The Community Foundation inspires philanthropy and serves as a catalyst and connector for community impact.
The Community Focus Grants program, under the Opportunity to Thrive Initiative, offers one-year grants to local human service providers that assist individuals in transition towards self-sufficiency. Target populations include foster youth exiting the system, women leaving domestic violence shelters, families at risk of homelessness, individuals completing rehabilitation, and those re-entering the workforce. Funding criteria emphasize organizations with a case management relationship with their clients, ability to administer a hardship fund, low indirect administration rates, and capacity to leverage existing infrastructure. The fund prioritizes one-time assistance to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency, aiming to support as many individuals/families as possible with amounts up to $5,000, but not for ongoing living expenses.