This article was written by Mary Kate Vanderglas, director of marketing and communications at Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky.
While our world may look a little different these days, we at Horizon Community Funds feel confident we are hitting our stride with this “new normal.” Over the past few years, nonprofit organizations and donors alike have learned to pivot to address the unique issues that our community has faced. We are more agile when responding to needs, donors are giving at a higher rate, and nonprofits are finding new ways to serve their neighbors.
Our Impact in 2021
For us, 2021 was a record-breaking year in many ways, especially in terms of contributions. We received $15.6 million from donors, bringing us to a total of $47.5 million in contributions since 2017. Larger donations are of course essential to a community foundation, but we could not thrive without smaller gifts as well. 80 percent of the donations we received in 2021 were gifts under $1,000 and 57 percent were under $100. Our success is indisputably due to a collective effort from donors at every level.
Because of our generous neighbors, we were able to grant $4.2 million back to the community, totaling $16 million since inception. These dollars addressed a wide array of needs in Northern Kentucky, including pandemic-related needs, poverty, healthcare, education, and economic development.
For the past two years, we have been addressing pandemic-related needs through our Horizon NKY Coronavirus Relief Fund. This fund was established in March of 2020 to support our neighbors most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and our community rallied together to raise more than $2.1 million for this effort. Since then, the grants we’ve made have assisted more than 85,000 Northern Kentuckians affected by the pandemic. In 2021, we granted more than $280,000 for needs related to emergency rental assistance, food insecurity, and mental health concerns, stemming from causes such as loss of income and general stress brought on by the pandemic.
We granted more than ever from our Community Impact Fund, which provides funding to nonprofits that accelerate change, innovate solutions, and leverage partnerships and resources in Northern Kentucky. This fund allows us to assess our community’s needs and support Northern Kentucky’s most critical endeavors, both now and in the future. The Community Impact Fund relies on generous donors, business partnerships, and other support to bring grant opportunities to Northern Kentucky. In 2021, we distributed a total of $62,000 to six different Northern Kentucky nonprofits:
- The $6,000 grant Adopt A Class received allowed for more than 500 students at Ockerman Elementary in Florence to be mentored by local business and civic groups. Through this grant, Adopt A Class was able to better serve their student population and expose them to a breadth of careers and life experiences.
- The Catalytic Fund received a $10,000 grant, which was used to amplify their work through a matching fund from the US Department of Treasury CDFI Fund. This leveraging of resources creates jobs, quality housing, and new economic activity in Northern Kentucky’s River Cities.
- Covington Partners’ $10,000 grant helped fund a pilot program to create Individual Strength Plans (ISP) for 225 students. This goal-setting activity helps students build a plan for individual growth and success based on their top five character strengths, which they can use to be successful in school and in life.
- Gateway Community & Technical College received $7,500 to support their River City Promise Scholarship Program, which helps cover the cost of tuition for students with a high degree of financial need who attend River City high schools. For the Spring 2022 semester, Gateway has 53 students enrolled in the River Cities Promise Program with 15 of these students on track to complete their Associate Degree by the end of the year. Compared to Falls of 2018 and 2019, enrollment at Gateway from these six high schools has increased in the 2020 and 2021 Fall semesters by 42 students.
- Northern Kentucky Education Council used their $13,500 grant to increase the number of coaches, and thereby the numbers of students reached, in their One to One literacy program. One to One provides all members of the community an opportunity to play an integral role in helping struggling students with the support they need to be successful in reading and math.
- With their $15,000 grant, RefugeeConnect expanded their Community Navigator program, which provides native language support to guide families in accessing resources and services in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. They were also able to assist families facing eviction and support Kentucky Refugee Ministries with intake for Afghan clients.
Looking Ahead
As needs arise, our community has shown we are prepared to answer the call. From our response to the pandemic, our efforts to welcome Afghan refugees, and the aid provided in the wake of the devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky this winter, there is no doubt Northern Kentuckians are willing and eager to show up for those in need, and Horizon Community Funds will be there as a trusted partner.
It’s an unfortunate reality that hardships will continue — natural disasters happen, public health emergencies develop, and hard times befall our neighbors every day. While we might not have the power to stop these occurrences, we can be positioned to act swiftly. We can learn from the past to help us be proactive and better prepared to respond the next time we are called to do so. We are optimistic about what is ahead and feel confident that we will be a stronger community with each passing day.
Northern Kentucky is well on its way to being known as the “Giving Community,” a title we are striving for every day. We boldly aspire to become the most giving community in our nation, and you are a vital part of making that goal a reality. You can help create common good for our common wealth. Join us.
Donors looking to connect with Horizon Community Funds can get more information by contacting President & CEO Nancy Grayson at 859.757.1552 or ngrayson@horizonfunds.org.
About Horizon Community Funds Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky is a qualified public charitable 501(c)3 organization established as a community foundation in 2017 by Northern Kentucky leaders. Its mission is to unite resources to raise the quality of life for all people in the Northern Kentucky community. Learn more at www.horizonfunds.org.
