Grants That Make a Difference
Profiles in this archive may become incorrect over time.
"Grants that Make a Difference" highlights grants given to Southeastern organizations that have helped make a difference in people's lives. Getting the grant is only the beginning of the story. At least once a month, "Grants That Make a Difference" will profile these important grants and what their recipients are doing with them.
As part of a five-year, $2.5 million investment in positive youth
development in Muscogee County, Georgia, the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
has awarded $705,000 to three nonprofit organizations in Columbus. This initiative aims to
enrich the lives of the students and families associated with Marshall Middle School in
Columbus with improved services and academic programs.
At a community dinner at the Springer Opera House in Columbus in June, 2003, Knight Foundation
Board Chairman W. Gerald Austen awarded grants to the Muscogee County School District, the
United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley and Columbus State University. The foundation and its
partners will monitor and evaluate these programs throughout the five-year initiative, sharing
lessons learned with other schools and communities.
Knight awarded $245,000 to the Muscogee County School District to increase opportunities for
Marshall students to develop positive relationships with caring adults such as teachers,
parents and social service providers. The grant provides funding for a coordinator to plan and
monitor prospective after-school programs for the students.
The $85,000 grant to the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley will provide free enrollment in
summer activities for at least 150 Marshall students. These summer programs are provided by
eight Columbus agencies: YMCA, Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Club, Muscogee County Parks and
Recreation, the Urban League, Hands On Columbus, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Pastoral
Institute’s Servant Leadership Program.
A $375,000 grant to Columbus State University will allow the university to create a retention
program that links experienced mentors with new teachers making the adjustment to life in the
classroom. “Making sure teachers stay in the profession longer improves the quality of
education, especially at schools like Marshall Middle where academic performances on
standardized tests tend to be low,” said Susan Patterson, Knight’s community liaison program
officer in Columbus.
The decision to invest in this initiative followed a recommendation by the foundation’s
community advisory committee in Columbus. An eight-member group of local business, education
and nonprofit leaders, aided by research and local opinion, concluded that the foundation’s
resources would make the greatest impact by helping a school in a neighborhood where students
struggle in and out of the classroom.
These Knight Foundation grants are part of the foundation’s 29-year commitment to Columbus,
Georgia. The foundation maintains a funding relationship with 26 U.S. communities where the
Knight brothers owned and operated newspapers in their lifetimes.
Recipient Contact Information:
Recipient Name: Columbus State University
Address: 4225 University Ave
Columbus, Georgia 31907
Phone: 706-568-2001
URL: www.colstate.edu
Recipient Name: Muscogee County School District
Address: 1200 Bradley Drive
Columbus, Georgia 31901
Phone: 706-649-0500
URL: www.mcsdga.net
Recipient Name: United Way of Chattahoochee Valley
Address: 1100 Fifth Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901
Phone: 706-327-3255
Email: info@unitedwayofthecv.org
URL: www.unitedwayofthecv.org
Grantmaker Contact Information:
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Year Founded: 1950
Address: 1 Biscayne Tower, Suite 3800
2 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33131-1803
Phone: 305-908-2600
Email: publications@knightfdn.org
URL: http://www.knightfdn.org
The selection of organizations for the "Grants that Make a Difference" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size of funding programs to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.
If you'd like to see support for your organization featured in "Grants that Make a Difference," e-mail a detailed description of the grant, including the name and contact information of the funder and of your organization, the amount given, and how the grant made a difference. For your convenience, we have provided a template to follow. We welcome press releases in addition to, or as a substitute for, the information in the template.
Email the description or press release to atweb@fcncenter.org, with "Grants that Make a Difference" in the subject line.
Recipient Name:
Project Name:
Organization Mission and how it relates to the project:
Beneficiaries or Community Impact:
Funding Partner(s): (Grantmaker Names)
Grant Amount:
Recipient Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
Grantmaker Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
|
