| Seven Organizations Receive Funding |
| Alexandria, Minn. – The Alexandria Area Community Foundation (AACF) announced today that $60,800 has been awarded to local programs through the Ruth McDonald Fund and “Difference Maker” grant rounds. The “Difference Maker” grant round supports community initiatives that will bring about positive change to our community and supports programming in the focus areas of education, social services, health, arts & culture and civic. Recipients of the “Difference Maker” grants were as follows:$15,000 to support the Hope Haven project through the United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties.$13,000 to provide operational support and staffing as the Alexandria Area YMCA explores partnership opportunities with the Alexandria Senior Center.$10,000 to support the Home Care and Repair Program through West Central Communities Action, Inc.$5,000 to support emergency financial resources for victims and survivors of crime and abuse in Douglas County through Someplace Safe Douglas Advocacy Office.$5,000 to Safe Families for Children – West Central Minnesota which provides services and support to children and families who are in need. The Ruth McDonald Fund grant round supports health and wellness programming in the Alexandria area, especially for the health needs of people in poverty. Recipients of the Ruth McDonald grants were as follows:$5,000 to the Central Minnesota Elder Network to support their work of providing companionship and friendship to elders in our community;$5,000 to Safe Families for Children to keep children safe and families intact.$2,800 to the Village Family Service Center for the Girls 360 Degrees Group which educates girls on topics relevant to a female adolescent’s life to promote healthy living, positive mental health and responsible lifestyles;A.J. Koewler, Executive Director of the Alexandria Area Community Foundation, stated, “These projects are supporting the overall well-being of our community in a variety of different ways. It is through the collective philanthropic effort of many that we are able to make these grants and work towards a better future for our community.” The Alexandria Area Community Foundation (AACF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Alexandria area. Since 1992, AACF has grown to over $6.8 million in assets and awarded over $7.5 million in grants to nonprofits. The AACF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of many community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,000 funds totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Alexandria. |