Piper Trust Awards Nearly $4.3 Million in Grants to Valley Nonprofits

PHOENIX (Sept. 16, 2009)—Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has awarded nearly $4.3 million in grants to Maricopa County nonprofits, ranging from summer youth programs and funding for pool fences to prevent children drowning, to programs for older adults to remain active in their communities.

"These grants underscore the Trust's commitment to small nonprofits and their future, as well as to a multi-million dollar investment to recruit a Nobel laureate," said Judy Jolley Mohraz, Ph.D., president and CEO of Piper Trust. A significant portion of the funds will help bring Nobel Prize winner Dr. Lee Hartwell here to continue his leadership of the Partnership for Personalized Medicine as a Piper Chair at Arizona State University.

(See the following full list of grants awarded.)

Piper Trust awarded a second three-year grant of $300,000 to the Summer Youth Program Fund. The fund represents a collaborative of more than a dozen local foundations that support structured summer programs, particularly for economically disadvantaged youth. The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust led the effort to establish the collaboration, and Arizona Community Foundation serves as fiscal agent.

"This is such an exciting program, with some 78,000 Maricopa County youth helped just in 2009," said Shawna Bradlich, Summer Youth Program Fund volunteer coordinator. "The ripple effects of this effort are enormous."

Since Piper Trust began supporting the Adopt-A-Pool-Fence program in 2005 through the United Phoenix Firefighters Association, nearly 600 pool fences have been installed at low-income households to prevent children drowning in Maricopa County. A $625,000 grant to Valley of the Sun United Way will continue and expand the program.

A $60,000 grant to VisionQuest 20/20 will help make vision screening tools more accessible to Valley schools.

"This grant will help us turn our website into a virtual teaching, training and resource center providing online, on-demand software training and support for school staff conducting eye exams through video and podcasts," said Elizabeth Reich, VisionQuest CEO. "It will also serve as a resource center for parents and an online store for donors."

Piper Trust's focus over the past five years on serving older adults has taken a big step towards becoming embedded in the community. The Trust awarded $75,000 to the Experience Matters Consortium to transition to a membership organization of community agencies interested in fostering greater older adult civic engagement. Arizona Community Foundation is the fiscal agent.

In addition, Piper funded:

• About Care, Inc. ($44,000) to support volunteer development and outreach to frail older adults, physically challenged and chronically ill homebound adults in Chandler and Gilbert.

• East Valley Adult Resources to support revamping its website, promotional materials and marketing to reflect the organization's expanded focus to attract younger participants from age 50.

• Mesa United Way program to place older adult volunteers in part-time stipended positions in community service.

"We have found tremendous knowledge and expertise in this age group and willingness to take on service projects for strategic planning, management and coordination activities," said Carol McCormick, Mesa United Way president.

A complete list of grants awarded from May 12 through Sept. 14, 2009, follows.

ARTS AND CULTURE
Actors Theatre of Phoenix
New marketing strategy focused on increasing the organization's public awareness. $20,000/12 months

East Valley Children's Theatre
Patron base expansion to identify future directions for effective development. $12,500/12 months

Friends of Public Radio Arizona
Public Radio Partnership for an Arts Matching Gifts Program to give nonprofit arts and cultural organizations an opportunity to promote programs on KJZZ and KBAQ. $64,000/12 months

Phoenix Art Museum
Support of museum's strategic planning initiative. $20,000/12 months

Phoenix Boys Choir
Professional website redesign to incorporate social media tools and expand the number of participants. $19,180/ 12 months

Phoenix Revitalization Corporation (fiscal agent for ALAC)
Advocates for Latino Arts & Culture Consortium to develop an organizational and strategic plan for a new Latino cultural center. $10,000/12 months

Sonoran Desert Chorale, Inc.
Strategic marketing plan with logo redesign, website development and promotional materials. $8,830/12 months

CHILDREN
Crossroads, Inc.
Capital project to provide meeting space for women in recovery and their children. $50,000/12 months

Summer Youth Program Fund
Funding collaborative to invest in summer programs for youth. $300,000/36 months

Valley of the Sun United Way
Continued support of the Adopt-A-Pool-Fence Program. $625,000/36 months www.vsuw.org

HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH
Arizona State University Foundation
Piper Chair for Dr. Leland Hartwell's continued work on the Partnership for Personalized Medicine. $2,500,000/60 months

VisionQuest 20/20
Website enhancements to make child vision screening tools more accessible to Valley schools. $60,000/12 months

OLDER ADULTS
About Care, Inc.
Community outreach to frail older adults and other homebound individuals. $44,000/24 months

East Valley Adult Resources
Website, promotional and marketing materials to support a new direction to attract younger participants. $60,000/12 months

Experience Matters Consortium
Community-based multi-agency effort linking older adults with purposeful activities in the nonprofit sector. $75,000/24 months

Mesa United Way
Program to place older adult volunteers in East Valley nonprofit agencies. $50,000/12 months

Sun Cities Area Transit System, Inc.
Technology upgrades to improve transportation systems to allow older adults to maintain independence. $12,000/12 months

OTHER
Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits
Identification of stimulus funds appropriate for nonprofits. $45,000/12 months

PIPER ACADEMY GRANTS
A New Leaf
Piper Academy grant to acquire software to identify qualified major donors and increase donor support. $10,000/12 months

Ballet Arizona
Piper Academy grant to support consulting services to assess the Ballet's patron and donor databases to identify and retain donors. $10,000/12 months

City of Mesa Arts and Culture Department
Piper Academy grant to support a three-agency collaborative to create new leadership among young professionals, to mine donor data and to provide board development. $10,000/12 months

Friendly House, Inc.
Piper Academy grant to support a three-agency collaborative for five board training modules delivered by ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation. $10,000/12 months

Homeward Bound
Piper Academy grant to provide one-on-one coaching and board engagement training to enhance fundraising success. $10,000/12 months

UMOM New Day Centers
Piper Academy grant to redesign and upgrade UMOM's website to allow online donations and event registration, enhance volunteer recruitment and expand the agency's catering business. $10,000/12 months

PIPER PELLOWS ORGANIZATION GRANT
Great Hearts Academies
Piper Fellows Organizational Enhancement Award to support the development of Teleos Preparatory Academy. $50,000/12 months

RELIGIOUS ORGANIATIONS
Franciscan Renewal Center
Organize and direct a long-term, comprehensive fundraising plan. $189,000/24 months

Mountain View Lutheran Church
Mind, Body and Soul Program that will engage Boomers in outreach and existing community programs. $10,000/12 months

The Salvation Army
Annual Water Drive to supply hydration stations in Maricopa County. $7,500/6 months

Total of all Published Grants: $4,292,010

About Piper Trust
A private independent foundation, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust honors Virginia Galvin Piper's philanthropic commitment to changing lives and strengthening community in Maricopa County (Arizona). By investing in nonprofits and encouraging strategic planning for the future, Piper Trust strives to make Maricopa County a stronger, more nurturing and vibrant community. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $250 million in local nonprofits and programs. The Trust had total grants paid of $23.8 million in fiscal year 2009. 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.