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| Message From The Foundation CEO | | | Alvertha Penny
It is hard to believe 12 months have already passed since I joined The Community Foundation of South Alabama. I continue to be amazed and inspired by the number of good things that have been accomplished by the Foundation in our communities.
We recently held 17 forums across the eight counties of South Alabama, from Butler to Bayou La Batre. Based on the findings from these community listening sessions, our discretionary grantmaking efforts have been redesigned to focus on four key areas: arts, civic engagement, economic opportunity, and health and wellness.
Two new program initiatives have been launched to target areas of unmet needs identified by the community. To support at-risk youth, the Foundation introduced a three-year initiative that focuses on increasing the ability of young males to make positive lifestyle choices. We also created the Social Impact Initiative to strengthen our communities through advocacy for positive improvements in the areas of environmental, social, economic, and racial justice.
Over the past year, the Foundation has secured more than $3.9 million in grants from national and regional funders to enhance its work and the efforts of our nonprofit partners in the areas of economic opportunity, disaster preparedness, and recovery. The region continues to face enormous challenges as a result of Hurricane Katrina, the economic recession, and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Our fundraising efforts have been focused on providing the resources necessary for community recovery and improved long-term resiliency.
The composition of our Board is also evolving. Representing suburban and rural areas, and the business sector, five new members are bringing a wealth of experience and fresh ideas to the Foundation. Last week we held a Board retreat, which provided a valuable opportunity for our Board members and staff to engage in strategic conversations that will help guide our future direction.
If you have suggestions about how the Foundation can continue to improve our local communities, please provide us with your ideas. |
| 2011 Annual Report | | Available Online
The Community Foundation of South Alabama is pleased to announce the availability of the 2011 Annual Report. 
Download the PDF Copies are available upon request. |
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| Student Paintings For Sale To Benefit Southwest Alabama Regional School For The Deaf And Blind | | Foundation Grant Supports Multi-Sensory Room
The Community Foundation of South Alabama Youth Grant Allocation Board awarded a grant to the Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind to help fund a new multi-sensory room that will provide therapy for multi-disabled students.
To raise additional money needed to complete the multi-sensory room, the School is selling paintings created by the students. The young artists are partially or completely deaf, but they don't need to hear the sounds of the ocean to paint marine life and lighthouses on black tar paper. Words become unnecessary as their imaginations bring to life crabs, shrimp, jellyfish, catfish, and squid. The paintings are a fundraiser that will help improve the quality of life for many students at the Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind. Most of the students at the School are deaf, blind, or both, and have learning barriers that require specialized stimulation. The multi-sensory room helps students relax and learn in an indoor playground of colors, movement, lights, and sound. Each of the learning stations provide the children with sensory experiences that are normally underused or dormant. The Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind provides educational and support services to children from three to five years of age with hearing or vision loss in Mobile County Public Schools and surrounding areas. |
| Foundation Remembers Dora Finley For Service | | |
Dora Alice Franklin Finley
The Community Foundation of South Alabama mourns the loss of Board member, Dora Finley. She served on the Board of Directors of the Foundation since 2008 and will be remembered for her tireless devotion as a community volunteer and leader.
 Dora Alice Franklin Finley was an active volunteer and advocate for historic preservation. She was a native of Mobile, Alabama, and leaves behind an incredible legacy of preserving the African-American history of the city. Ms. Finely was a member of the East Church Street Historic District Neighborhood Association, the African-American Heritage Trail Committee, the Mobile Historic Development Commission, and served on the Advisory Board for the Historic Mobile Preservation Society. |
| Community Foundation Seeks Director Of Development | | | Applications Due By July 13, 2012
The Community Foundation of South Alabama is seeking a director of development.
The director of development plays a pivotal role in the growth of the Foundation and is responsible for oversight of all new fund development, securing gifts to increase the Foundation endowment, and maintaining excellent donor relations.
Major responsibilities include development, planning and strategy, donor operations, and Board relations. Knowledge of the full range of deferred giving vehicles and the tax laws as they relate to Alabama and Federal charitable giving is required. A Juris Doctorate with related legal experience in estate planning and trust management is required. Read more... |
| Foundation Grant Helps HandsOn South Alabama Make Community Impact | | |
Grant Made Possible By Fund For Gulf Communities,
A Program Of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
HandsOn South Alabama received a grant from The Community Foundation of South Alabama to support the expansion of its services into Baldwin County, and to help nonprofit organizations impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill with volunteer recruitment and project management services.
The project supports organizations in Baldwin County that are assisting low-income families, those with limited English language skills, and distressed individuals that have been impacted by the oil spill and economic downturn.
The influx of grant funding has allowed HandsOn South Alabama to make a huge impact in our community: more than 28,650 adults and children have received basic social services; over 9,000 cases have been managed through Prodisee Pantry and the Community Action of South Alabama; and approximately 10,000 volunteers have been trained to be field observers through the Alabama Coastal Foundation. 
A "Be Ready to Respond Disaster" training workshop, hosted by HandsOn South Alabama, was held in early June at American Red Cross Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter in Mobile. More than 40 participants from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas attended the training workshop and were subsequently recruited as volunteers. |
| Join The Community Foundation | | Help Improve The Quality Of Life In South Alabama
The Community Foundation was created by visionary philanthropists who wanted to support the community beyond their lifetimes. Charitable gifts are pooled together and used to improve the quality of life in South Alabama. We serve as the vessel for community leaders, corporations, and volunteers to share ideas, identify issues, and build the financial resources necessary to make improvements and positively impact our community. Join us and make an investment in your future. Read more... |
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