Arizona Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Arizona Community Foundation manages charitable funds, donor-advised funds, impact investing funds, and scholarships serving the state of Arizona. Its main impact areas are arts and culture, community improvement and development, environment and sustainability, health innovations, quality education and sports and athletics.
IP TAKE: The Arizona Community Foundation is one of the largest funders in its area, with many of its grants in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and some even ranging into the millions. Like many community foundations, navigating its vast array of offerings can be daunting. ACF manages dozens of grantmaking, impact investing, and donor-advised funds, not all of them well-publicized or accepting applications. The foundation prefers to spread its funding around as broadly as possible, so grantseekers do not always receive the full amount requested, but with the deep pockets of a community foundation supplemented with a steady flow of donor funds, the grants it makes can still be quite substantial. Note that ACF’s philanthropy centers around the state of Arizona, so national organizations, even with branches operating in the state, will receive less priority than local grassroots nonprofits (although they may receive larger grants). Geographic eligibility may be further restricted for some of the funds ACF manages.
ACF is not the most transparent community funder. While it posts its financial statements, annual reports, and tax filings publicly, it does not maintain a comprehensive, searchable grants database. Due to the large number of offerings, when researching past grants it can be difficult to determine what fund it came from or what the foundation’s real grantmaking priorities and strategy are. It is somewhat accessible, as it accepts applications for some grants, but unsolicited proposals make up only a fraction of its total grantmaking, and the application window is often brief. As with many community foundations the best way to get on this funder’s radar for the highly sought-after invitation-only funding is diligent networking, especially with regional program officers in your area. According to some past grantees, ACF prefers to deal with high-level leadership rather than lowly proposal writers and program staff, so getting your CEO or other C-suites involved in the networking will be the best way to gain an advantage in the funding process.
PROFILE: Established in Phoenix in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) has over 1,600 separate charitable funds and has staff in six branch offices located in Cochise, Flagstaff, Gila Valley, Sedona, Yavapai County and Yuma. Its mission is to “lead, serve, and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better Arizona.” It also maintains a deep commitment to addressing inequality in Arizona through its funds and giving circles that support Asian-American, Black, Latino, LGBTQ and Native American Philanthropy. ACF takes a three-pronged approach to grantmaking. Grants go to support nonprofits, schools, tribal entities, government agencies, and faith-based organizations serving Arizona through one of the foundation’s impact areas. Within the grantmaking space, ACF offers three types: competitive grants that accept applications, discretionary grants that are by invitation only, and advised grants recommended by donor-advised funds. In addition to grants, Nonprofit Funds include donor-advised, reserve, and board-qualified funds to support the specific interests of donors. Finally, Impact Loans generally go to support the construction of affordable housing, as well as the building or expansion of facilities for use by nonprofits. ACF’s current Impact Areas are Arts & Culture, Community Improvement & Development, Environment & Sustainability, Health Innovations, Quality Education, and Sports & Athletics.
Grants for Arts & Culture
ACF’s Arts & Culture grantmaking funds “arts and culture projects that encourage creative expression and celebrate our state’s rich history and diversity.” The foundation frequently funds art museums, history museums, performing arts theaters, arts education in schools, youth outreach through the arts, and nonprofits that serve arts organizations in the area. The main source of funding for these grants is the Newton & Betty Rosenzweig Fund, which supports “work of individual artists, programs delivered by arts organizations, and capacity building within the arts sector,” prioritizing programs that have an impact statewide. Funding for these grants also comes from several regional funds affiliated with ACF, such as Cochise Arts & Culture Fund, Patagonia Creative Arts Association, Flagstaff Music Education Fund, Pickard Arts & Culture Fund, Sedona Arts Fund, and Yuma Arts & Culture Fund. Past grantees for arts and culture include Arizona Commission on the Arts, Heard Museum, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, Scottsdale Museum of the West, Phoenix Performing Arts Center, Fort Worth Art Association, and Museum of Art and Light.
Grants for Community Development and Economic Opportunity
ACF’s grants for Community Improvement & Development go to support “investments in affordable housing, economic success initiatives, and basic needs help to build stronger communities.” It also uses Impact Investing to provide zero- and low-interest loans to firms building affordable housing, community facilities, and capacity-building expansions for nonprofits. Statewide and regional grant and loan funds at the foundation include:
Affordable Housing Predevelopment Loan Fund: a statewide fund that provides zero-interest loans for affordable housing projects.
Arizona Housing Fund: A statewide fund that passes on 100% of donations to organizations building permanent, affordable housing.
Northern Arizona Housing Fund: a regional fund supporting housing-related nonprofits in Northern Arizona.
A Roof for All Fund: a regional fund that helps address “critical housing needs” in Sedona and Verde Valley.
Metro Phoenix Affordable Housing Collaborative Fund: a regional fund to support affordable housing projects in and around Phoenix.
Community Impact Loan Fund: a statewide fund to provide low-interest loans to community projects for “construction, renovation, and facility expansion.”
Rural Development Investment Fund: a statewide fund to provide “low-interest, short-term predevelopment financing for infrastructure projects” in rural communities.
Past grantees for community development include Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund, Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona, Habitat for Humanity, Central Arizona Shelter Services, Center for the Future of Arizona, Partnership for Economic Innovation, Prosper Foundation, and St. Joseph the Worker.
Grants for Environment and Climate Change
ACF’s grants for Environment & Sustainability support programs that “protect, preserve and responsibly manage Arizona’s natural resources.” The foundation gives to land and freshwater conservation, park and trail maintenance, sustainable agriculture and fishing, clean energy transition, environmental education for youth and adults, and other environmental concerns. Funding for these grants comes mainly from the Cochise Environmental Fund, Flagstaff Environmental Education Conservation Fund, and Greater Sedona Fund for the Environment. ACF also supports animal welfare and wildlife conservation through the Flagstaff Animal Welfare Fund and Sedona Animal Welfare Fund. Past grantees for environment and climate include Arizona Humane Society, McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network, Desert Botanical Garden, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation, and Arizona Historical Society.
Grants for Public Health and Science Research
ACF’s grants for Health Innovations support a variety of “projects and programs related to health, healthcare, medical research,” basic needs, and human services. The foundation frequently funds medical clinics, hospitals, hospices, health education programs, medical research, and disease-related nonprofits. Funding for these grants comes mainly from Cochise Health & Wellness Fund, Flagstaff Health Care Fund, Flagstaff Substance Abuse Prevention Fund, Sedona Health Care Fund, and Yuma Health Care Fund. Past grantees include the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pinnacle Prevention Corp, St. Joseph’s International, Hope 4 Kids, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, Hospice of the Valley, Payson Senior Center, Mayo Clinic, and Banner Health Foundation.
Grants for Education and Youth
ACF’s Quality Education grants support “early childhood, K-12, and higher education programs that benefit Arizona students as they prepare for success in life and work.” The three main regional funds for education are Cochise Life-Long Learning & Literacy Fund, Flagstaff Education Fund, and Flagstaff P-12 Educational Resources Fund. ACF also supports youth development through its Sports & Athletics impact area. The foundation’s Center for Sports Philanthropy is a special initiative to provide philanthropic outlets for retired professional athletes in Arizona. Funds in this area include Athletes for Arizona, which promotes “physical activity programming, education on healthy living, mental health education, and increased sports participation" in elementary and middle schools; Sports Fund of Arizona, which provides modest grants to youth sports programs statewide; and Arizona Athletic Trainers Initiative, which provides special athletic trainers to high school sports teams progressing to postseason play.
ACF also manages over 150 Scholarships for students graduating from Arizona high schools and/or attending university or trade school in Arizona. The foundation offers both merit-based and need-based scholarships with varying eligibility requirements, whether school-specific, demographic, or declared major. However, there is only one application form, and applicants will automatically be considered for any scholarship for which they are eligible.
IMPORTANT GRANT DETAILS:
ACF grants generally range from $20,000 to $200,000, vary widely based upon the program and origin of the funds, so giving to select grantees may range into the millions. ACF does not have an online grants database on its website, but grantseekers may review its Financial Statements and tax filings for more information on the types of organizations it supports.
ACF’s grantmaking centers around the state of Arizona. It sometimes makes grants to groups outside of the state from donor-advised or discretionary funds.
The majority of ACF’s grantmaking is discretionary or by invitation only, but it accepts applications for open grant opportunities posted on its website. Deadlines vary and the application window is typically open only for a short time.
Eligibility requirements and grant sizes vary depending on source of funding. ACF manages a wide range funds established with different philanthropic aims in mind. The decision-making process and committee may also vary by fund.
Grants from donor-advised funds are typically by invitation-only, but may be included in open calls for proposals.
ACF accepts applications for scholarships starting on January 1 each year and typically closing in April or May. ACF has one common application for scholarships and applicants will be automatically considered for any scholarships they are eligible for according to the personal information provided.
Grantseekers may apply for an impact loan by first submitting the intake form to determine eligibility.
Grantseekers may general questions to the staff at 602-381-1400 or info@azfoundation.org, or get in touch with a representative from a Regional Office to discuss local opportunities.
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