Impact Alabama taps into the power of talented college graduates as leaders and into a new kind of service-learning opportunity for college students to help children see better, help people in poverty get tax benefits and prepare high school students for opportunities to gain scholarships. These are the benefits of Impact Alabama, created in 2004 by Stephen Black to to address a variety of challenges across our state.

All the programs, called FocusFirst, SaveFirst, SpeakFirst and a new CollegeFirst initiatives (designed to help students with Advanced Placement studies), are led by recent graduates, working one or two years and receiving only a small stipend. Most go on to graduate or professional studies, taking with them an amazing leadership experience, as well as the commitment and connections to improving their communities throughout their lives, according to Impact Alabama Executive Director Sarah Louise Smith.

Top quality graduates get the chance to put their skills to work, directing students who put hundreds of thousands of hours toward making a difference in the lives of so many people. Your Community Foundation has been proud to support this effort with grant dollars made possible by other committed individuals, the donors who have contributed to our work over so many years.