The Gilroy Foundation announced approximately $850,000 in grants and scholarships at its April 17 annual meeting.
The announcements include nearly $336,000 in grants to schools, charities and non-profit community organizations. More than a $510,000 in individual scholarships to local high school, college and vocational school students will be announced in May.
The Gilroy Foundation, founded in 1980, raises and disburses money to help meet the needs of the community in the specific areas of health, education, recreation, technology, culture and civic services. The Gilroy Foundation currently has assets of over $12 million. Since 1982, the Gilroy Foundation has awarded over $14 million in grants and scholarships.
Topping this year’s grant winners were the Gilroy Youth Alliance, which was awarded the 2019 Julie Hayes “Rising Star” Performing Arts Grant of $20,000, which educates 300 youths on social activism through the performing arts; and the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, which was awarded the Richard Hayes “Like a Rock” Industrial Arts Grant of $20,000.
The foundation also announced a “Give Where You Live” Faire on May 16. The event at the Elks Lodge on the Hill, 5:30-7:30pm is billed as “invitation only”: organizers said the guest list is made up of longtime foundation supporters, community leaders and other donors, Individuals interested in attending may email [email protected].
The foundation also announced the winners of $55,289 in competitive grants, after receiving 43 grant applications for nearly $149,000.
“With limited resources in this category of the foundation’s charitable giving, it was a challenging task,” the foundation said in a statement.
The funding sources for these competitive grants, in addition the foundation’s general fund, were: Ayer Family Fund, Sam and Judy Bozzo Family Fund, Children’s Artistic Enrichment Fund, Goldsmith Family Trust Fund, Growing Up Gilroy Fund, Neilson Family Fund, Fenton O’Connell Trust Fund, Sacco Family Fund, Sacco Family Music Fund, Shirley M. Silva Memorial Fund, South Valley Hospital Fund, Theater Angels Art League Fund and the Jim Trelut Memorial Fund.
The grant recipients for these community competitive grants included: Ascencion Solorsano Middle School, Brownell Middle School, Gateway School, Las Animas Elementary School, Luigi Aprea Parent Club,One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding Operation, Freedom Paws, Rebuilding Together, Mt. Madonna High School, Community Solutions, Gilroy High School, St. Joseph’s Family Center, Brownell Middle School Choir, Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, My New Red Shoes, Rucker Elementary School
The foundation’s designated grant awards for 2019 totaled $207,195, according to its announcement.
Topping this list of these more than 40 grants were $92,000 from the Don Christopher Fund for Christopher High School programs, $55,600 for Gilroy Unified School District elementary choral teacher, $18,750 from the Gilroy Center for the Arts Endowment Fund for the Gilroy Arts Alliance and $12,500 from the Sean Michael Merriman St. Joseph’s Family Center Fund for St. Joseph’s Family Center Programs.
A complete list of program grants and amounts can be found at gilroyfoundation.org.
