The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to 66 area nonprofits serving Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties. These grants are focused on the five priorities identified in our 10-year strategic plan: Thriving Communities, Regional Cooperation, Overcoming Persistent Poverty, Equity and Inclusion, and Economic Opportunity for All. (Explore our Priority Areas.)
The grants are made possible by discretionary funds entrusted to the Foundation by generations of donors with additional support coming from current Donor Advised Fundholders through the Community Foundation’s Giving Together program.
Grants that will benefit the Greater Birmingham area include:
Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission, $75,000 over 2 years to support construction of a year-round Emergency Plus Shelter in Birmingham, expanding the Mission’s current seasonal warming station into a permanent facility. The 9,431-square-foot shelter will provide safe, dignified housing for up to 100 individuals per night, including two family rooms, and will offer on-site medical, dental, and mental health services along with case management to connect guests with housing, employment, and longer-term programs. The Mission has served Birmingham’s homeless population since 1944 and operates three existing facilities across the region.
Alabama Moving Image Association dba Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, $50,000 to
support the expansion of the Sidewalk Film Center, adding two micro-cinemas, a classroom, flex space, and an exterior blade sign. The project will add 4,300 square feet of public-facing arts space and double the center’s screening capacity. The expanded facility is expected to serve 20,000 attendees, 200 students, and 300 filmmakers annually.
Whole Hearts Incorporated, $10,000 to support the Community Heart Saver Stations initiative, establishing three to four strategically placed outdoor stations equipped with AEDs, Narcan, signage, emergency action plans, and solar-powered flood lights in high-traffic public areas such as parks and recreation spaces. Founded in 2024, the organization has already impacted over 100 youth and families through pilot events and expects to reach thousands of community members across Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties.
TechBirmingham Foundation, $12,000 to support the restructuring and growth of the
Birmingham Tech Council, a regional collaboration aligning tech employers, training providers,
and early-career tech talent. Funding will sustain four core initiatives: quarterly large group
meetings, Tech Connects networking mixers, an Employer Community of Practice, and quarterly sync-up meetings for young adults. The program connects approximately 30 tech employers, 80 early-career professionals ages 18–29, and 6 training providers.
Miles College Community Development Corporation, $50,000 over 2 years to sustain economic development capacity in West Jefferson County as federal funding concludes. Funding retains a credentialed economic development practitioner serving Fairfield, Brighton, and Midfield to conduct community needs assessments, prepare competitive grant applications, and advance a residential redevelopment pipeline through a Habitat for Humanity partnership. MCCDC has previously mobilized $101.4 million in capital across nine projects, serving approximately 18,100 residents across the three municipalities.
Read the full list of grantees here.
The Community Foundation has two grantmaking cycles each year. The Fall 2026 Competitive Grant Cycle will open July 27.