Posted on May 28, 2011

Community Foundation Update (5/28/11)

Arkansas

The Fort Smith Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Little Rock-based Arkansas Community Foundation, has named Susan Krafft as its new executive director, succeeding Darrel Cunningham, who is retiring.

California

Mexican Heritage Corporation, the nonprofit producer of the San Jose Mexican Heritage and Mariachi Festival, has announced financial support for its arts programming and arts education programs from several sources, including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the TomKat Foundation, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The grant from the community foundation will support a residency for Maestro Rene Gonzalez Lopez, who will create dance scenes for the ballet folklorico by Los Lupeņos de San Jose.

Florida

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in West Palm Beach has announced $730,000 in scholarships to 106 area students. The scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $30,000, were awarded based on test scores, grade transcripts, written applications, interviews, and personal recommendations.

Louisiana

To assist people continuing to recover from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced the launch of the Fund for Gulf Communities. With a long-term goal of enhancing the resiliency of Gulf Coast communities, the fund has made grants to six regional organizations working with groups in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Recipients include the Greater New Orleans Foundation; the Community Foundation of Acadiana in Lafayette; the Gulf Coast Community Foundation in Venice, Florida; the Mobile-based Community Foundation of South Alabama; Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida; and the Greater Escambia Community Foundation in Pensacola.

Massachusetts

The Watertown Community Foundation has awarded twelve grants totaling $45,600, the Watertown Patch reports. Recipients include the Arsenal Center for the Arts, Community Safe Routes to School, the Watertown Family Network, and Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety.

Missouri

The Springfield-based Community Foundation of the Ozarks has announced the creation of the Joplin Recovery Fund in partnership with its Joplin-Carthage area affiliate, the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri. The fund, which the community foundation seeded with a $10,000 grant, will support nonprofit organizations serving the Joplin area as they work to assist residents affected by the monster tornado that flattened a portion of the town on May 24, killing 116 people and leaving hundreds more homeless. Because of the many agencies already on the ground working to address needs such as food and shelter, the fund will not be used to assist residents with emergency needs.