There were many smiling faces at the Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation’s Spring Reveal on May 19, and at least 24 of them belonged to the representatives from the 24 causes supported by the foundation’s $43,000 in 2016 grant awards.
There were the usual strong contributions to local schools supporting a variety of programs and initiatives like music, art, environmental education, as well first-time grants for language, special education and school community-building efforts.
Other first time grantees included a locally grown organization, Chalkboard Commons, which is planning an event series to showcase the rich diversity of knowledge in St. Anthony Park and match learning providers with interested audiences.
Shakespeare also got his due with a grant to support a summer workshop and performance, and Known By Heart received support to create writing workshops for older adults in our area.
According to grants committee chair, Bruce Weber, there was a good mix of awards. “We received requests for around $80,000, with a lot of first-timers,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we took care of critical ongoing asks but with an eye toward helping new organizations get off the ground.”
Executive director Jon Schumacher pointed out that the number of applications coming from the Creative Enterprise Zone continues to grow as that community begins to come together. “The board has made a conscious effort to include all of District 12 to build our larger community. Holding our inaugural Spring Reveal at Lake Monster Brewery was an acknowledgement of the exciting developments happening in the CEZ,” he said.
This was also the third year of grants for Transition Town (TT), the organization that won the foundation’s 15th Anniversary Grant Challenge. TT has used the $15,000 in total grant money to hold community meetings, create and maintain a website, put out a regular newsletter, and build consensus around St. Anthony Park’s future sustainability.
