Five Montgomery area nonprofits seek support in A Community Thrives grant competition

Bright and early Saturday morning, members of the nonprofit Pounds of Care began setting up on the corner of West Fred Gray Avenue and Lucy Street.

It was the first time they had done an event like this, which was a way to get the word out about their affordable homes initiative and the launch party to kick off the crowdfunding phase of the Gannett Foundation’s annual A Community Thrives grant program.

Eight Alabama non-profits are participating in this phase of the program, which will run until Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Each group is given a website where donations can be accepted and marketing assistance to learn how to raise money using online campaigns even after the A Community Thrives crowdfunding period ends.

More than $2 million in grants are available from the Gannett Foundation. The foundation is affiliated with Gannett Corp. Inc., parent company of the Montgomery Advertiser, the Tuscaloosa News and the Gadsden Times.

Nonprofits that raise the most for their tiers will be selected to get incentive grants. Bonus challenge grants are also in play for organizations that want to compete.

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Pounds of Care is collaborating with Westside Wood Works, an organization created to provide men with the tools to support themselves and their families. The two organizations are renovating, restoring and building new homes in the area from Hill Street to Oak Street at Fred Gray Avenue for the 60th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March in 2025. Starting with the plot of land their event was on Saturday, they plan to build 10-12 homes in the initial phase of the project.

The money raised through the A Community Thrives program will be used to help renovate and restore the homes that are already in the area, as well as helping the organizations get a plant to help with the manufacturing and training of 30 employees to build the houses with Westside Wood Works.

Donate to Pounds of Care here.

Meet the other Montgomery-area nonprofits participating in A Community Thrives:

Hope Inspired Ministries

Hope Inspired Ministries serves chronically unemployed people by preparing and equipping them to obtain, maintain and excel at employment. HIM attempts to teach people to overcome and eliminate barriers to working, like addiction, mental health, lack of identification or transportation. Right now, HIM packs up all of their students into six cars to go to events at one of their other campuses. They are raising money to get three vans, one for each site, to better provide transportation to events, facilities, or even a doctor appointment, if clients needed it.

Donate to HIM here.

Destiny Driven Inc.

Destiny Driven Inc. is a debate league that helps Montgomery young people by cultivating leadership, civil engagement and self-esteem. The organization uses speech and debate to nurture leadership and academic growth. This year, they hope the grant and fundraising funds will pay for a four-week youth leadership summit, at which each participant would get a stipend for participating each day. Destiny Driven also won the grant in 2020 and used the money to take their cohort to 12 debates — three national, four state, and some city debates.

Donate to Destiny Driven Inc. here.

Lord Saving Many Solutions Inc.

Lord Saving Many Solutions hopes to lift program participants from poverty or low-income situations and help them to become financially independent. The organization offers transitional housing, virtual learning and wellness and nutritional programs. The grant money would be used to continue to house and feed those in need.

Donate to Lord Saving Many Solutions Inc. here.

Starting Point Inc.

Starting Point Inc. was founded in 2014 as a resource center for women who were released from prison. Its founder, Betty Washington, said that she found that women who were coming out of prison didn't have anywhere to go, with limited places in Montgomery to stay, while some were also fighting for custody of their children. Starting Point provides transitional housing for women, and Washington is working on a collective cohort to teach soft skills, leadership, and professional development workshops.

Donate to Starting Point here.

Several other organizations in Alabama are participating in A Community Thrives: Freedom Farm Inc. in Northport, the Humane Society Pet Rescue and Adoption Center in Gadsden and Morgan County Humane Society in Hartselle.

Previous Alabama grant recipients

• Hope Inspired Ministries, $10,000

• Montgomery Habitat for Humanity, $2,500

• New Beginnings Educational Center, $2,500

Destini Ambus is a news intern for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama nonprofits seek support in grant competition