Friday deadline for Arizona nonprofits to raise funds for A Community Thrives grant consideration

Roxanne De La Rosa, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

Arizona nonprofits vying for a 2022 A Community Thrives grant have just a few days to raise enough matching funds for final round consideration.

The deadline is 6 p.m. Arizona time, Friday Aug. 12. 

Almost three dozen organizations made initial applications for Community Thrives grants. Their progress toward fundraising goals can be monitored at acommunitythrives.com.

A Community Thrives is the fundraising and grant-making initiative from the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of Gannett Co., Inc, which owns The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

List of applicants: See the full list of 2022 Arizona applicants here.

In 2021,16 Arizona nonprofits shared more than $333,000 in A Community Thrives grants.

Among them: south Phoenix's Liberty Wildlife, which received a $10,000 grant for a California Condor enclosure and new signage in English and Spanish. The group cares for rescued wild animals, conservation efforts and offers educational  programs for the public.

Another 2021 recipient, House of Refuge, received $4,700 towards the cost of utilities and maintenance of its transitional housing program. The Mesa-based nonprofit offers affordable housing and resources to struggling families with children.

Inside the donation center is a room filled with children's clothes for children of families coming into the House of Refuge in Mesa.
Inside the donation center is a room filled with children's clothes for children of families coming into the House of Refuge in Mesa.

A Community Thrives Grants can be awarded for specific projects or for general operating funds. Nonprofits must raise either $3,000 or $6,000 in matching funds to qualify for final consideration, depending on their size. This year's fundraising begins Monday, July 18, and ends Friday, Aug. 12. Grants are expected to be awarded in the fall.

Nationally, A Community Thrives expects to distribute $2.3 million this year. Past grants addressed a range of social issues, including homelessness, mental health care and girls' education. Since 2017, A Community Thrives has distributed $19 million in grants and donations to community-based organizations.

Search for participating Arizona nonprofits and donate at acommunitythrives..com.

Roxanne De La Rosa writes about Arizona nonprofits. Reach her at rdelarosa@azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona charities vie for up to $100,000, part of Republic-sponsored effort