The Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills awards grants to nonprofit organizations with programs that address areas of focus selected by the Lutheran Church of the Foothills each year. The Hellene Henrikson Fund is a donor advised fund founded and administered by the Lutheran Church of the Foothills in Tucson through a gift from Hellene Henrikson at her passing in 2018.

Hellene was a longtime member at Lutheran Church of the Foothills. Throughout her life, Hellene generously supported her church as well as many other non-profit organizations in the Tucson area. She wished that her generosity would continue after her passing and now it does so through the work of this Fund.

Fall 2022 Grant Round

The 2022 Grant Round has closed.

Focus Area for Grant Funding

For the Fall 2022 grant solicitation being funded by the Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills, the area of focus is organizations that are working to combat housing insecurity. Housing insecurity is the lack of security of individual shelter which may result from high housing costs relative to income, poor housing quality, unstable neighborhoods, or overcrowding. Grant recipients may also seek to address the physical, mental, or societal impacts of housing insecurity.

Fall 2022 Grant Round

The Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills is inviting nonprofit organizations to submit an application for up to $15,000 total (direct and indirect) for the Fall 2022 grant solicitation. This cap represents a guide. The request should be for the amount required, and requests for more than this amount will be considered. A total of $60,000 will be granted, with the objective of funding 2 to 4 applications.

Basic Eligibility Requirements:

  • The applicant must be a 501(c)(3) in good standing, based in and doing charitable work in Southern Arizona, specifically Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Cochise County.
  • The organization must have local leadership in the form of a board of directors or advisory committee, local financial support, and local program management and accountability. In the case of nationally sponsored organizations, no portion of the grant can be used to support the national, state, or regional entity.
  • Grants are generally not made to individuals, for-profit organizations, government entities, capital fund drives, agency endowments, individual schools, or for sectarian purposes.
  • Organizations will not be eligible to reapply until the next grant solicitation.

One of the guiding principles of the Hellene Henrikson Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Foothills and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is to honor the rich diversity of our community and to promote equal opportunities for all people. Awards made by the foundation’s various grant panels support organizations that do not discriminate in their employment practices, volunteer opportunities or delivery of programs and services on the basis of Race, Religion, Gender or Gender Identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), Gender Expression, Sexual orientation, Age, Ancestry, Citizenship, Ethnicity, Familial Status, Socioeconomic Status (economic circumstances), Color, Creed, Sex (including pregnancy), Phases of Parenthood, National Origin, Marital Status, Veteran Status (past, current or prospective service in the armed forces), Genetic Information, Physical Characteristics or Appearance, Mental or Physical Disability, Any other status prohibited by applicable law.

Priority will be given to organizations that:

  • Have involved staff, volunteers, and current/potential participants in the planning and implementation of the proposed program.
  • Can clearly articulate the outcomes the program/participants will achieve and be able to collect the data to demonstrate measurable progress toward the accomplishment of those outcomes.
  • Can provide a clear description of plans to sustain the organization and/or program beyond the grant period.
  • Organizations serving families with children or seniors, while not excluding organizations that do not serve families with children or seniors.

Funding Period and Timeline:

  • The grant request period should be one year, from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023.
  • Solicitation period September 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022.
  • The deadline for submitting applications is September 30, 2022, by 5:00 PM MST, through Common Grant Application.

Common Grant Application:

First-time users of Common Grant Application click here to apply. 

If you have already applied for a grant using Common Grant Application you should have an account.  Returning users click here to apply.

How to Apply Tutorial: