Connecting generosity to community need.
Scholarship Applications Open Dec. 1-Mar. 24
Dorothy Fry, Nikki Geragotelis (Fry) Memorial Scholarship, recently met with parents
and students during the HHS Financial Aid and Scholarship Information Night.
Lauren Seaton, Homer Foundation Office & Program Manager, and Dorothy Fry (Nikki Geragotelis (Fry) Memorial Scholarship), recently participated in a Financial Aid and Scholarship Information Night at Homer High School (HHS). The event was hosted by HHS counselors Paul Story and Sue Reynolds and attended by approximately 50 parents and students.
The Homer Foundation is proud to be the largest local awarder of scholarships on the Southern Kenai Peninsula. This year, over $40,000 is available for awards through our 16 scholarship programs. Homer Foundation scholarships are supported by permanent endowments administered by the Foundation and would not be possible without the vision and generosity of community donors. Since the Foundation started administering scholarships in 2000, it has awarded 349 individual scholarships totaling $463,997.
“These scholarships have value well beyond the monetary. Each one sends an important message to the recipient and their family: ‘You have a future and your community believes in you,” said Mike Miller, Homer Foundation Executive Director.
Scholarship Applications are open Dec. 1, 2023 – March 24, 2024. For information on current year awards, deadlines and applications, visit: www.homer.org/scholarship-applications/ or follow the QR code below.
Legacy Giving
“Homer Foundation knows our community and they are here for us.” Cameale Johnson
Our donors have many reasons why they chose to partner with us from local expertise, trust & accountability, personalized service and holistic community focus.
Cameale Johnson recently sat down with us to share her personal story of how the generosity of others transformed her life at a pivotal moment, and why she has chosen to become a Homer Foundation Legacy Donor. (follow this link)
From Annual Giving to Legacy Giving, the Homer Foundation offers a variety of options for donors to invest in our community. To learn more, contact Mike Miller, Executive Director, mmiller@homerfoundation.org, 907-235-0551.
CCF Welcomes Angie and Chris Newby
Homer Foundation is pleased to welcome Angie and Chris Newby as our first Community Cares Fund investors. “We’re excited to establish a CCF fund. Creating a fund with the Homer Foundation is something we’ve been thinking about for a while and this is just the opportunity we’ve been looking for,” shared Angie Newby.
Curious? You can get started today with a CCF investment of just $5,000 – and even less! For the first 10 donors to the fund, just $2,500 gets your CCF rolling thanks to a generous 1:1 match from the Homer Foundation Board. From here, you can begin to build your legacy. As return on your CCF grows, it is invested back into the community thru grants awarded under the guidance of the Homer Foundation Community Grants Committee, helping to meet most urgent community needs and greatest opportunities for impact.
To find out more, contact Mike Miller, Executive Director, today at 907-235-0551 or mmiller@homerfoundation.org
Hospice of Homer
Homer Trails Alliance
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
“Volunteers come to Hospice of Homer with so much to give…Targeted education can enrich the experience for
clients, caregivers, and volunteers.”
Hospice of Homer received a $5,000 grant to support “Walking Each Other Homer”, an education journey for their End-of-Life doula program. Volunteer death doulas complement the existing healthcare system and ease some of the strain on home health nurses at South Peninsula Hospital. The number of individuals ages 65 and older living in the Southern Kenai Peninsula is growing more rapidly than in other parts of Alaska. Hospice of Homer is looking ahead to the needs of this community and building sustainable programs to help them to safely live in their homes longer and to die with dignity and respect in the location of their choosing.
“This grant helps make it possible possible for us to spend more time doing what we do: building and maintaining trails“
In early summer 2021, community volunteers organized to champion trails and connectivity within Homer’s neighborhoods. As a result, the Homer Trails Alliance was (HTA) created to advocate for trails, to coordinate safe walkability efforts
with community partners, and to maintain and develop trails on the north side of Kachemak Bay. A $5,000 grant will help fund the purchase of an ATV so HTA can “spend more time doing what we do, building and maintaining trails, instead of spending so much time figuring out logistically how we are going to move materials by hand or who would be willing to lend us their ATV.”
“As the KHLT land conservation portfolio grows and the complexities of permanent
land conservation increase, we must focus on efficiency to remain nationally accredited and meet the needs of our community and land we protect.”
Founded in 1989, KHLT is the oldest Alaskan land trust. Their mission is to acquire and conserve
land. KHLT then monitors their lands annually to identify if there are any changed conditions that are inconsistent with the conservation purposes of the property, whether it is owned
outright or protected through a conservation easement. A $4,000 grant from the Homer Foundation will help KHLT advance GIS mapping technologies and staff skills.
Update from the Executive Director
December Potpourri…..
Annual Report: Our Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Repot is out now. Along with being a large part of our transparency and a great marketing tool, the report contains some interesting facts about the Foundation. (Did you know we’ve given away more than $5,000,000 in grants and scholarships?) The report also has some great stories about grants and donors. If you’d like a hard copy send a note to info@homerfoundation.org or you can find it on our website here 2023-Annual-Report.
Annual Meeting: Thank you for everyone who came out to the annual meeting. It was wonderful to see so many friends. Many thanks to the Homer Council on Arts for hosting the space for us, especially Scott Bartlett who along with Homer musicians, Martie Krohn, Cathy Stingly and Cindy McKenna, provided the evenings music. They were simply wonderful. Also congratulations to the “People’s Choice” grant recipients, Homer Council on the Arts $500 and two grants to the Homer Community Food Pantry for a total of $1000! The people have spoken.
End of year giving: Wherever you give, don’t forget to be generous to the causes you care about. Inflation cuts into their ability to accomplish their missions too. If you can manage it, help a little extra where it does the most good.
While we’re talking about giving, don’t forget about the ongoing donation match we have at the Homer Foundation. Through the end of the year thanks to a generous gift, Dave and Beth Schroer will match all gifts to the Homer Foundation Opportunity Fund up to $25,000. The Opportunity Fund is what we use to make community grants right where they’re needed. You can double your gift to your community!
That’s a happy holiday! Be warm and safe.
Philanthropy Reflection of the Month
Giving reminds us of our capacity to make a difference.