Action Agency, and the Walker County Department of Human Resources.

A statement on the back of the newsletter reads, “If you do a little research, you will learn it takes a population of at least 100,000 people to build a successful Community Foundation. The area around Walker County has proven the research wrong. Over the last 30 years, we have received more than $158 million in gifts and granted over $57 million to nearly 500 nonprofits serving our community. Simple math says we should only have $101 million left in assets. Again, reality outperforms the ‘should be.’ Today, the total assets of your Community Foundation exceed $132 million.”

You may learn more about supporting the Foundation’s efforts by visiting wacf.org.