Press Release
20 Arizona nonprofits receive $2,379,000 Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust grants
March 15, 2008
(Phoenix) –The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust awarded $2,379,000 to 20 Arizona nonprofit organizations March 12, 2008. In keeping with its 10-year tradition, the Trust held a presentation at the location of a former grant recipient. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North
Galvin Parkway, hosted the check presentation at 3:30 p.m. Recipients
began arriving at 3 p.m. for refreshments and an informal reception
with Trustees, staff and representatives from organizations receiving
grants.
“During her lifetime, Nina Mason Pulliam dedicated her assets and business expertise to organizations helping people in need, protecting animals and nature and enriching community life in her hometown of Phoenix,” said Frank E. Russell, Trustee chairman. “Since the Trust began its grantmaking in 1998, it has awarded more than $72 million to
332 Arizona nonprofit organizations.
“The Trust continues Nina’s legacy and belief that we all have a responsibility to give back to our community. Nina called Phoenix and Indianapolis home, which is the reason her Trust divides its grantmaking evenly between organizations in these cities,” Russell added.
“Today’s grant recipients represent every area of the Trust’s interests and, of special note, four grantees are first-time recipients. The Trust is pleased to continue to build on its legacy of community grantmaking through the wonderful work of the Trust family of grantees,” said Harriet Ivey, Trust president and CEO.
“In the first 10 years of its 50-year life, Nina’s Trust has evolved into a strong resource for nonprofit groups and has focused on building relationships with organizations that are working to assist those in need, with an emphasis on encouraging self-sufficiency. The Trust serves individuals, including the elderly and disabled, women, children and their families,” Trustee Carol P. Schilling said.
Helping People in Need grant recipients are: Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, Eve’s Place, Inc., Junior Achievement of Arizona, Inc., Phoenix Rescue Mission, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, Southwest Conservation Corps, Southwest Valley Literacy, Inc., Sun Sounds Foundation, Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services, UMOM New Day Centers Inc. and The Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation.
“Throughout her life, Nina supported efforts to protect animals of all kinds, and was an early conservationist for her beloved lands and habitats of Arizona,” Schilling said.
Protecting Animals and Nature grant recipients are: Animal Defense League of Arizona, Healing Hearts Animal Sanctuary, Inc., The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, Peregrine Fund, Inc. and Sonoran Institute.
“The Trust continues Nina’s legacy of bringing cultural and educational experiences to children and adults who otherwise might not have realized such opportunities,” Schilling explained.
Enriching Community Life grant recipients are: Free Arts of Arizona and Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children, Inc.
“During her life, Nina brought the dream of higher education to many. She created college scholarship programs for newspaper employees’ children and newspaper carriers (during the days of carrier boys and girls who made neighborhood rounds on bicycle, delivering daily subscriptions of Pulliam newspapers to doorsteps). She also quietly funded college tuition for children whom she had met and whose families could not afford the cost of higher education,” Trustee Nancy M. Russell explained. “The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program continues Nina’s desire to bring the experience of a college education to those who are overlooked by traditional scholarship programs.”
Nina Scholars are 25 years or older with dependents, college-age students and adults with physical disabilities, or college-age youth who were raised in the foster care system and are self-supporting. The seventh cohort of 23 Phoenix students began their studies last fall at Arizona State University and Maricopa Community Colleges. Applications for cohort 8 are available with a deadline of April 1.
Since the Nina Scholars program began in 2001, it has touched the lives of more than 167 men and women in Phoenix. “Nina believed in education’s power to transform lives, and our Nina Scholars are testimony to this,” Russell added.
To receive additional Nina Scholars program information visit the Trust
Scholars page or contact: Cory Gonzales, nina.scholars@asu.edu
at ASU, 480-727-6561; or Monica Castaneda, nina.scholars@domail.maricopa.edu at Maricopa Community Colleges, 480-731-8820.
The Trust, which also makes grants in Indiana, had approximately $400 million in assets as of December 31, 2007.
The next preliminary application deadline for nonprofit organizations applying to the Trust for funding is May 5, 2008.
Preliminary applications may be obtained through the Application
page on our web site; by writing to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable
Trust, 2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600B, Phoenix, AZ 85016; or
by calling 602-955-3000.