Albemarle Foundation

Across the world, we believe that nurturing our communities and promoting our employees’ philanthropic efforts are among our most important responsibilities. Over the years, Albemarle, our employees and retirees have invested millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours in support of our communities. In 2007, Albemarle created the Albemarle Foundation - a private endowed 501c3 entity who set out with a mission to make a positive, sustainable difference in the communities where we live and operate.

Today, Albemarle Foundation builds on this history of commitment and participation to make an even greater, more sustainable and profound impact on the places we call home. By utilizing the tools and resources of Albemarle Foundation, Albemarle Foundation Global and the Albemarle Care Fund - employees are empowered to Grow the Good in our own communities, and beyond!

Giving Priorities

As individuals, and collectively as a global company, we work passionately to make a profound impact in our world. Our financial contributions focus on programs that support key cornerstones of sustainability within our communities.

Education

The Albemarle Foundation recognizes the important skills which can be obtained from a solid educational foundation, including critical thinking and data analysis. We also recognize the assistance needed in the classroom and beyond to move the needle, be a change agent and make a true positive difference in our communities. Our company purpose statement - making the world safe and sustainable by powering the potential of people - inspires and motivates us to direct funds and support organizations that are focused on providing positive educational outcomes, because we believe, nothing powers potential like education and knowledge.

Health And Social Services

The Albemarle Foundation directs funds to nonprofit organizations who support health and social services. By effectively and efficiently relieving distress in the community - these organizations help individuals and families overcome barriers and achieve their full potential. Many of these organizations focus on one of the five basic areas of human services, which include;

• building healthy communities,
• investing in our youth,
• meeting basic needs,
• strengthening lives and
• striding toward independence.

Cultural Initiatives

The Albemarle Foundation directs funds to nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities for community members to build or strengthen their relationships with one another. Our employees represent a diverse variety of cultures and interests which allows The Albemarle Foundation to provide funding to a broad range of organizations and causes.

We care about the communities in which we live and work. Amcor Cares (formerly the Bemis Company Foundation) was founded as our principal tool in the United States to serve our Amcor Flexibles communities. From volunteer work to monetary donations and community support, Amcor Cares donates several million per year to charitable organizations.

Community Support Grants

Encourage

• Fighting Hunger & Homelessness
• Supporting Disaster Relief

Empower

• Expanding STEM Education
• Building Life Skills
• Improving Health & Wellness

Elevate

• Promoting Arts & Culture
• Funding Amcor Scholarships

Types of support:

• Non-profit Organization Programs
• Non-profit Organization Operating Support
• Capital Campaigns
• STEM Programs

About

We are in the business of improving lives in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It is a daunting task because the Mid South is home to 30% of the nation’s poverty, which has eroded the well-being of our communities, education and health systems, as well as financial security. These deficiencies—if left unhindered—will continue to grow and deny further opportunities to better conditions for families today and future generations.

The Foundation for the Mid South was established to bring together the public and private sectors and focus their resources on increasing social and economic opportunity. Our approach is straightforward and long term: enable communities to develop solutions to better conditions and improve lives.

Our Priorities

The Foundation for the Mid South focuses on strengthening four priorities that, we believe, are the bedrock for prosperous communities and a strong region.

Our Education work supports efforts that help students succeed academically—by strengthening traditional education systems and programs and community institutions serving students.

In Health and Wellness, we work to promote physical and mental well-being in order to comprehensively improve the health status in the region.

In order to break the cycle of generational poverty, our Wealth Building work is helping people become financially secure so they can move up the economic ladder.

In Community Development, we invest in and partner with efforts that enable communities to grow and prosper.

Education

Our Challenge

A strong foundation of education is essential not only to individuals but to the economic success of our region. Many companies struggle to find graduates with necessary skill sets. It is important that we achieve greater graduation rates, increased college enrollment numbers, and stronger workforce preparedness levels. The national high school graduation rate is 78.2%, but Mid South states have lower rates. Males of color are particularly at risk; nationally, only 52% of black males graduate from high school in four years.

Our Opportunity

Foundation for the Mid South offers enrichment opportunities and builds skills necessary for success in high school, college and the 21st century workplace. We aim to ensure that all youth, regardless of income, geography or race, receive equitable access to an effective learning environment.

Our Strategy

We partner with individuals and organizations committed to improving high school graduation rates, college preparedness and life outcomes of students. Current areas of focus include: tutoring, coaching, career development and learning and study strategies.

• Academic Success for All Students
• Focusing on academic strategies and enrichment opportunities to help students learn in effective and innovative ways.
• Academic Success for Males of Color
• Identifying critical skills to improve academic performance and life skills for young men of color.

Wealth Building

Programs and information to enable residents to manage their finances effectively and grow their wealth.

Our Challenge

Mid Southerners make poor financial decisions because they do not have adequate financial information and training. This limits residents’ ability to acquire wealth and creates a generational cycle of poverty.

Our Opportunity

The Foundation for the Mid South will use financial competency and asset building programs to improve the financial stability of approximately 300,000 households in the region.

Our Strategy

We provide programs and information to enable residents to manage their finances effectively and grow their wealth:

• Financial Competency
• Giving individuals and families the tools they need to make smart financial decisions.
• Asset Building
• Assisting families to accumulate and preserve long-term productive assets, such as homes, education and businesses.

Health

Improve individual and community health outcomes in chronic disease, mental health, and access to care.

Our Challenge

Mid South residents have more health problems and lower life expectancy than those in other parts of the nation. Unhealthy behaviors and lack of health services contribute to these problems. Approximately 30% of adults and 20% of youth in the Mid South are obese, leading to high healthcare costs, lost wages, or even premature death. Approximately 1 million adults suffer from poor mental health, stressors which decrease learning or the ability to work. If not addressed, they can develop into serious mental disorders.

Our Opportunity

Foundation for the Mid South seeks to improve health for individuals and communities. Health is not a standalone issue; it is an interrelated part of improving our region, enabling people to learn effectively and improve their economic situations.

Our Strategy

We aim to improve individual and community health outcomes through:

• Healthy Behaviors to Reduce Obesity
• Increasing access to and use of physical activity and access to fresh, healthy foods.
• Mental Health Awareness and Access
• Helping individuals identify everyday stressors and connecting them to resources and services to address their mental health needs.
• Access to Healthcare Resources
• Ensuring individuals have access to healthcare services and knowledge to make informed decisions.

Communities

Building the skills and knowledge of communities to transform themselves.

Our Challenge

Residents need vibrant and thriving communities to be successful, but the quality of communities in the Mid South continues to lag behind the rest of the nation. Mid Southerners need safe and affordable housing, jobs that pay a living wage, access to post-secondary education and spaces where children can play.

Our Opportunity

Foundation for the Mid South believes that the solution to regional challenges lies in building the skills and knowledge of communities to transform themselves. When individuals, organizations and businesses engage in the change process, they are able to build the community they wish to see, creating vibrant places to live, work and play.

Our Strategy

Our community development work key focus areas:

• Community Enrichment
• Increasing safe, affordable housing, improving green space and parks and preserving the local environment and culture.
• Economic Development
• Strengthening the economy through workforce education and training, small business development and industry growth.
• Leadership Development
• Building the skills and capacities of local organizations working to strengthen both adult and youth leadership.
• Mississippi Delta Workforce Funding Collaborative
• The Mississippi Delta Workforce Funding Collaborative is a partnership of philanthropic, public sector, private sector, and community leaders working to improve job growth and retention for all of Mississippi. We support the development and implementation of sector based workforce partnerships in key in-demand industries. Our goal is to increase the skills and education of unemployed and/or underemployed residents of Mississippi. We work to increase the Mississippi residents’ skills, thereby allowing them to receive better paying jobs and better provide for their families.
• The Foundation for The Mid South is an Entrepreneurial Support Organization chosen by the Delta Regional Authority to participate in a learning cohort around engaging merging business leaders.

Grants

We support high-quality solutions that promote education, physical and mental health, financial security and the growth and prosperity of communities.

The Foundation For the Mid South is pleased that you’re considering us as a potential partner in your work. Our mission is to improve lives by expanding knowledge. We support efforts that create high-quality education, initiatives that encourage physical and mental health, resources that promote financial security and solutions that enable communities to grow and prosper.

The Foundation is always on the lookout for potential partners working in the Mid South region. Share your ideas with us, and if our program officers think it might fit one of our initiatives, we’ll reach out for a more formal proposal.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Health Care and Hospitals

A growing area of need in many of the communities the Foundation serves. In 2017, more than $2.9 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities. 

Human Services

The Foundation awarded over $7 million to human service nonprofits in 2017, and the majority of grants in this area were awarded to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including the Kansas 4-H Foundation, Kids TLC, Ronald McDonald House & Boys & Girls Clubs. 

Higher Education

In 2017, the Foundation awarded more than $10 million to over 45 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities. 

Arts and Culture

NOTE: Proposals must be submitted 90 days prior to expected advertising or promotion.

Our Core Values

We are a company of people engaged in the production of food, seeking to pursue truth and integrity, and committed to creating value for our shareholders, our customers, our team members, and our communities.

Who we are

• We strive to be honorable and operate with integrity.
• We strive to be faith-friendly and inclusive.
• We strive to serve as stewards of the resources entrusted to us.

What we do

• We feed our families, the nation, and the world with trusted food products.
• We serve as stewards of the animals, land, and environment entrusted to us.
• We strive to provide a safe work environment for our team members.
• We strive to provide a safe work environment

How we do it

• We strive to earn consistent and satisfactory profits for our shareholders and to invest in our people, products, and processes.
• We strive to operate with integrity and trust in all we do.
• We strive to honor God and be respectful of each other, our customers, and other stakeholders.

Sponsorships

Tyson Foods welcomes sponsorship proposals from organizations that align with the company’s core values and allow the company to play a vital role by funding highly visible contributions to the community.

Tyson Foods owns and operates facilities in more than 100 communities across the U.S. Most of our communities are in rural areas where, in many cases, Tyson is the largest employer.

Most of our team members work on the front lines of our processing plants and may face challenges in accessing basic resources like housing, transportation, childcare and health care, as well as ensuring they feel a sense of connection with their community. Social challenges like these not only prevent our team members from growing and thriving—they also impact turnover and absenteeism.

As a result, our community impact efforts emphasize improving the quality of life in the communities where our team members live and work. We do this by focusing where we can uniquely add value, take advantage of our strengths, and generate the most impact from both business and social perspectives.

Specifically, our efforts:

• Address hunger insecurity by expanding access to protein.
• Work with team members to address social challenges that disrupt their lives, such as housing, transportation, childcare, team member culture/integration and health care.
• Support market access and growth for Tyson Foods and its subsidiaries.
• Improve quality of life in the communities where we operate.

NOTE:  The application deadline has been  extended to December 1, 2023.

About School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN).

Utilizing a unique framework of funding systems offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, managed care organizations, health insurers, and private donors, SBHSN promotes a system of care model (Coaching Model℠) offering a mix of evidenced-based intervention, prevention, and care coordination services to children in grades K-12. The Coaching Model aims to expand quality mental healthcare access on public school campuses and improve children's social, emotional, behavioral, family, and wellness outcomes.

School-Based Mental Health Implementation Grant

In response to the growing number of students who need mental health counseling, the School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN) is accepting applications from Local Education Agencies (LEA), Public and Private Universities, State and local Colleges, Charter School Management Companies, Public Schools, Charter Schools, and Non-Profit Organizations (501c3) to implement and expand mental health program services on local school campuses. Grantees will receive direct funding and reimbursement to support the following activities: 

• Expanding access to School-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Coordinating mental healthcare services with school administration and staff. 
• Delivering mental healthcare services and coordinating academic-support activities to students with a history of attendance, behavior, and poor academic performance.

FUNDING

5-Years, renewable based on meeting performance goals 5-year award ceiling is $5,500,000.

T.L.L. Temple Foundation

The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside rural communities to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all.

Focus Areas

In support of its mission to build a thriving Deep East Texas and to alleviate poverty, the foundation makes grants in the areas of education, economic development and community revitalization, health, human services, arts and culture, and conservation and the environment. Central to the foundation’s work is the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty, and the foundation prioritizes support for residents and communities that most lack access to opportunities they need to succeed

Health

America’s Health Rankings, an independent health measure that combines more than 30 health-related metrics, ranks Texas 34th out of 50 states in resident health. Texans show comparatively high rates of obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes. Disparities in health status–by race and ethnicity, geography and income–are also higher in Texas than in many states: Texas ranks 44th in the prevalence of health disparities in the nation.

Access to health care providers is also a challenge in Texas, particularly in rural areas of the state. This is partly a function of insurance coverage. According to the U.S. Census, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation: in 2016, 17.1% of Texas residents do not have health insurance coverage, compared to 9.4% nationally. It ranks second in lack of health insurance coverage for children: 9.5% of children in Texas have no health insurance, compared to 4.8% nationally. In our region, insured rates are even lower: in 2014, 21.3% of residents had no health insurance coverage, compared to 19.1% for the state in 2014. 

Given these challenges, our goal is simple: to improve the health of residents of Deep East Texas. The barriers of poverty, geographic isolation, and a lack of access to health care services make it particularly difficult for many residents in our region to improve and maintain their health. Yet poor health status often limits residents’ ability to get a high quality education, hold down a sustaining job, and stay out of poverty.

Education

Educational attainment is a significant challenge in our region. Based on U.S. Census data, Texas ranks 49th out of the 50 states for having the lowest percentage of adults with a high school diploma, with 18.5% of people 25 and older not having earned a high school degree or equivalent. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the problem is even more pronounced in our region. In the most recent 8th grade cohort available, there were 24,639 students in upper and southeast Texas counties we serve. Five years later, only 72.0% completed high school, meaning that almost 7,000 young people did not complete the most basic education.

The counties in our region lag even further behind when it comes to college completion: according to the U.S. Census’s 2015 American Community Survey, only 14.0% of people 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 27.1% in Texas and 29.3% nationally. This is particularly problematic considering that many of the region’s fastest growing occupations require at least an associate’s degree, if not a four-year degree. 

Education has always been a top priority for the T.L.L. Temple Foundation because it is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty and build a thriving region. Addressing the region’s low rates of educational attainment—particularly for low-income students—is critical to improving outcomes in poverty, health and economic development. We aim to increase access to high quality educational opportunities for residents in Deep East Texas. We invest in programs that measurably improve education outcomes in the region, including: early childhood education, out-of-school-time programs, and programs dedicated to increasing postsecondary preparation, access and success. We also support efforts to ensure that Deep East Texans have the skills needed to obtain and retain high quality jobs.

Economic Development and Community Revitalization

The 24 counties in our service region have very high rates of unemployment: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, 52.9% of the population 16 and older was in the labor force, compared to 64.4% in Texas and 63.5% nationally. In the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, the unemployment rate was 7% in 2016. While this decreased from 10% in 2011, it is significantly higher than the state unemployment rate of 4.7% and the national unemployment rate of 4.9% during the same period.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, between 2012 and 2022, jobs are expected to increase by 13.1% in the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, compared to 21.3% for Texas, and 10.8% for the U.S. The fastest growing occupations correspond to the region’s aging population: home health and personal care aides, nursing, medical secretaries, and medical assistants. Most of these jobs require a two or four-year degree. 

We aim to improve economic opportunities and help develop and sustain thriving communities in the most economically challenged places in our service area. Vibrant communities and a robust regional economy are central to creating and sustaining a thriving Deep East Texas. We invest in efforts to transform disinvested communities into places with economic opportunities and equitable access to the essential community resources needed to help families thrive. Impact Lufkin, a foundation-initiated program, is an example of the foundation’s approach to holistic, resident-engaged community revitalization. Because engaged citizens are central to fostering strong communities, we also fund programs to increase civic participation. Finally, we invest in programs that strengthen the regional economy and improve economic opportunities for residents of Deep East Texas.

Human Services

Too many residents of Deep East Texas live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census, in 2015 in the 24 counties that we serve, 19.3% of residents live in poverty, compared to 15.9% of Texans and 13.5% of people in the U.S. The median household income (2010-2014) is 21% lower than the state of Texas, and 22% lower than the U.S. For these residents, poverty can become a vicious cycle, limiting access to the quality education, self-sustaining employment, and health care needed to rise above poverty.

The foundation works to ensure the most vulnerable residents in our service region have their basic needs met. By helping provide access to food, shelter, social services and other programs, we strive to make sure that there is a strong safety net to support the region’s low-income and vulnerable residents.

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture are critical for healthy communities and a thriving region. The foundation has long supported efforts to celebrate the region’s cultural heritage and document its important history. We will continue to help enrich the lives of Deep East Texans by investing in programs that provide access to artistic and cultural experiences.

Conservation and the Environment

Beginning with the first timber harvested in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Temple family has had a special bond with the forests, wetlands, and open spaces across our region. We believe that the health of our natural environment is closely connected to the health of our residents, our communities, and our region and so seek to protect our important natural resources.

The primary emphasis of the foundation’s conservation and environmental efforts is the Boggy Slough Conservation Area  - a Temple Foundation-managed program.

The aim of the Boggy Slough Conservation Area is to:

• serve as a model for conservation and land management;
• serve as a catalyst for creating a stewardship ethic and connection to nature in our communities; and
• bridge critical research gaps regarding the forest and bottomland ecosystems of the Neches River basin and the Southeast.

Type of Support

The foundation awards funding for multiple purposes, including: general operating support, project support, capital improvements, and organizational development and capacity building.

Size and Duration of Grants

The size and duration of grants is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and typically follow these guidelines:

• We provide one-year funding for initial grants
• We rarely make grants that exceed 30% of a project or organizational budget

Mission

The Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust was established in 1981 to support and promote quality educational, cultural, human services and health care programming for all people.

Roy Sturgis was one of ten children of an Arkansas farmer and homemaker. He dropped out of school after the tenth grade to join the Navy during World War I. Mr. Sturgis returned to his family home in southern Arkansas after the war and went to work in the local sawmills. In 1933, Roy Sturgis married Texas native Christine Johns. They became very successful in the timber, lumber and sawmill industries in Arkansas, owned other prosperous business enterprises and had notable success managing their investments. Mr. and Mrs. Sturgis spent most of their lives in Arkansas and Dallas, Texas. They did not have children, but were particularly interested in educational opportunities for young people. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Sturgis supported organizations working in the areas of health, social services and the arts.

The majority of grants from the Sturgis Charitable Trust are 1 year in duration. On occasion, multi-year support is awarded. The Sturgis Charitable Trust encourages requests for the following types of grants:

• capital project-related
• medical research
• endowment campaigns

Ms. Foundation for Women

The mission of the Ms. Foundation for Women is to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. We achieve our mission by investing in, and strengthening, the capacity of women-led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural and economic change in the lives of women. Ms. has six grantmaking initiatives, one of which is the Birth Justice Initiative.

Birth Justice Initiative

Our Birth Justice Initiative aims to:

• advance equitable birth outcomes and experiences;
• strengthen the capacity, organizational infrastructure, and financial stability of grassroots Black, Indigenous and women of color-led birth justice organizations; and
• expand the frame of birth justice to support intersectional movements and strategies that recognize the full spectrum of experiences and identities in birthing, parenting, and family building.

We believe that Black, Indigenous, and women of color (including trans women and non-binary people) are key experts and should be decision-makers in shaping policy and culture change around birth justice. By investing directly into organizations led by and for women and girls of color, we are ensuring that the movement to address racial based disparities in healthcare, including birth outcomes and experiences, is led by those who are impacted most. Strengthening the collective power of communities of color is critical to addressing the root causes of these disparities and advancing birth justice for all.

The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates of all developed nations and Black women die at three to four times the rate of white women in birth – one of the widest racial disparities in women’s health. Systemic racism, implicit bias, and anti-Blackness all contribute to the significant disparities in birth outcomes among Black, Indigenous and birthing people of color. Moreover, the spectrum of intersectional issues that comprise birth justice and the ability to have children and parent with dignity, are not only limited to the birth process.

As such, the Ms. Foundation’s Birth Justice Initiative invests in organizations who represent the full spectrum of birth experiences including–but not limited to–preconception health, mental health and wellness, infertility, abortion access and abortion care, comprehensive sex and sexuality education, non-racist culturally affirming and gender expansive healthcare, access to birth workers of color, access to lactation support and services, postpartum health and wellness, grief and loss care and support, and sexual assault prevention and survivor support services. Organizations supported collectively utilize a range of movement building strategies to advance birth justice—such as narrative change, policy and systems change, advocacy, leadership development, direct service among others. And finally, they work at the intersection of birth justice and other movements, such as disability justice, youth justice, LGBTQIA+ justice, environmental justice, economic justice, and criminal legal reform.

Funding

During this cycle, Ms. will provide one-time grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 to selected organizations not currently receiving funding from Ms.’ Birth Justice Initiative. The grant period will comprise two years.