Grantmakers in the News
September 1, 2002
Name: Alabama Giving Project
Year Founded: 2002
Contact Person: Jera Stribling, Coordinator
or Elizabeth Dennis, Research and Communications Assistant
Address: P.O. Box 530727 Birmingham, AL 35253-0727
Phone: 205-313-4901
E-mail: info@alabamagiving.org
URL: www.alabamagiving.org/index.asp
Name:Alabama Funders Forum
Year Founded: 2001
Contact Person: Bill Johnson
Address: P.O. Box 530727 Birmingham, AL 35253-0727
Phone: 205-313-4901
The Alabama Giving Project, a coalition of public and private foundations
from around the state, led by the Alabama Funders Forum, recently
received a grant from the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers.
The grant provides start-up funds for efforts to encourage the creation
of new foundations and corporate giving programs, increase new gifts to
existing funding organizations and market the value and importance of philanthropy.
Alabama consistently ranks among the top six states in the nation for
individual charitable giving, but its 550 grantmaking foundations represent only 6 percent
of the total number of foundations in the Southeastern region. The funding from the Forum
of RAGs was awarded from the Forum's New Ventures in Philanthropy initiative; it will enable
the Project to set up education programs; work with professional advisors such as accountants,
lawyers and clergy; and reach out to individuals, families, and corporations as potential
donors.
Jera Stribling, coordinator of the Alabama Giving Project and executive director of the
Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation, a partner in the Alabama Funders Forum, said,
"Alabama is a very generous state in terms of individual giving to charity. But we rank
near the bottom in terms of the number of foundations and other organized philanthropy. We
hope to educate the generous private and corporate donors in our state about the value of
what we can do together to increase philanthropy and about the many benefits of philanthropy
in terms of growth and the quality of life now and in the future."
"Giving is good for our state, communities and individuals," added Bill Johnson, chairman of
the Alabama Funders Forum and president of Alabama Power Foundation. "We know that there is
a great potential for growth in our state, and Alabama Giving is an important step in making
this growth happen."
In recent months, Alabama Giving has been working to implement two exciting new programs
developed by the Southeastern Council of Foundations
(SECF). The Project is
working closely with the Alabama Bar Association to provide them with a CLE course developed
by SECF to teach lawyers about philanthropy. The course is targeted at general practitioners.
Alabama Giving is also working with SECF to test the Philanthropy Index developed by the
Southern Philanthropy Consortium, a collaboration between the Southern Rural Development
Initiative, the Southeastern Council of Foundations and the Foundation for the Mid South.
The Philanthropy Index was developed as a tool for measuring philanthropic potential in
southern rural communities. It measures philanthropic potential by giving equal weight to
hard data and community leaders' perspectives. In August 2002, Alabama Giving is testing
the Index in a rural Alabama county.
Other partners in Alabama Giving include the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham,
Community Foundation of South Alabama, Central Alabama Community Foundation, Community
Foundation of Southeast Alabama, Calhoun County Community Foundation, Alabama Child Caring
Foundation, EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and Alabama Civil Justice Foundation.
The Alabama Funders Forum
started four years ago as a growing number of public and private foundations throughout the
state met to share information about philanthropy, discuss opportunities for collaboration
and identify challenges and issues facing their organizations. In 2001, these foundations
joined together formally as a statewide association of grantmakers dedicated to building and
strengthening organized philanthropy in Alabama. The Forum provides members with educational
resources to better their effectiveness as grantmakers, offers a regular venue for networking
and collaborative funding opportunities, and leverages collective influence to help shape
policy and to offer programs promoting philanthropy.
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