Alabama

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has announced the addition of five board members for terms beginning in 2025. The new board members are Anupam Agarwal, Tate Forrester, Danny McKinney, Mitchie Neel, and Ralph Williams. In addition, the foundation appointed Sanjay Singhas board chair.

California

The Lodi Community Foundation (LCF) has announced that it will receive a gift of nearly $30 million from the estate of Sheila Wishek. The bequest will be used to support grantmaking efforts focused on issues affecting Lodi and surrounding areas in perpetuity. Given the unexpected scale of the gift, which is more than triple the foundation’s assets entering 2025, the LCF board has begun assessing and expanding its organizational capacity and developing “best practices” policies and procedures.

The Sacramento Region Community Foundation has announced the addition of Janine Bera to its board of directors. Bera serves as chief medical officer of WellSpace Health, a regional health network that provides medical, dental, behavioral, and supportive health services to more than 125,000 people annually.

Connecticut

The Derby-based Valley Community Foundation (VCF) has announced that attorney Gregory J. Pepe and Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CFGNH) president and CEO Karen DuBois-Walton have joined its board of directors. Pepe, a longtime community advocate, has previously served on the CFGNH board. DuBois-Walton continues the longstanding tradition of CFGNH’s president serving on VCF’s board.

Louisiana

The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) has announced that its New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund Steering Committee has published a draft protocol for how the funds will be distributed to families who lost loved ones and to those who were severely injured or impacted by the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street, which left 14 people dead and dozens injured. The public is invited to review the draft and provide feedback. GNOF will host a town hall meeting on January 27.

New Jersey

The Princeton Area Community Foundation has announced grants totaling $2.4 million to more than 50 nonprofits working to address community needs, including education, workforce development, food security, homelessness, and mental health. Recipients include Hearts and Homes Ministries, Playhouse Artists, Mercer Street Friends, and Anchor House.

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Foundation has announced grants totaling $260,000 to 13 organizations across the state working to help Rhode Islanders stay housed this winter. Recipients include Amos House, East Bay Community Action Program, Open Doors, and Turning Around Ministries.

Washington, D.C.

On Maternal Health Awareness Day, the Greater Washington Community Foundation announced a $250,000 grant from its Developing Families Maternal Health Fund to help Mamatoto Village sustain and expand its maternal health and perinatal workforce training center in the heart of Ward 7. As part of a planned expansion effort, the commitment will enable Mamatoto Village to pay off its construction loan and own its building outright—becoming one of the few Black-led organizations in the district to do so. The space has already helped Mamatoto increase its volume of service delivery, grow its staff, and maintain a 0 percent maternal mortality rate.

Wisconsin

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region in Appleton has announced that its SAC Developmental Disabilities Fund has awarded $22,340 in grants to 17 nonprofit organizations to support inclusive and accessible programs from camps and clubs to mental health programming and musical therapy. Recipients include Covey, Inc., Easter Seals Wisconsin, New Hope Center, and Special Olympics of Wisconsin-Fox Valley.