Juneau Community Foundation awards $2.47 million to local social service nonprofits
CBJ contributes Social Service Funds and Utility Waivers
The Juneau Community Foundation has awarded $2,475,781 in grants to local nonprofit organizations and programs following several months of a collaborative effort to identify priority social service needs and gaps. Since 2015, the Juneau Hope Endowment/CBJ Social Service Grant process has provided over $17 million in grants to support areas of greatest need.
These grants help Juneau’s most vulnerable residents, by supporting local nonprofits that assist people who are homeless, food insecure, victims of domestic violence, have substance abuse disorders, experience mental or physical health issues, and organizations that provide suicide prevention and care for senior citizens. These funds also support adult education, income stability, and hospice.
This year almost half the funding is focused on preventing and assisting those experiencing homelessness. Grants have been provided to The Glory Hall/Housing First, AWARE, Gastineau Human Services, Family Promise of Juneau, and Shéiyi X̱aat Hit
Youth Shelter and Transitional Living to provide housing. In addition, funding given to Alaska Legal Services, United Human Services, Disability Law Center, the community navigator program, and Alaska Housing Development Corporation will be used to assist those who experience homelessness and to prevent individuals and families currently housed from becoming homeless.
Grant awards were determined based on local nonprofit social service priorities, interviews and conversations with agencies applying for funds, review of applications by the Foundation’s Professional Advisory and Grants Committee, input from other Alaska funders, and final grant approval by the board of the Foundation.
“Our Professional Advisory Committee includes individuals who are experts in social service issues in Juneau and other Alaska funders. We were able to provide $2.47 million in grants to fund the highest priorities due to the cooperative efforts of the City & Borough of Juneau and the Foundation,” reported Reed Stoops, Grants Committee Chair.
Funding comes from the Juneau Community Foundation’s Hope Endowment Fund and other funds of the Foundation ($1,171,031) and the City & Borough of Juneau’s Social Service Funds ($1,304,750). In addition, the CBJ Utility Waiver Program provides $47,500 in utility waivers to nonprofits that house people as part of their mission.
The Juneau Hope Endowment Fund was established in 2014 and is managed by the Juneau Community Foundation to provide social service grants on an annual basis. The Foundation provides a combined grant process that includes CBJ Social Service Grants. “Uniting these funding sources with others in our community provides one grant process to support people living in Juneau,” stated Amy Skilbred, Executive Director.
For more information or ways to support social services, contact Amy Skilbred at 907-523-5450 or amy@juneaucf.org. A list of grantees, programs, and grant amounts can be found here.
