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The Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services Announces 2024 Grants
The Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is pleased to announce its 2024 grants, awarding a total of $69,200 to companion animal (dogs, cats, and horses) nonprofit organizations, serving Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, and Walker counties. Since 2011, the Remy Fund has awarded over $649,000 in grants.
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Reflecting on 15 Years: Women’s Breast Health Fund
Anyone who’s ever been affected by breast cancer knows that the impact of cancer lasts long after active treatment ends. A cancer diagnosis and the treatments that follow can have long term effects on the patient’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and can have a lasting impact on the survivor’s family too.
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Why Past President Kate Nielsen Still Partners with the Community Foundation to Give Back
Sheila Blair (right) became the first paid Executive Director of the Community Foundation in 1992. Mimi Tynes (left), the Foundation’s first Program Director, became Executive Director in 1998 (she passed away in April 2024); and Kate Nielsen (center), the Foundation’s first development officer in 1995, served as President from 2000-2013. When Kate Nielsen retired at the end of 2013 from her position as president of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, she worried about losing touch with her community. For more than 13 years she’d had her finger on the pulse of the needs of Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker counties. Now that she was stepping away from her post, she wondered how she could continue to make a difference. Then she realized that even though she was no longer at the helm of the Community Foundation, she could still make an impact through the organization. And she does that through a Donor Advised Fund.
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Creating Economic Impact Through the Arts: Q&A with Dani Parmar of InToto Creative Arts
In 2023, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham awarded an $8,000 grant to InToto Creative Arts to help support the work the organization does with the men from Firehouse Ministries Homeless Shelter and the women and children of Pathways. Each week, InToto offers a variety of art opportunities at both locations, including classes in visual arts, creative writing, theater, music, and movement. Several of the program participants have the chance to generate income with their talents by selling pieces of art or receiving stipends for performances.
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Community Foundation Awards $1.51 million in Grants
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has awarded $1,511,000 in grants to 48 area nonprofits serving Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties. These grants are focused on the five priorities identified in our strategic plan: Thriving Communities, Regional Cooperation, Overcoming Persistent Poverty, Equity and Inclusion, and Economic Opportunity for All.
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Changing the Narrative of Mental Health Care in Alabama
In May 2024, Forbes Advisor used seven key metrics to compare all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to determine which states are worst for mental health care. Alabama came in third worst. Unfortunately, Alabamians are accustomed to headlines like this about our state.
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2024 Greenways Bus Tour: The People Behind the Preserves
Communities play a pivotal role in preserving and acquiring land for green spaces, ensuring that areas like the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, and Ruffner Mountain thrive rather than disappear. Without the dedication and action of individuals and groups advocating for conservation, these natural havens could easily succumb to development pressures. Through grassroots efforts, fundraising, and lobbying, people champion the protection of such spaces, recognizing their intrinsic value for biodiversity, recreation, and mental well-being. Consequently, these places become sanctuaries for wildlife, oases for relaxation, and educational resources for future generations, all thanks to the active involvement of people who understand the importance of safeguarding our natural heritage.
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Woven Together: What It Takes To End Poverty
Frank discussion. Diverse views. Solutions that can move us forward. In our continued learning series that seeks to bridge divides and build solutions, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, in collaboration with American Enterprise Institute (AEI), will present Woven Together: What It Takes to End Poverty at 6 p.m. May 6, 2024, at Red Mountain Theatre, 1600 3rd Ave. S. in Birmingham. This robust discussion will feature two former members of the presidential administrations of Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump.