Collage of CORE Grantees engaging in their work serving vulnerable and marginalized populations.

42 Days of CORE Impact

CFSA provided $854,000 in CORE Grants to 42 nonprofits in Southern Arizona to provide the flexible working capital necessary to maximize their impact and improve the quality of life in Southern Arizona.

CFSA’s 2021 CORE Grants are made possible with support from CFSA’s Unrestricted Fund and Field of Interest Funds, our generous Donor Advised Fundholders, and the Connie Hillman Family Foundation. Areas funded include human services; arts and culture; environment and animals; legal services; education; health; youth and elderly services; immigrant services; and Native/Indigenous support.

Each week, a new funded organization will be added to this article as we celebrate 42 days of CORE! 

CORE 2021 Grant Recipients

3rd Decade

“The funds from the CORE Grant will be used to engage a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion partner to ensure that the correct scaffolding is in place, allowing 3rd Decade to be more mindful and educated on how our program is reaching all communities and audiences.” – Scott Bennett, Executive Director, 3rd Decade

Adult Literacy Plus of Southwest Arizona

“CFSA’s CORE funding supports our adult education workforce training program. Our students earn industry recognized credentials that lead to high school equivalency, post-secondary education, and employment. To Adult Literacy Plus, unrestricted CORE funding means ‘trust’ that will enable the agency to better serve the community through flexible planning, refinement, practice, action, and expansion.” – Jesse Figueroa, Program Director, Adult Literacy Plus of Southwest Arizona

Amerind Museum

“CORE grant funding is an investment in sharing Indigenous history and contemporary voices with the community through our museum collections and public programming. In these cultural roots, there is history, wisdom, and artistic inspiration that grows empathy and understanding towards one another and the social challenges of today. 2021 CORE funds will most benefit our quickly growing youth cultural education outreach, supporting the development of 30 federally grant funded classroom lesson plans for educators–available locally, nationally, and even globally with the advancements in remote learning and curriculum access.” – Kelly Holt, Director of Philanthropy

Arivaca Human Resource Group

Two people standing with their arms around each other“As a designated impoverished rural community, Arivaca and its 700+ residents rely heavily on AHR to provide necessities. The funding received will enable us to continue our mission of serving the fragile and vulnerable residents of our community by providing for their basic needs.” – Linda Richardson, Director

Arizona Justice for Our Neighbors

“The immigrants we work with are low-income immigrants who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. Access to an immigration attorney can make a difference in their ability to attain immigration status in the United States. Ultimately, it may mean that these families can stay together, that they can have the opportunity for meaningful employment, and can have access to education.” – Alba Jaramillo, Executive Director, Arizona Justice For Our Neighbors

BICAS

“Thanks to CORE funding, BICAS is able to expand accessibility to affordable bicycle transportation through education and bicycle salvage to reach Tucsonans of all ages and backgrounds. BICAS strives to make bicycling available to as many people as possible and to break down barriers such as cost, tool access, and experience. Thank you CFSA donors and partners!” – Kristin McRay, BICAS Education Coordinator

Boys & Girls Club of the Sun Corridor

“Last year’s grant helped us open our first Club in Maricopa (the city, which is in Pinal County), and this year’s grant will allow us to expand our impact in that same community. We will use these funds to add a new member to our development team. Their focus will be on generating income (from businesses, foundations and individuals) and working with our Maricopa Community Board to develop partnerships in that community.” – Matthew Lemberg, Executive Director

Boys to Men

“As we enter into exciting new partnerships with other community organizations, we need flexible funding that helps us to build the internal infrastructure needed to support these innovative partnerships. Receiving one of the many CORE grants in 2021 means that BTMT is going to be able to expand our impact more efficiently and effectively, thanks to the generous support of CFSA and their stakeholders.” – Michael Brasher, Executive Director, Boys to Men

Constructing Circles of Peace

“’Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.’ Thank you CFSA for this grant that will help make a difference for Santa Cruz County residents.” – Blanca Acosta, Executive Director

Felicia's Farm

Crates of fruits and vegetables loaded on a truck.“Thank you so very much Community Foundation for Southern Arizona! Your help is multiplied through Felicia’s Farm and all of the organizations we partner with to grow food for those most in need.” – Cathy Lolwing, Executive Director, Felicia’s Farm

Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Chain link fence with signs on it saying: “Receiving a CORE grant will allow GSP to focus on earth justice, migrant justice, and social justice, and continue to be a beacon of hope to our community. Thank you CFSA!” – Jessica Swift, Director of Children, Youth & Families

Green Valley Sheriff's Auxiliary Volunteers

“The CORE funds will be used towards the purchase of new technology and computers for training new Academy recruits and existing volunteers. This will allow us to expand our capabilities, with the goal of enhancing the services we provide to Green Valley and surroundings communities.” – Kathy Stacken, Vice President

Growth Partners Arizona

“It is critical that nonprofits, as well as underserved small businesses outside of the economic mainstream, have access to accessible, fair, and responsible loans and support as needed. As a Community Development Financial Institution, the mission of Growth Partners Arizona is to assist marginalized nonprofits and small businesses, and achieve economic justice through forward-thinking, collaborative and inclusive approaches to capital access. The Core Grant from CFSA is a big operational boost, allowing us to continue building our organization and programs, which in turn will increase awareness in our target markets and grow the number of new loans we can make. The more capital access we can provide, the more we help improve our communities in Arizona. We appreciate CFSA’s partnership.” – Lesli Pintor, Executive Director

International Sonoran Desert Alliance

“CORE grant funding will empower the International Sonoran Desert Alliance to continue building more hopeful, resilient and sustainable Sonoran Desert communities throughout the bioregion.” – Aaron Cooper, Executive Director, International Sonoran Desert Alliance

KXCI

The CORE grant means a great deal for KXCI–it helps us continue our mission of providing exceptional programming to our listeners 24/7 while connecting our Tucson and Southern Arizona communities to each other and to the world. It also helps KXCI reach further by giving platform to other Southern Arizona nonprofits, advancing underserved community voices, and growing outreach and education programs.” – Cheron Taylor, KXCI

Live Theatre Workshop

“Live Theatre Workshop believes that great theatre and theatre education should be accessible to all. The economic, social, and educational benefits of thriving arts communities are even more powerful when they are equitable and far reaching. CFSA has become an outstanding partner with the CORE grant program by funding Live Theatre Workshop’s efforts to innovate, take risks, and aim to set a high bar for what accessible theatre in our community can be.” – Michael Martinez, Executive Director, Live Theatre Workshop

Make Way for Books

“CORE funding will help us take this work to the next level by building our staff’s capacity, knowledge, and skills to adapt for the future. Thanks to this support, we’ll continue to learn, innovate, and grow our digital programming and solutions to address the unique challenges of our communities here in Arizona. CORE funding will help us ensure that our community is a place where more children and families will have the possibility to realize their full potential.”

Parent Aid

“Funds from the CORE Grant will allow Parent Aid to sustainably fund 20 families annually in our flagship SafeCare in-home visitation program for years to come that would otherwise go unserved. SafeCare partners with parents to build skills in safety, home-health, and parent-child interactions giving caregivers greater family bonds, stronger family communication and increased confidence as a parent.” Allan Stockellburg, Executive Director

SARSEF

“With the support of a CORE Grant from CFSA, SARSEF will be able to offer more services and materials in Spanish to better serve Arizona’s families as they support their students in connecting to science and engineering.” – Julie Euber, COO, SARSEF

“Con el otorgamiento de CORE de parte de CFSA, SARSEF podrá ofrecer más servicios y materiales en español para servir mejor a las familias de Arizona mientras apoyan a sus estudiantes en la conexión con la ciencia y la ingeniería.”

Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports

“People with disabilities have largely been unrecognized as a population for public health attention. CORE funding through CFSA will help us improve the health of this population through the programs and services we provide at Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports. Thank you CFSA for supporting the health and wellness of our community.” – Mia Hansen, Executive Director, Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports

Step Up to Justice

“Our nimbleness as an organization – supported by CORE funds – allows Step Up to Justice to adapt quickly to the changing legal needs of our low-income neighbors. When Pima County residents are threatened by civil legal barriers to justice in housing, employment, family law, end-of-life decisions, and other critical areas, we strive to close the justice gap for those who need but cannot afford an attorney.” – Michele Mirto, Executive Director, Step Up to Justice

ReSources Vail

“ReSources Vail is so thrilled and honored to have been chosen for funding through CSFA’s CORE grant. We will use this grant to help fund our weekly back pack program for the VAIL School district and meal delivery services to homebound individuals in our rural area. We will also use funds to make upgrades to our thrift store‘s Point-of-Sale system and other areas to ensure we stay viable in years to come.” – Stefanie Stark, Former General Manager

Tucson Girls Chorus

“The initiative of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona to encourage donors to grant unrestrictedly, allows the TGC and other community organizations to create and serve with flexibility and innovation. Thank you CFSA for your meaningful work and great impact in our community!” -Dr. Marcela Molina, Director

Watershed Management Group

“Watershed Management Group is thrilled to receive CORE funding to grow our programmatic and fundraising capacity to fulfill our 50-year vision of restoring Tucson’s heritage of flowing creeks and rivers.” – Lisa Shipek, Executive Director, Watershed Management Group