Fairbanks is the second-largest community in Alaska, so it only makes sense that it would be a significant focal point for philanthropy in the state. But although the Fairbanks North Star Borough covers 7,361 square miles of land, fewer than 100,000 people live there. It’s a place of great contrasts and an eclectic population of indigenous residents and hearty transplants who have been intrigued by the wilderness of the region.
To address local needs, the Golden Heart Community Foundation (GHCF) serves as a hub for philanthropy in the area. It is an affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation but has its own program manager and grant application guidelines. If your organization serves this part of Alaska, here’s what you need to know about GHCF.
A broad range of interests
As a community foundation serving a remote area that only a few other funders are paying close attention to, it behooves GHCF to be open to any and all nonprofit efforts in its vicinity. The foundation considers a broad range of community needs in the Fairbanks and North Pole region, including health, education, arts and culture, the great outdoors and community development.
Recent annual grants have gone toward cultural performances in schools, adult literacy, food bank services for sick patients and developing a community response to chronically inebriated people. Grantees include the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska, Fairbanks Community Food Bank and Fairbanks Children’s Museum.
Responding to urgent needs
Historically, most GHCF grants have gone toward programs and projects associated with the regular work of local nonprofits. However, this funder is known to shift gears and respond to urgent needs during times of crisis.
For example, it offered special COVID-19 response grants in 2020 to address pressing needs at the time, such as warming center spaces for the homeless, meals for seniors, and shelters for mothers and children. Helping people with disabilities, providing lunches to kids out of school, purchasing masks to help businesses safely reopen and supporting telehealth for vulnerable populations were also elements of that emergency commitment.
Applying for a GHCF grant
GHCF has an accessible grant program and a competitive annual cycle that offers grants between $500 and $2,500. Nonprofits, schools, churches and Tribal entities are all welcome to apply. This is a funder that favors project support over general operating support or capital campaigns. Projects pitched to GHCF should be completed within a year, and applications should be submitted by early October.
Learn more about the Golden Heart Community Foundation and other affiliate foundations that operate in Alaska by checking out IP’s Northwest funding guide.