The Juneau Community Foundation proudly announces the allocation of $2,880,700 in grants to 21 local nonprofit organizations and programs. These grants, resulting from extensive collaboration and assessing needs within the Juneau community, aim to address critical social service needs and bridge existing gaps.
Since its inception in 2015, the Juneau Hope Endowment/CBJ Social Service Grant process has provided over $20.4 million in grants, underlining the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to supporting the most pressing needs in our community.
Funding comes from the Juneau Community Foundation’s Hope Endowment Fund and other funds of the Foundation, amounting to $1,076,830, alongside the City & Borough of Juneau’s Social Service Funds contribution of $1,803,900. Additionally, the CBJ Utility Waiver Program provides $47,500 in utility waivers to nonprofits that house vulnerable populations as part of their mission.
Amy Skilbred, Executive Director of the Foundation, emphasized the significance of the grant allocation process, “Identifying needs, developing projects, and awarding grants are vital steps that foster collaboration among nonprofits and ensure their long-term sustainability. Many organizations rely on a combination of earned revenue, donations, and grants to operate, and we’re privileged to support their invaluable work in our community.”
The grants target diverse services, assisting Juneau’s most vulnerable residents. These include support for individuals experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, domestic violence, substance abuse disorders, mental or physical health issues, as well as programs focusing on suicide prevention, senior care, adult education, and income stability.
Much of the funding is directed towards preventing and assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. Grantees such as the Juneau Housing Collaborative dba The Glory Hall, AWARE, Gastineau Human Services, St. Vincent de Paul, Family Promise of Juneau, and Shéiyi X̱aat Hit Youth Shelter and Transitional Living are entrusted with providing housing solutions. Furthermore, support extends to organizations such as Alaska Legal Services, United Human Services, Disability Law Center, the community navigator program, and Alaska Housing Development Corporation to assist those who experience homelessness and to aid individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless.
This year the Foundation awarded funds to a program that is new to Juneau, adapted from a Kinship Navigator model that has succeeded in other parts of Alaska and the country. The Kin Support Program – Haa Yaitx’u Saiani provides culturally-based services to extended families not currently a part of the formal foster care system. These families have decided on their own that having relatives care for a child is the best and safest arrangement for a child whose parent is struggling.
Program Co-Director Holly Handler expressed appreciation for the Foundation’s award and added, “Our program is excited to collaborate with Spruce Root, a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution, to expand the support available to grandparents, aunties, uncles, and other family members who step up to protect kids in our community every day.”
Grant awards were determined based on local nonprofit social service priorities, interviews with applying agencies, thorough review of applications by the Foundation’s Professional Advisory and Grants Committees, input from other Alaska funders, and final grant approval by the Foundation’s board.
The Juneau Hope Endowment Fund was established in 2014 and is managed by the Juneau Community Foundation to provide annual social service grants. The Foundation’s combined grant process incorporates CBJ Social Service Grants to maximize impact and efficiency.
A detailed list of grantees, programs, and grant amounts can be found here.
