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Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Recent Grantmaking Supports New Cultural Offerings, Children’s Well-Being, Strengthening Healthcare

VIRGINIA G. PIPER CHARITABLE TRUST Press Release
September 30, 2014

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Recent Grantmaking Supports New Cultural Offerings, Children’s Well-Being, Strengthening Healthcare

PHOENIX, Ariz.—Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust is pleased to support the community through 19 grants that will enrich arts and culture, promote the well-being of children, and advance quality healthcare and healthy aging. In addition, 292 public elementary schools in Maricopa County received grants to help fund “back-to-school” clothing and uniforms for students.

Piper Trust believes that arts and culture play a critical role in a building a healthy urban environment—as such, the Trust awarded grants that will help advance two cultural experiences.

The new Scottsdale Museum of the West, a unique cultural destination owned by the City of Scottsdale, will creatively present the “Old West and the New West.” The museum is targeting its opening for December 2014. Ballet Arizona is expanding with its new Center for Dance; the venue will offer opportunities for more people to enjoy ballet performances, dance training, and arts education. Piper Trust is honored to join other named spaces in the Center for Dance which will include the Virginia G. Piper Administrative Wing.

A $1.5 million grant will support expansion of Northern Arizona University’s (NAU) physician assistant program at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Physician assistants are a critical part of healthcare teams and help cover the growing demand for primary care. NAU is the only public university in Arizona offering this graduate-level program.

“As Virginia Piper so eloquently said, ‘we all have an opportunity to do good things on a daily basis for others’—this collection of recent Trust grants exemplifies the breadth and depth of meaningful work and service carried out daily by our nonprofit community,” said Susan Pepin, M.D., president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.

Following is the list of grants awarded May through September 2014 by grantmaking area; grants for this period total more than $5.4 million.

ARTS AND CULTURE—TOTAL AWARDED:  $1,480,000

Ballet Arizona
Support construction and furnishing of new dance facility (Capital Campaign).
$980,000 / 36 months

Scottsdale Museum of the West, Inc.
Design and implement audiovisual technologies, communications systems, and interactive media for new museum.
$500,000 / 24 months

CHILDREN—TOTAL AWARDED:  $1,011,700

Back-to-School Grants  
Provide 292 public elementary schools within 40 districts in Maricopa County with school clothing grants.
$551,700 / 9 months

BUILD Arizona*
Implement plans outlined for Arizona’s early childhood systems per the BUILD Arizona Blueprint.
$200,000 / 24 months

Child Abuse Prevention License Plate Program**
Support for the Child Abuses Prevention License Plate Program.
$150,000 / 36 months

ICM Food & Clothing Bank
Purchase equipment to increase food and clothing distribution.
$55,000 / 12 months

Mesa United Way
Provide furnishings and equipment within new Helen’s Hope Chest facility.
$55,000 / 12 months

HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH—TOTAL AWARDED:  $1,731,000

Mission of Mercy
Support technology upgrades to improve medical services and patient care.
$106,000 / 12 months

Northern Arizona University Foundation 
Expand physician assistant program and build-out the Health Sciences Education Building on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.
$1,500,000 / 36 months

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences
Support development of a school-based medical clinic for underserved children and youth in partnership with Roosevelt School District.
$125,000 / 12 months

OLDER ADULTS—TOTAL AWARDED:  $980,750

Benevilla
Enhance programming and renovate care centers.
$300,000 / 24 months

City of Phoenix Office of the City Manager-Youth and Education Office
Provide 18 schools with AARP Experience Corps tutors for students reading below grade level.
$340,750 / 36 months

Crossroads, Inc.
Support technology upgrades to improve patient healthcare services.
$250,000 / 12 months

Encore.org
Support the fall 2014 national Encore Nation conference to strengthen Maricopa County’s encore movement.
$50,000 / 12 months

Regional Community Partners
Implement age-friendly initiatives in pilot communities.
$40,000 / 12 months

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS—TOTAL AWARDED:  $5,000

The Salvation Army
Support hydration efforts for heat relief.
$5,000 / 12 months

OTHER—TOTAL AWARDED:  $45,000

Friends of Public Radio Arizona
Produce strategic media coverage on significant community issues.
$45,000 / 9 months

PIPER FELLOWS PROGRAM—TOTAL AWARDED:  $150,000

Piper Fellows Organizational Enhancement Awards support a specific project to address a major opportunity or challenge facing a Piper Fellow’s organization; Fellows are eligible to apply for up to $50,000. Piper Fellows Organizational Enhancement Awards for this reporting period:

About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust:
Honoring the legacy of Virginia Galvin Piper, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $328 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information, visit www.pipertrust.org. Follow us on Twitter @PiperTrust; visit us on Facebook.

*Third Sector New England as fiscal agent (www.tsne.org)
**Arizona Community Foundation as fiscal agent (www.azfoundation.org).
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MEDIA CONTACT:      
Karen Leland, 480-556-7125 / kleland@pipertrust.org
Director, Communications and External Relations
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, 1202 East Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85014