The Contemporary Arts Center announced that it has been awarded three separate grants originating from a family foundation, a community foundation and a Federal agency, totaling over $100,000. Bank Foundation, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts all have revealed recently their awards to the Contemporary Arts Center . Bank Foundations award provides operational support. One of only a handful in the region to be awarded this grant, the CAC will use it to bring jobs to the area.

Scott Brown and Tom Burns of the Greater Dover Advisory Board and Hugh Leahy of the Delaware Community Foundation presented a grant $2,183 to Whatcoat Social Service Agency - WSSA Food Pantry.

Whatcoat Social Service Agency - WSSA Food Pantry is a program that was established to meet the need of those low income families who are going through a crisis such as job loss, illness, or domestic issues. Some need a chance to apply for food stamps while others need to supplement their food budget. Our objective is to keep those who come to us from being hungry.

A recent round of grants is alleviating some of the stress local nonprofits are feeling in the tough economy.

The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County Thursday granted a total of $744,750 to 53 local nonprofits that provide safety-net services.

"The effects of the recession hit nonprofits particularly hard," said Luis Chabolla, community and education officer for the foundation.

The San Juan Island Community Foundation, at the request of the Critical Needs Task Force Steering Committee, today awarded thirteen grants totaling more than $50,000 to local organizations targeted at helping those most affected by the current economic turn-down.

The funded projects range from increasing capacity of existing service providers to creating new pilot programs that are designed to cover unmet needs in our community. Expanded food delivery to the needy, social and health services assistance and children’s programs are addressed by the grants. New projects include a community services database in print and electronic form for easy and comprehensive access to local resources, and the creation of a volunteer coordination center to help match community service projects to local volunteers.

The Baltimore Community Foundation has awarded $245,000 in grants to 21 local nonprofits focused on educational programs.

Providing our youth with excellent educational choices and after-school enrichment options is essential to building the next generation of productive workers, homeowners, citizens, and taxpayers, Baltimore Community Foundation CEO Tom Wilcox said in a statement.

The Bridgeport Public Education Fund has received a $25,000 grant from the Fairfield County Community Foundation for its college bound program, Mentoring for Academic Achievement and College Success (MAACS).

The mentoring program pairs college students from Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University and the University of Bridgeport with students from the three Bridgeport public high schools.

Southwest Florida Community Foundation awarded $86,000 to United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades as fiscal sponsor of the Hunger Task Force of Southwest Florida through the community foundation's annual Initiative Grant.

"The Community Foundation's Trustees decided in November to select hunger as the focus issue of the Initiative, recognizing that hunger is a critical community issue," said Anne Douglas, SWFLCF director of programs.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation's annual Initiative Grant focus area is determined in November.

The California Community Foundation has just awarded $900,000 to 19 Southern California nonprofit organizations. The grants are the first step in a three-phased Immigrant Integration Initiative to help immigrants integrate more fully into the civic and economic life of Los Angeles County. A total of $3.75 million has been allocated for additional programs in the Foundation’s five-year initiative effort.

Awards range from $25,000 to $200,000 for programs designed to ease tensions between immigrants and long-time residents, advocate for better community food resources and work with developers to influence local housing and commercial design projects. Other grantees will provide immigrants with increased access to job services and English language instruction in the workplace.

The Akron Community Foundation is throwing a financial lifeline to Akron's art community.

It has approved quarterly grants totaling $1,666,085. That includes 31 community fund grants totaling $474,000, with $421,000 for arts and culture programs.

The foundation reports that it is assisting struggling arts groups with grants for operational needs during the economic downturn.

The foundation also set aside funds for those in need of food assistance. It approved $25,000 to establish the Food Pantry Capacity Fund. The effort will help Summit County food pantries buy the equipment they need to store and distribute fresh food.

''A vital part of Akron Community Foundation's mission is to respond to needs in the community as they arise,'' said foundation President and CEO John T. Petures Jr. in a prepared statement. ''The Food Pantry Capacity Fund does exactly that and, together, we will better position area food pantries to serve individuals and families who need it most.''

The foundation also granted 232 grants totaling $1,192,085 from 79 designated and donor-advised funds.

The Akron Community Foundation was founded in 1955.

The Madison Community Foundation is sponsoring three years of access to Community Cars fleet of hybrid and high-mileage vehicles.

Independent Living can now take the $5,000 a year it had spent on vehicle-related expenses and keep prices low for its Meals on Wheels clients, usually elderly residents, said Rita Giovannoni, Independent Living CEO.

After the three years of foundation sponsorship, Independent Living could continue with Community Car on its own at 50 percent of what they spent on transportation before the Madison Community Foundation suggested a partnership with Community Car, a Madison-based car sharing organization.

To encourage interest in volunteering for Independent Living and Meals on Wheels, Community Car is waiving its application fee for Independent Living volunteers.