The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, founded in 1959, brings together the collective generosity of individuals, families and businesses to drive lasting change across Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker counties. By pooling resources and investing in nonprofits, the Foundation helps build stronger communities for all who call the region home.
Donors to the Foundation can target their contributions to specific causes they care about while drawing on the local knowledge and expertise of Community Foundation staff. Donors can also participate in the Giving Together program, in which they co-invest with the Foundation’s Community Impact Fund and expand the reach of its twice-yearly competitive grant cycle.
The Foundation’s spring 2025 competitive grant cycle awarded more than $1.5 million to 56 area nonprofits. The fall grant cycle opens for applications from nonprofits on July 28.
By taking part, donors learn about a wide range of new programs and non-profits that are meeting critical local needs. Donors have co-invested more than $13 million through Giving Together since 2013, including $788,000 in 2024.
The Community Foundation supporters and long-time Trussville residents Sid and Mellony McNeal of Trussville donated to Giving Together for the first time in 2024, and they “plan to be regular donors in the future,” Sid said.
“After Mellony and I came to understand how the Community Foundation works and the value it’s brought to the area for many decades, we looked at the various funds they manage and we landed on the Giving Together fund,” Sid said. “We like the fact that Giving Together supports innovative, scalable solutions to our community’s biggest challenges. With the Giving Together fund, the foundation can evaluate immediate and changing needs from year to year based on its twice-yearly process and get more money out to meet urgent, immediate needs to organizations.”
The Community Foundation gives prospective donors lots of ways to participate, Sid said. “The Foundation has a lot of diversity in terms of their funds, so there's something at the foundation for everybody,” he said.
The McNeals have enjoyed learning about the Foundation’s funds and initiatives. “The diversity of funds and the ease of donating online really drew our attention,” Sid said. “We can participate at any financial level that we’re comfortable with.”
Donors receive the benefit of an immediate tax deduction and are able to maximize their charitable impact by supporting the causes they care about most.
To learn more about funds at the Foundation or taking part in Giving Together, contact Liz Edwards at 205-327-3808 or ledwards@cfbham.org.
For more about the Community Foundation, call 205-327-3800 or go to cfbham.org.
