Non-profits that feed the hungry, stand for children in court, and preserve history and culture have one thing in common. They're sharing nearly $200,000 in grants from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.
These are competitive annual grants so the foundation has a review committee that studies dozens of applications. They tell us award-winners are agencies small and large that ‘fill the gaps' in health care, human services, arts and education.
The Augusta Regional Dental Clinic is just over a week away from finishing a major expansion that doubles the number of exam rooms. Grant money will put 600 more young patients under the lights.
Augusta Regional Dental Clinic Director Margaret Hersh said, "it creates a dental home for children so they - if we can establish that they have dental issues in the schools - then they can be sent here for further treatment."
The clinic is among 36 agencies from the Augusta - Nelson region to earn grants from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge. They include Wintergreen Adaptive Sports, removing all barriers from fun. Rebuilding Together, making critical repairs for homeowners in need. And GRASP, which finds scholarship money for college-bound students.
GRASP Communications Director Karen Doran stated, "We realized that 55 percent of the students we've seen and worked with are going to be first-generation in their family to go to college."
The grant winners run the spectrum, and take home a few hundred to several thousand dollars. But there are common threads.
Community Foundation CEO Becky Kohler said, "Those opportunities that impact a lot more people, that utilize their resources well, that meet some true needs in the community."
These competitive grants are just part of the $800,000 the foundation hopes to return to the community this year.
Kohler stated, "Our vision is to give away a million dollars every year. We're not quite there, but we're getting there."
Each year these competitive grants, as well as scholarships and teacher awards, come from the community foundation's endowment. Private donations and careful investments have gradually built that fund. It took a hit during the recession, but is now up to $12-million.
