• The Philip A Morris Fund for the Design Arts: Building a Better Birmingham

    Kathryn Harbert and Philip Morris at Railroad Park Anyone who has ever enjoyed an afternoon with family and friends at Railroad Park, a place often called Birmingham’s living room, has Philip A. Morris to thank for those memorable moments. Though not a trained designer, Morris was a visionary. He not only served on the planning committee for Railroad Park but also for Linn Park and Red Mountain Park. He was chair of Operation New Birmingham (now REV Birmingham), Birmingham Historical Society, and Mountain Brook Villages Design Review Committee. He was co-chair of the Vulcan Park renovation planning committee and served on the boards of the Vulcan Park Foundation, Birmingham Botanical Society, and Friends of Linn Park. He was also a founding board member of Design Alabama and Horizon 280 Association.

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  • Giving Together, Growing Together

    Each year, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham receives an increasing number of applications for our spring and fall grant cycles, and existing funds are never enough to cover all the grants approved. So, in 2008, the Giving Together program was born to accompany the grant cycles.

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  • The Legacy of June Fletcher

    June Fletcher Throughout her life, June L. Fletcher built a legacy that extended far beyond dollars and donations. “Whatever she did, she gave it 150 percent,” said Carol Dynesius of her sister, who passed away on Jan. 30, 2025.  

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  • 15 Years of the Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services

    The Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, in its 15th year of grantmaking, awarded a record $90,500 to nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of animals, and the humans they touch, in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, and Walker counties. 

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  • A Legacy of Giving, A Legacy of Love

    Christopher Nanni and Edward Osborne Over the past few months, Edward Osborne visited the offices of various organizations across Birmingham and beyond on a mission to carry out the legacy of Edward J. Ott, his grandfather. Included in these visits was a stop at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, where he presented a donation. 

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  • Collaboration Over Competition: Central Alabama Riverkeepers

    While some nonprofits may feel they need to compete with nearby peer organizations, three Central Alabama Riverkeeper organizations have experienced firsthand the power of collaboration. 

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  • The Story Behind the Lilly and Miles Oldham Thompson Fund

    When Ann Oldham talks about her daughter Lilly, she doesn’t dwell on the disease that cut Lilly’s precious life short or the pain that Lilly endured during her 10 years because of sickle cell disease. Instead, Oldham remembers how much Lilly loved learning and gardening and the bond Lilly had with her twin brother Miles. 

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  • Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services awards $90,500 in grants 

    The Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is pleased to announce its 2025 grants, awarding a total of $90,500 to companion animal (dogs, cats, and horses) nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of animals and the humans they touch in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, and Walker counties.   

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  • Women Helping Women: A Giving Circle

    When The Women’s Network — a membership group for professional women in Birmingham — voted to disband in 2022, its members were committed to finding a new way to carry on the organization’s mission of empowering women and girls in Jefferson County. They found a way to do just that by using the group’s remaining assets to start a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. With that, The Women’s Network Giving Circle was born.  

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  • Funding the Fix for Pet Overpopulation  

    Chances are, you’ve seen heart-wrenching television commercials of mistreated and malnourished cats and dogs that need to be rescued. While Ernie Hester believes getting those animals the help they need is important, he wants to do more. Hester wants to help prevent animal neglect, and he believes one way to do this is to curb overpopulation. 

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