NOTE: Applications accepted monthly, due on the first of each month.

Who & What We Fund

AHA awards grants to nonprofit community organizations to support a wide range of public humanities projects. Applicants are encouraged to develop imaginative proposals for a variety of audiences. Projects often include lectures, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, digital media and documentary films.

The three essential components of successful grant proposals are active public participation, strong humanities content and the direct involvement of humanities scholars.

Our Mission

AHA’s mission is to foster learning, understanding, and appreciation of our people, communities, and cultures. As the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), AHA is the primary source of grants for public humanities programming in Alabama. AHA also initiates major programs and events in support of humanities topics and collaborates with other organizations to advance the humanities in both the academic and public arenas.

The Humanities

The humanities are often described as the study of how people process and document the human experience. Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, history and language to understand and record our world. These modes of expression have become some of the subjects traditionally listed under the humanities umbrella. Exploring these subjects gives us the opportunity to think critically and creatively and to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries. According to NEH, the humanities disciplines include, but are not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following:

• Languages
• Literature
• History
• Philosophy and ethics
• Jurisprudence
• Archaeology
• Comparative religion
• Art history, theory, and criticism
• Social sciences employing humanistic methods

Mini-Grant

Designed for flexibility, mini grants feature a simplified, quicker application and funding process to support a broad range of projects. Mini Grants require a 1:1 cost share match, including cash and in-kind contributions.

To allow time for grant processing, project events must take place a minimum of 45 days after the submission deadline.

Project Requirements

Public Participation:

All projects must be open to the general public and should not be limited to members of a specific organization, scholars, or a campus community. While programs should aim to target a diverse audience, programs may be designed for a particular population, such as teachers, veterans, the incarcerated, or traditionally underserved groups.

In general, AHA will prioritize funding programs that are open to the public at no cost. Organizations may, however, charge modest fees when necessary. When charging fees, AHA encourages organizations to offer scholarships, free admission days, and other flexible admission policies to keep projects accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Humanities Content:

Applicants must ensure that one or more humanities disciplines are central to the project and that humanities themes and topics are adequately explored and interpreted. Humanities content should be presented in an engaging format that encourages critical thinking.

Humanities Scholars:

All projects must include the involvement of at least one humanities scholar to provide an in-depth knowledge of the humanities content and support adequate interpretation of the material. A humanities scholar is generally someone with an advanced degree in a humanities discipline, such as university faculty and researchers, or someone with extensive experience working within the humanities, such as tradition bearers, authors, historical witnesses, and others.

Humanities scholars may serve the project in a variety of roles, including as consultants or advisors, researchers or writers, presenters or moderators, and evaluators. Major and Media Grant projects must include at least one primary scholar, in addition to the project director, who is integrally involved in both the planning and implementation of the project. All applicants are encouraged to connect with additional scholars when appropriate.

Alabama State Council on the Arts 

The mission of the Alabama State Council on the Arts is: To enhance the quality of life and economic vitality for all Alabamians by providing support for the state’s diverse and rich artistic resources.

Blueprint for Supporting the Arts

To accomplish the Council’s mission, proposals that meet the following goals as described in A State Blueprint for Supporting the Arts are prioritized for funding:

• Support excellence and professionalism in the arts.
• Provide opportunities for high-quality arts education for every Alabama student and lifelong learner.
• Provide opportunities for all Alabamians to experience the arts.
• Identify, preserve, and present folk art traditions.
• Promote diverse cultural artistic expressions.
• Recognize and support the arts as a driver of economic vitality.
• Increase public recognition and appreciation for the arts, arts organizations, and individual artists.

Live Arts Learning Grants

The Live Arts Learning program provides smaller grants ($500 to $5,000) for Artist Residencies, in-school performances, field trips to artistic experiences, guest presenters and speakers, and similar programming for PreK-12 students that have shorter timelines than Curriculum-based Projects.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Helping Build Stronger Communities

Mission

The Mission Statement of Vulcan Materials Company states that Vulcan “will be a good corporate citizen in each community in which we operate. We will support and take an active part in public and charitable projects.” Vulcan established the Vulcan Materials Company Foundation in 1988 to assist in carrying out that mission. Because contributions made by the Foundation are corporate-based business dollars, it is essential that they be made in a planned and consistent manner that best serves the combined interests of Vulcan and the communities in which we operate.

Vision

Helping Build Stronger Communities

Support Priorities

The Foundation supports many types of worthwhile organizations that enhance the quality of life in Vulcan’s communities. The Vulcan Materials Foundation focuses on three areas in particular:

• Working with schools;
• Supporting environmental stewardship; and
• Encouraging employee involvement.

Education

A major focus of the Foundation is to play a part in maintaining or improving the quality of life and standard of living through the support of education.

Elementary/Secondary Education

The Foundation will consider proposals that provide public education programs and projects that enhance the quality of learning for all students. The Foundation works to support efforts to improve educational systems and individual schools in Vulcan’s communities by partnering with public schools located in its operating areas. Vulcan has adopted 276 schools in its communities through support from the Foundation. It is Vulcan’s goal to increase the number of its school partnerships every year.

The Foundation is also interested in efforts to encourage young people to develop an interest in math, science and business. The Foundation, therefore, gives consideration to proposals designed to help maintain students’ curiosity and excitement about the world of math and science and to explore the world of industry and business. The Foundation is particularly interested in helping young people and their teachers understand the relevance of math and science to society, and supports efforts to link these subjects to their application in the workplace. The Foundation also will consider programs designed to educate our students about the vital role of business and industry in society.

Higher Education

Higher education will play an increasingly critical role in helping the economy effectively compete in the global market. The Foundation recognizes the invaluable contributions made by institutions of higher learning in educating the nation’s future workforce.

The Foundation will consider proposals from those institutions located in states where the Company has facilities, particularly proposals that focus on science and engineering or improving public education. Although proposals for capital improvements will be considered, the Foundation prefers to fund projects that directly affect the outcome of the educational process, such as scholarships and science and technology programs.

Environmental Stewardship

The Foundation supports the philosophy that economic development and environmental stewardship have common goals. Responsible economic growth provides the resources necessary to be a good steward of the environment, while this stewardship helps to sustain growth.

There are important links between industry, the environment and technological innovation. A society that is better informed about environmental issues will be able to participate more effectively in public policy debates. Grantmaking will focus on organizations and programs that seek to develop an understanding of the connection between environmental stewardship and sustainable development. 

The Foundation will consider supporting those environmental organizations that adhere to fact-based, balanced environmental principles.

Employee Involvement

Vulcan has a history of encouraging its employees to participate in volunteer activities in their communities. We recognize that our workforce offers a unique resource to provide leadership in the communities where we operate. Thus, high priority will be given by the Foundation to proposals from those organizations in which company employees are actively involved, especially in our focus areas of education and environmental stewardship.

Geographic Funding Priorities

In addition to the corporate headquarters, located in Birmingham, Alabama, there are eight Construction Materials divisions. Further, Vulcan has 400* active aggregates facilities located in 22 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Mexico and the Bahamas. Regarding proposals submitted to the Foundation, first consideration will be given to those organizations that will benefit the communities where Vulcan employees live and work. The Foundation’s giving program is decentralized to spread ownership of the program to a wider base. Because unit managers are directly involved with the communities where they do business, decentralization enables the Foundation to be more informed about, and to better address, local needs. Proposals submitted to the Foundation should be sent directly to the charitable contributions officer in the appropriate geographical area.

* Updated after the acquisition of U.S. Concrete

Who & What We Fund

AHA awards grants to nonprofit community organizations to support a wide range of public humanities projects. Applicants are encouraged to develop imaginative proposals for a variety of audiences. Projects often include lectures, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, digital media and documentary films.

The three essential components of successful grant proposals are active public participation, strong humanities content and the direct involvement of humanities scholars.

Our Mission

AHA’s mission is to foster learning, understanding, and appreciation of our people, communities, and cultures. As the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), AHA is the primary source of grants for public humanities programming in Alabama. AHA also initiates major programs and events in support of humanities topics and collaborates with other organizations to advance the humanities in both the academic and public arenas.

The Humanities

The humanities are often described as the study of how people process and document the human experience. Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, history and language to understand and record our world. These modes of expression have become some of the subjects traditionally listed under the humanities umbrella. Exploring these subjects gives us the opportunity to think critically and creatively and to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries. According to NEH, the humanities disciplines include, but are not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following:

• Languages
• Literature
• History
• Philosophy and ethics
• Jurisprudence
• Archaeology
• Comparative religion
• Art history, theory, and criticism
• Social sciences employing humanistic methods

Major Grant 

Major grants represent the majority of AHA grant proposals and support a wide variety of projects. Major Grants require a 1:1 cost share match, including cash and in-kind contributions. Sample Application

To allow time for grant processing, project events must take place a minimum of 60 days after the submission deadline.

Project Requirements

Public Participation:

All projects must be open to the general public and should not be limited to members of a specific organization, scholars, or a campus community. While programs should aim to target a diverse audience, programs may be designed for a particular population, such as teachers, veterans, the incarcerated, or traditionally underserved groups.

In general, AHA will prioritize funding programs that are open to the public at no cost. Organizations may, however, charge modest fees when necessary. When charging fees, AHA encourages organizations to offer scholarships, free admission days, and other flexible admission policies to keep projects accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Humanities Content:

Applicants must ensure that one or more humanities disciplines are central to the project and that humanities themes and topics are adequately explored and interpreted. Humanities content should be presented in an engaging format that encourages critical thinking.

Humanities Scholars:

All projects must include the involvement of at least one humanities scholar to provide an in-depth knowledge of the humanities content and support adequate interpretation of the material. A humanities scholar is generally someone with an advanced degree in a humanities discipline, such as university faculty and researchers, or someone with extensive experience working within the humanities, such as tradition bearers, authors, historical witnesses, and others.

Humanities scholars may serve the project in a variety of roles, including as consultants or advisors, researchers or writers, presenters or moderators, and evaluators. Major and Media Grant projects must include at least one primary scholar, in addition to the project director, who is integrally involved in both the planning and implementation of the project. All applicants are encouraged to connect with additional scholars when appropriate.

NOTE: Capital Campaign grants will be considered in the first and third quarters of each year (deadline February 1 and August 1). Grant applications pertaining to the Black Belt Region will be considered twice a year, on January 16 and June 16.

Since 2009, the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation has been providing grants to nonprofit organizations in our community, the Black Belt, and the state as a whole to support a variety of programs. From education to the environment, from the cultural arts to neighborhood revitalization, the Foundation has distributed over $26,000,000 in grants to 221 organizations whose work we are proud to support.

The Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation seeks to strengthen communities and improve the quality of life primarily in the Birmingham metropolitan area and the State of Alabama.

Our Service Area

The Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Special consideration is given to support programs that serve the Woodlawn community in Birmingham.

The Foundation will also support efforts that build opportunities in the Black Belt of Alabama, particularly Hale and Greene Counties. Grants that impact the State of Alabama as a whole or that impact policy issues affecting all Alabamians will also be considered.

Grants from the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation are made to support programs that impact:

• The Birmingham metro area;
• The Woodlawn area of Birmingham;
• The Black Belt area in Alabama;
• The State of Alabama as a whole, through influencing policy change at the state level.

Our Program Areas

The Foundation is interested in developing partnerships with nonprofit organizations to achieve measurable results in the following areas:

• Education
• We believe that every child should have the educational resources to become a successful adult. Based on our belief that education is still the best road out of poverty, the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation supports a strong education pipeline. Grants are made to support efforts in early childhood to help children be ready to learn when they enter the school system. Other grants support teachers, students and families to help more children achieve and succeed. These include grants to improve academic outcomes through teacher and principal coaching as well as support for meeting non-academic needs, like physical and mental health needs.
• Neighborhood Revitalization
• We believe in the Purpose Built Communities’ holistic model for rebuilding strong neighborhoods. A strong cradle – to – adult educational pipeline, affordable mixed-income housing, wrap-around social services and local economic revitalization are necessary components for creating livable communities and helping to break the cycle of poverty.
• The Environment
• We believe that the protection of our natural resources and green spaces are vital to the environment and to the health of our communities.
• The Arts and Culture
• We believe that the cultural arts enrich lives and are an integral part of a dynamic and vibrant community.
• Positioning Strategic Community Assets
• We believe that the success of our community depends on the strength of its intrinsic partners – those institutions that represent the best of Birmingham. We are committed to their success.

Grant applications must be geared toward achieving specific results in these focus areas.

Program, Operating and Capital Campaign Grants

We fund capital campaigns and provide grants for operating and programmatic support to organizations engaged in activities that align with the Foundation’s funding interests listed above.

• Program grants are grants of up to $30,000 to support a specific program.
• Operating grants of any amount may be applied for in up to three year increments with an annual review.
• Our goal is to help our grantees focus more on their missions and less on application cycles.
• Capital Campaign grants of any amount will be considered in the first and third quarters of each year (deadline February 1 and August 1).

About

Guided by the mission to elevate the state and to improve the quality of life for Alabamians, we are committed to empowering communities and bridging the gaps of inequity to create a better Alabama for all.

Since our formation in 1989, we’ve been spreading good across Alabama. From the white sand beaches in the south to the first mountains of the Appalachians in the north, you’ll find evidence of our work in communities both large and small.

While our most valuable resource is our people, our funding plays a tremendous role in what we accomplish. Thanks to the generosity of Alabama Power shareholders so many years ago, we manage a $130 million trust, which we use to spread the power of good.

Classroom Grants

Helping teachers provide a better learning environment.

Teachers often have to pay for class materials out-of-pocket. Our Classroom grants seek to solve that problem by awarding grants up to $1,000 for materials to better the classroom environment, and in turn, enhance a student’s ability to learn. Funding may also be used to support COVID-19 relief efforts such as technology support, cleaning and sanitation supplies, as well as mental health needs for students and educators.

Nonprofits who provide those services and are partnering with local school systems who meet the grant criteria may also apply for grants.

All applications will be reviewed by Alabama Power Foundation for adherence to the Classroom Grant guidelines. If time permits prior to the deadline, schools will be notified if their grant applications must be modified. Applications submitted on the last day will not be able to be modified if there are problems.

How we’d like to see Classroom grants used:

Examples of uses for Classroom grants include:

• Supplies for the betterment of the classroom.
  • For example:
    • Classroom library
    • Basic school supplies like crayons, pencils, paper, scissors, etc.
    • Classroom décor like bins, bean bags, rugs, etc.
    • Other educational materials
• School Library materials.
  • For example:
    • Headphones
    • Multimedia equipment
    • Books and/or book jacket covers
    • Other educational materials
• COVID-19 related support.
  • For example:
    • Funding mental health support to address the social and emotional needs of educators, students, and students’ families.
    • Adapting curriculum to support distance/virtual learning and instruction.
    • Supporting virtual learning equipment and support. Ex.: laptops, Wi-Fi access, etc.
    • Addressing students’ learning loss resulting from extended school closures.
    • Providing educational enrichment to support student learning.
    • Strengthening educators’/schools’ engagement with families and communities to meet student needs.
    • Funding for sanitation supplies to keep areas clean and safe for students. Ex.: backpack sanitation sprayers, air purifiers, etc.

Who & What We Fund

AHA awards grants to nonprofit community organizations to support a wide range of public humanities projects. Applicants are encouraged to develop imaginative proposals for a variety of audiences. Projects often include lectures, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, digital media and documentary films.

The three essential components of successful grant proposals are active public participation, strong humanities content and the direct involvement of humanities scholars.

Our Mission

AHA’s mission is to foster learning, understanding, and appreciation of our people, communities, and cultures. As the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), AHA is the primary source of grants for public humanities programming in Alabama. AHA also initiates major programs and events in support of humanities topics and collaborates with other organizations to advance the humanities in both the academic and public arenas.

The Humanities

The humanities are often described as the study of how people process and document the human experience. Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, history and language to understand and record our world. These modes of expression have become some of the subjects traditionally listed under the humanities umbrella. Exploring these subjects gives us the opportunity to think critically and creatively and to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries. According to NEH, the humanities disciplines include, but are not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following:

• Languages
• Literature
• History
• Philosophy and ethics
• Jurisprudence
• Archaeology
• Comparative religion
• Art history, theory, and criticism
• Social sciences employing humanistic methods

Media Grant 

Media grants provide support for documentary film, television and radio programs, as well as interactive web-based projects. Media Grants require 2:1 cash match of third-party, non-federal funds. 

To allow time for grant processing, project events must take place a minimum of 60 days after the submission deadline.

Project Requirements

Public Participation:

All projects must be open to the general public and should not be limited to members of a specific organization, scholars, or a campus community. While programs should aim to target a diverse audience, programs may be designed for a particular population, such as teachers, veterans, the incarcerated, or traditionally underserved groups.

In general, AHA will prioritize funding programs that are open to the public at no cost. Organizations may, however, charge modest fees when necessary. When charging fees, AHA encourages organizations to offer scholarships, free admission days, and other flexible admission policies to keep projects accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Humanities Content:

Applicants must ensure that one or more humanities disciplines are central to the project and that humanities themes and topics are adequately explored and interpreted. Humanities content should be presented in an engaging format that encourages critical thinking.

Humanities Scholars:

All projects must include the involvement of at least one humanities scholar to provide an in-depth knowledge of the humanities content and support adequate interpretation of the material. A humanities scholar is generally someone with an advanced degree in a humanities discipline, such as university faculty and researchers, or someone with extensive experience working within the humanities, such as tradition bearers, authors, historical witnesses, and others.

Humanities scholars may serve the project in a variety of roles, including as consultants or advisors, researchers or writers, presenters or moderators, and evaluators. Major and Media Grant projects must include at least one primary scholar, in addition to the project director, who is integrally involved in both the planning and implementation of the project. All applicants are encouraged to connect with additional scholars when appropriate.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.