Spring greetings! Our spring newsletter includes recent updates about the organization, grant programs, and educational opportunities for nonprofits.

TAU - Fanm Saj, Miami, FL

The mission of Fanm Saj is to provide families across the African Diaspora with cultural and wellness tools and social and political resources to nourish themselves, their families, and their communities. The organization envisions a world where Black families and youth have the power and support to live in safe and spiritually, mentally, and physically healthy communities. Fanm Saj in the Haitian Creole language means Midwife. Midwives are known for catching babies. Fanm Saj exists to catch communities. The organization was awarded Tau Grant funds to support capacity building efforts including personnel support, storytelling, staff training, and marketing material. Learn more about Fanm Saj at https://www.fanmsaj.org.

ACOR - Brunswick County Homeless Coalition, Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition (BCHC) advocates and provides resources for people experiencing homelessness. By keeping families in stable housing BCHC promotes self-sufficiency and provides a safety net in the community for families experiencing a housing crisis. Clients are referred to the BCHC from 211, churches, and local nonprofit organizations. Services offered include a toll-free helpline, utility assistance, rental assistance, motel placements for emergency housing needs, outreach and assistance to veterans, and food and shelter referrals. BCHC is an all-volunteer nonprofit and directs 90% of its funding to assist its clients. ACOR grant funding was awarded to provide rental assistance and ensured 19 families or 40 individuals were able to keep their homes. One of the founders, Rita Canfield, an Allegany Franciscan Associate, serves as a board member and volunteer. Learn more about Brunswick County Homeless Coalition at http://brunswickhomeless.com.

Climate Justice & Care for Creation Grants

In January, 2024, Allegany Franciscan Ministries launched the first open grant opportunity in its new Climate Justice & Care for Creation Initiative. Initially, we planned to award up to $500,000 to organizations across the state. However, given the high quality and variety of proposals and the critical work being done, we will announce $774,000 in grants to 22 organizations, and another $250,000 in related project investments over the next two months. Most of the grants will be communicated this week to our new grant partners and a list will be publicly shared in mid-May; the remainder will be announced in early July. 

The Climate Justice & Care for Creation Initiative is intended to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on communities of color and other marginalized communities. Our long-term goal is that everyone in our communities will have the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to thrive in the face of multiple risks, uncertainty, and threats caused by climate change. 

The grants being awarded in May and July 2024 focus on supporting education and awareness related to the impact of extreme heat on outdoor workers (17 grants) and/or climate gentrification (9 grants). In addition, grants will help build community voice – developing or strengthening coalitions of people who care about and will take direct action on the climate-related issues affecting their lives (15 grants).

The partners funded through these new grants work in communities throughout Florida: most are concentrated in Miami-Dade County/South Florida, with a number in Tampa Bay and Central Florida. A few work statewide, and a few are in other regions of the state. It is our hope to connect with new partners who are advancing toward climate justice in all parts of our state. 

The projects connect with a wide variety of people and communities affected by extreme heat and climate gentrification. Among the populations served are agricultural workers, formerly incarcerated individuals, construction & warehouse workers, students – both K-12 and college, doctors/medical professionals, and Black or Latinx LGBTQ, nonbinary or gender nonconforming individuals. A few specifically work with faith-based communities, and others are trying to expand their network to include faith-based groups. 

To lead our climate justice work, Allegany plans to recruit a new staff team member, a Director, Climate Justice & Care for Creation Initiative. Stay tuned for an announcement that the position is open and we are accepting applications.  

Click HERE for more information about the Climate Justice & Care for Creation Initiative. New funding opportunities will be announced in the fall of 2024. 

Tau Grants

We have successfully closed out our FY24 Tau Grants Program with over $2 million in funding requests from over 120 organizations in our six-county footprint. This fiscal year we were able to award $385,000 for general operating and capacity-building support to organizations focused on access to healthcare, civic engagement, and economic mobility. We are also able to provide an additional $2,500 to each of our FY24 Tau Grant Partners to focus on wellness initiatives and programming.

We are excited to announce program updates for the upcoming fiscal year including:

• Tau Grants will be two-year grants. Grant awards will be up to $10,000/yr for two years.
• All grants will be general operating support.
• Focus areas will be health care access, economic mobility, and basic needs.
• We will focus on small nonprofits with operating budgets under $1M.
• Erin Baird, Director of Grants will be the new Tau Grant staff lead.

We expect to announce the complete FY25 Tau Grant information in July 2024.

ACOR Grants

We are happy to welcome Dawn Geisert, SVP, Chief Integrity & Compliance Officer at Trinity Health to the ACOR Grant Committee.The Committee will meet in early May to make funding recommendations for the FY24 spring grant cycle. A total of 23 applications were received with $228,000 requested. We anticipate announcing grant decisions in mid-May.



The next ACOR grant cycle will be in the fall. Complete FY25 ACOR Grant information will be released in July 2024.

Allegany Franciscan Ministries is working to deepen our relationship with Candid, a nonprofit that provides comprehensive data and insights about the social sector. Candid supports nonprofits with information, resources, training, and data to find funding opportunities, determine which funders are most likely to support their work, and become more visible to donors. Allegany Franciscan Ministries is proud to have achieved Candid’s Gold Seal of Transparency and will soon become a Demographics via Candid partner, utilizing Candid profiles to obtain information on organizations applying, decreasing applicant’s need to provide us with individualized data.

To take advantage of the resources and visibility Candid offers, Allegany strongly recommends claiming your nonprofit profile and updating your organization’s demographic information at least once a year. Some of the benefits include:



• Reduced Application & Reporting Burden: Completing your demographic profile on the Candid platform means your data can be accessed by multiple stakeholders simultaneously and will save time and effort entering demographic information on grant applications or reports.
• Showcase your programs and impact
• Use your profile as a handout in funder or donor meetings
• Earn a 2024 Seal of Transparency (based on level of data provided) to gain access to valuable resources (ex. Bronze Seal holders are eligible to use Apple Pay for donations; Nonprofits with annual revenue or expenses less than $1M with a Gold Seal of Transparency or higher receive a free year subscription to Foundation Directory Essential to search for funders).

Follow these three easy steps to claim and update your Candid profile:

1. Claim your organization. Login to Candid or create a Candid account and verify your email address.
2. Get approved. Enter your organization's name or EIN to claim your profile.
3. Tell your story. Showcase your programs and impact to fast-track to attract potential donors.

View the Candid profile best practices guide for a simple walkthrough and Candid's 2024 Seals of Transparency Guide to learn more.

Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Boards Fellowship (Tampa Bay) This program deepens the board governance knowledge and skills of professionals of color interested in board service while equipping select nonprofits to genuinely welcome them onto their boards. Information sessions May 7 and 13. More info

Regional Resiliency Summit, May 9-10 (Clearwater Beach, FL) Attendees will hear success stories from member governments throughout the Tampa Bay region. The event will feature local and national speakers, interactive breakout sessions, and a beachfront venue. More info

Philanthropy Miami Ignite! Conference May 9 (Miami, FL) This is the largest annual gathering of the nonprofit community in South Florida, drawing a diverse cross-section of leaders, staff, and volunteers representing hundreds of organizations and companies. It’s an explosive combination of speakers, learning opportunities, and networking – all in one place and on one day. More info

Florida Voices for Health Summit May 23-24 (Rockledge, FL) This annual health policy and advocacy conference is a great opportunity to learn about Florida's health landscape and connect with participants from a cross-section of health care including advocates, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community members. More info

Nonprofit Disaster Preparedness Workshop May 29 (webinar) This live webinar offered by Palm Beach County Long Term Recovery Coalition will share how nonprofits can prepare to better help communities recover from a disaster. More info

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