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Two diverse students working on their college coursework.

Scholarship application now open

Important update: Due to delays in the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information release timeline, the majority of scholarships with March deadlines have been extended to April 1 for this year only. The Arizona Community Foundation’s online scholarship portal is now accepting applications. These scholarships are available to students attending postsecondary schools…
grandmother and grandchild peer out a window

Giving Options for IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions

Written By: Jennifer Perry, CAP®, M.B.A., Interim Managing Director, Regional Team, ACF of Sedona As a philanthropic advisor, I spend most of my time helping individuals develop impactful ways to support causes they care about. This can involve helping them find charities in line with their interests. It also involves working with individuals and their…
Close-up photo on a blooming cholla.

Deanna Salazar and Curtiss Smith elected to the ACF Board of Directors

The Arizona Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently elected Deanna Salazar and Curtiss Smith to the board. These two new board members were elected during the board’s November meeting. “These individuals bring a significant amount of experience in all facets of business and philanthropy, including legal, healthcare, banking, board governance, human resources, and the nonprofit…
Headshot of Monica Brown wearing a navy jacket against a gray background

Monica Brown named Chief People Officer

The Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) is pleased to announce that Monica Brown will join ACF as its first Chief People Officer beginning January 16, 2024.  Brown comes to ACF after serving as The Cleveland Foundation’s Vice President, Human Resources, Building Operations & Guest Services. Monica spent over 16 years at The Cleveland Foundation (TCF) and,…
School children watching an assembly take place.

Athletes for Arizona: Empowering Communities Through Sports and Healthy Living

Through a groundbreaking partnership between three leading organizations, Athletes for Arizona is on a mission to make a profound impact on youth across the state. By delivering physical activity programming, promoting healthy living, and providing mental health education, Athletes for Arizona aims to increase sports participation for elementary and middle school students. Athletes for Arizona…
Yellow flowers in Arizona Desert

Tips to maximize tax benefits for year-end giving

By: Kimberly Kur, JD, CAP®, Chief Development Officer Partnering with ACF and engaging with your professional advisors at calendar year-end can help bring charitable goals to life while maximizing individual tax advantages for the tax year. Consider a bunching strategy. You can benefit from a charitable tax deduction by combining multiple years of intended gifts…
Building facade

Updated Report Provides Solutions to Improve Arizona’s Teacher Labor Market

The Arizona Community Foundation has partnered with the Steele Foundation to release an updated “Strengthening and Supporting the Teaching Job in Arizona” report, which provides an in-depth data analysis and policy scan of the labor market for educators in Arizona. This report builds on the findings of the 2018 report “Arizona State Funding Project: Addressing…
Textural image with snow and sandstone.

$26.2 million distributed between July 1 and September 30

The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors are pleased to announce grant and scholarship distributions for the second quarter of its fiscal year. Between July 1 and September 30, 2023, a total of $26,186,667 was awarded from funds of the Arizona Community Foundation and its six statewide regional offices in: Cochise, Flagstaff, the Gila Valley,…
ACF staff stand in front of a large check at Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff

ACF of Flagstaff grants over $1.3 million to local nonprofits

The Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff and funding collaborators awarded $1,363,086 in grants to northern Arizona nonprofit organizations at the annual Celebrating Flagstaff’s Nonprofit Organizations event on Thursday, August 17. This grantmaking wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of these collaborative donors: Cambium Wealth & Legacy Strategies Capstone Health Fund Erin & Tad Moore Charitable…
Textural image of Ponderosa Pine trees.

$25.3 million distributed between April 1 and June 30

The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors are pleased to announce grant and scholarship distributions for the first quarter of its fiscal year. Between April 1 and June 30, 2023, a total of $25,302,565 was awarded from funds of the Arizona Community Foundation and its six statewide regional offices in: Cochise, Flagstaff, the Gila Valley,…
Woman planning for year-end giving season.

Benefits of Working with a Community Foundation

Written by: Jennifer Perry, CAP®, M.B.A., Interim Managing Director, Regional Team, ACF of Sedona A question I get asked frequently is: “Why would I work with a community foundation for my charitable giving versus giving directly to a charity?”  The answer can have many facets depending on each individual donor. But there are three main…
Desert Mountain golf course photo.

2023-2024 Desert Mountain Foundation Scholars

We are pleased to announce our 2023-24 scholarship recipients! In March, our Scholarship Committee reviewed and scored all submitted applications, and then interviewed each applicant. The Committee discussed the merit of each student and reviewed their recommendations with our Advisory Board for approval. These 17 students have been awarded $97,500, which was paid directly to…