16 Pinellas Nonprofits Awarded Grants By Community Foundation

CLEARWATER, FL — Beds and mattresses for homeless youth. New equipment to improve students’ virtual learning. A new dental chair for low-income adults to receive urgent dental care.

These are a few of the Pinellas residents who will be served thanks to nonprofit organizations and Pinellas Community Foundation's Capital Improvement and Equipment Grants. Founded in 1969, PCF awards grants to nonprofits serving residents’ critical needs in Pinellas County.

The grants were made possible through the donations of PCF Giving to Humanity members. Of the donations made to the program, 100 percent go to help Pinellas 501(c)(3) nonprofits with capital improvement and equipment needs. No dollars are used for administration costs, and PCF matches the donations made to fund the critical projects.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has helped us realize the value of access to mission-critical equipment and technology,” said Duggan Cooley, CEO of PCF. “We are intently focused on supporting organizations that have maintained and strengthened their life-changing services to the Pinellas community."

Small, medium and large 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Pinellas County were selected for the Capital Improvement and Equipment Grant awards including:

• Boley Centers Inc. assists individuals with mental disabilities, the homeless, veterans and youth. The grant will help replace deteriorated sliding glass doors in a 15-unit affordable housing complex.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast Inc. provides youth with a safe, positive and engaging environment. The grant allows for the purchase of portable room dividers for all club locations for safety and distancing during the pandemic.
• Community Dental Clinic cares for adults who do not have dental insurance or the financial means to receive urgent dental care. The grant is for the purchase of a new dental chair to increase its dental health services availability.
• Creative Clay offers individuals with disabilities access to the arts. The grant will improve outdoor classroom space, install security cameras and provide art technology to staff and artists.
• Disability Achievement Center helps people with disabilities to achieve and maintain an independent lifestyle. The grant allows the center to level and resurface its parking lot.
• Florida Resurrection House Inc. works to end generational poverty and provide families with resources to maintain a stable life. It will use the grant to replace its boiler with tankless water heaters.
• Girls Inc. provides after-school educational and enrichment programming for young girls. The grant will purchase equipment to offer virtual programming, which will also continue post-pandemic.
• Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services Inc. protects the vulnerable and strengthens families. It will purchase 45 iPads for the middle school participants in its Violence Prevention Program.
• Learning Empowered empowers people to build self-sustaining lives through early childhood education, financial stability programs, literacy and citizenship. The grant will replace its HVAC unit.
• Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg celebrates art and diversity through its exhibits and collections. The grant allows the purchase and installation of touchless sinks for public restrooms and wireless access points in its galleries for hearing-assisted devices.
• NOMADstudio Inc. provides art programs to those who may not otherwise have access. The grant will repair its mobile studio known as the NOMAD Art Bus.
• Pinellas County Urban League Inc. changes lives through economic development, education, housing and health programs. The grant allows the purchase of a cloud-based phone system to better connect with clients and computer lab upgrades.
• R'Club Child Care Inc. promotes respect, responsibility, resourcefulness and responsiveness. The grant will purchase tablets to replace aging technology used for preschool assessments.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas Inc. focuses on feeding, housing and caring for the homeless, veterans and families. It will purchase health and safety equipment for its Center of Hope.
• Starting Right, Now serves homeless youth by helping them finish high school and improve their life path. This grant will pay for bed bug-resistant bed frames and mattresses for their Pinellas boys’ shelter.
• Suncoast Center Inc. provides emotional wellness, trauma and child advocacy services. The grant will be used to purchase a vehicle to provide services to their clients.

Learn more about the PCF Giving to Humanity membership program by visiting the program membership page.

For more information about applying for a PCF Capital Improvement and Equipment Grant, visit the PCF website and review the grant application information.