Nonprofits can compete for grants in community wide contest
Grant winners will be announced during the annual event "A Night for Nonprofits"
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Each nonprofit at these tables has a specific mission.
And each nonprofit survives on donations. That’s what brought representatives of the community groups to an informational luncheon at the Community Development Foundation.
An affiliate of the CREATE Foundation known as LEAD, or Lee County Empowering, Advancing and Developing, will award grants to nonprofits that have new initiatives that address the needs of Lee County.
“New little projects, like when we found out people were food insufficient, we helped them, we also found out a school wanted to install a playground and it was not in the budget, so families came together to find seed money, this event helps won profits to communicate and network and find out what they can do to help each other,” said Amanda Angle, chairman of LEAD.
The grant winners are announced during an event called “Night for Nonprofits.”
Each nonprofit will receive $250 for submitting an application. The first-place winner gets $10,000, $5,000 for second place and $2,500 for third. There is also a crowd favorite, with a prize of $2,500.
Charlotte Warfield is the founder of “Peanut’s Place”, an adult day center for people with special needs. Last year, she won the crowd favorite and has never looked back.
“Last year, we were just a concept and then we opened our pilot program on January 9. It has been amazing and exposure from being a crowd favorite helped allow us to do this,” Warfield said.
Representatives from other organizations say the grants are a big help, especially when inflation is shrinking the impact of the dollar.
“I have a goal in mind to start a women’s health program specifically for women in menopause because we have older women in the workforce that might need some women’s health resources,” said Hannah Maharrey, executive director of the Good Samaritan Health Services.
“Every nonprofit needs money, to fulfill their mission and vision and this is just one more way that Lee County helps with that need in our community,” said Charlise Latour, of Dancing with the King.
“Not only do we have an opportunity to win grant awards to help with our projects and services and programs but we get to interact and meet other nonprofits doing great things,” said Katina Davis, of Wear it Well.
The next step is for nonprofits to go online and apply. They also need to submit a two-minute video, talking about their organization and their grant request.
The deadline is August 30. Winners will be announced at the “Night for Nonprofits” event on September 30.
For more information, call Julia Monts at (925)548-3510 or email at leadleeco@gmail.com
