Team to Conduct Fundraising Events for the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund through the Greater Houston Community Foundation; Host Food and Supplies Drive for the Houston Food Bank and Hold Blood Drive with The Methodist Hospital

In addition to yesterday's announcement detailing the $1 million combined donation by Astros Chairman and CEO Drayton McLane, the Astros in Action Foundation, and Astros players and staff to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund through the Greater Houston Community Foundation, the Astros will be helping victims of Hurricane Ike through a number of activities at Minute Maid Park during the team's last homestand of the regular season.

"The devastation by Hurricane Ike is both heartbreaking and humbling," said Astros owner Drayton McLane. "The Astros are inspired by the strength, courage and cooperation of our fellow Southeast Texans. It is in this one-of-a-kind Texas spirit that we are initiating opportunities for all Astros fans to come together next week at Minute Maid Park and help make a difference in the lives of those in need."

Baseball: Astros, you and I can continue helping Ike victims.

Group 70 Foundation has awarded a total of $107,230 to 21 local community organizations, continuing the employee-created foundation's tradition of giving back to the community.

Group 70 Foundation was established in 2002 by the individual employees of Group 70 International, Inc., a Hawai'i-based firm specializing in sustainable development, architecture, planning and environmental services, interior design, and assets management. For the past six years, the foundation has provided grants to non-profit organizations whose missions focus on sustainability in the State of Hawai'i through design, education, culture, environmental sustainability and community development. Funds are administered by the Hawai'i Community Foundation.

Group 70 Foundation Gives $100,000+ To Local Charities.

The New Jersey Foundation for Aging (NJFA) established its Community Grant Program in 2000. Over the course of its history, NJFA has provided 32 grants to programs throughout the state.

The Community Grants Program provides support to programs which are considered innovative in meeting the needs of older persons or inspiring older persons in local communities. Innovation is defined by NJFA as being a new program or new growth of an existing program. Examples of innovative programs may include a new service designed to address an existing issue; a new model of delivering services; or a new intervention for a newly identified problem. NJFA believes that the definition of innovation should be broad as innovation in one community of New Jersey may differ from another community.

Foundation for Aging accepting grant proposals – NJ.com.

The Official Web Site for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The Skillman Foundation has awarded the Archdiocese of Detroit Office for Catholic Schools a grant of $160,000 to continue the development of “professional learning communities” for eight urban elementary schools.

In September 2006, supported by a total grant amount of $522,000 from the Skillman Foundation, the Archdiocese of Detroit City School Resource Team launched a three-year school enrichment program.

Created in 1960, The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy whose chief aim is to help develop good schools and good neighborhoods for children.

The Archdiocese of Detroit currently has eight elementary and three high schools in Detroit, with student populations which are predominantly from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Martinsville Daily – Harvest Helps Martinsville Area Community Foundation Expand.

The Harvest Foundation will grant $80,000 to the Community Foundation of Western Virginia, Inc. on behalf of the Martinsville Area Community Foundation to go towards Organization Capacity Building.

The grant will be awarded over three years and will contribute to the community’s overall Quality of Life.

The Martinsville Area Community Foundation (MACF) was formed in 2005 with endowment funds carried over from the sale of Memorial Hospital of Martinsville & Henry County in addition to a seed grant from the Harvest Foundation.

Since inception MACF has grown to over 20 endowment funds totaling approximately $11M.

To date, the organization has made grants in excess of $1M to address important community needs.

The assets of the Martinsville Area Community Foundation are growing rapidly.

With this addition, the Director of MACF will conceivably be able to do the following: have more time available for personal interaction with the community and its major stakeholders and future donors, have the necessary time to investigate and implement creative grant initiatives that would produce a more centrally-focused, collaborative effort to directly better the community and its residents.

“MACF is thrilled that The Harvest Foundation has again stepped forward with this grant at a critical point in the Community Foundation’s development.

With this funding we will be able to take the next step forward in our growth and become even better-positioned to help local families establish new endowments for the long-term benefit of the community,” said April Haynes, Director of the Martinsville Area Community Foundation.

Fred Ricart’s Foundation Accepting Grant Applications | Ricart Automotive Group.

The Ricart family has been part of the Central Ohio charity scene from the beginning.

Right now, Fred Ricart’s own charity, the Ricart Foundation, is accepting applications from qualified charitable organizations for assistance in a variety of areas.

The Ricart Foundation has already provided funding for several events in 2008, including the 2008 Hospice of Fairfield, OH Golf Outing, the 2008 Autism Event, the 2008 Sequoia PBA Event, the 2008 20 Most Outstanding Women Event, the 2008 Mark Bloom Driving School, the 2008 Ohio Nursery Exhibit, the 2008 Fallen Heroes Event and the 2008 Ronald McDonald Golf Outing.

The process for applying for consideration is simple.

Just visit the Ricart Foundation Web site.

Tell us briefly about your organization and why you’d like to be sponsored by the Ricart Foundation.

No long complicated forms, no drawn out selection process.

The Ricart Foundation is just one more way that Fred Ricart is keeping it real and keeping it simple for families in Central Ohio!

Community Foundation Donors Contribute $6,000 to the Assistance League of Greater Placer – Roseville.

Two grants distributed through the Placer Community Foundation’s Donor Advised Funds will help provide new clothes and supplies for students in need this coming school year.

The recipient of the grants, the Assistance League of Greater Placer, works to distribute the goods to students from 92 Placer County and Black Oak Mine schools through their Operation School Bell® program.

Each of the two grants came from charitable funds established by local donors at the Placer Community Foundation.

One grant for $5,000 was made from an anonymous donor while the other, in the amount of $1,000, came from the Constantino Family Fund.

For more information about the Assistance League of Greater Placer and their Operation School Bell ® program visit their national website at www.assistanceleague.org or call the Greater Chapter at their thrift shop in Fiddler Green Plaza, (530) 885-1982.

Here are resources for helping nonprofit professionals to more effectively find foundation resource.

Welcome to the Top Foundation Grants blog. This is a place to collect information on foundation grants from around the Web.