HUNTSVILLE, AL – JANUARY 2016 – In August of 2015, The CornerStone Initiative and The Huntsville Inner City Learning Center were each selected to receive a $5,000 grant, the first of many, during the inaugural round of grants from the Vector Wealth Strategies Community Impact Fund, a donor advised fund set up by Vector Wealth Strategies, LLC through the Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County. In December 2015, The Wings of Faith Foundation was selected to receive a $4,000 charitable grant and The Liberty Learning Foundation and AGAPE of North Alabama were each selected to receive a $3,000 charitable grant.
As a part of their ongoing commitment to promote philanthropy in the community, the Vector Wealth Strategies Community Impact Fund began offering grants this year. According to Jay Dryden, Managing Partner of Vector Wealth Strategies, the primary purpose of the fund is to promote philanthropy and encourage others to be involved in giving back to and investing in the local community.
“We have decided to set aside 10 percent of our profits each year to fund grants for local nonprofits. Our vision statement is: Impacting our community through investments and involvement,” said Dryden. “We have formed a Community Impact Fund Grant Committee made up of leaders and advocates from our community who will be responsible for reviewing and selecting grant recipients twice per year. They have chosen worthwhile charities as recipients for our initial round of grants and we look forward to continuing our grant process.”
Stuart Obermann, CEO/President of the Community Foundation, stated: “We applaud Vector Wealth Strategies for their generosity and leadership in growing philanthropy in our community. Vector is one of many local corporations who have partnered with the Community Foundation to create funds that enable tax-efficient charitable giving. We’re proud of all they are doing to help improve the quality of life in our community.”
The CornerStone Initiative is an asset-based Christian community development organization committed to empowering individuals and communities for restoration and transformation through collaboration for education, employment, and enrichment. CornerStone’s mission is to offer relational support and resources for residents to effect revitalization of neighborhoods based on Christian values of justice, compassion, equality, and peace.
The Huntsville Inner City Learning Center, in partnership with local schools, families, and our community, enables students to become socially responsible citizens who are productive and competent lifelong learners. They are committed to providing at-risk children in the Huntsville area with the extracurricular support they need to succeed in school, build meaningful lives and careers for themselves, and become socially responsible members of society who are productive and competent lifelong learners. A Christ-centered organization, the Center provides children ages 6-13 with tutoring, mentoring, bible classes, life skills, health and fitness exercise, and meals outside of school and on weekends. Their ultimate goal is for all their students to become high school graduates.
The Liberty Learning Foundation is a non-profit organization donating civic-based teaching tools to educators and facilitating learning experiences that teach, inspire and empower our Next Great Americans. They are placing the groundbreaking Super Citizen Program in the hands of eager educators and working hand-in-hand with schools, donors and local volunteers to maximize the potential of the programs and the students themselves.
The Wings of Faith Foundation exists to enrich the lives of under resourced teenage girls by raising funds for their college education and by teaching them important life and work skills. The Foundation’s central purpose is to enhance educational opportunities for students through partnerships with educators and mentorship programs.
AGAPE of North Alabama focuses on meeting the needs of children and families in North Alabama with active love and compassion. Working through AGAPE, hundreds of foster parents have provided short-term or longer-term shelter, as well as love, stability and security to children placed in their care. AGAPE also works to place many children in carefully screened and selected adoptive “forever homes.” AGAPE also offers the services of Christian-based, licensed counselors to help individuals, couples and families.
More information about the selection of grants or to download a grant application visit the firm’s website at vectorwealthstrategies.com. To nominate a charity for a grant, please submit your applications by email to josh@vectorwealthstrategies.com or by mail to Vector Wealth Strategies; 401 Meridian St. Ste. 305; Huntsville, AL 35801. The deadline to submit applications for the next round of grants will be May 2, 2016.
About the Fund
The advisors of Vector Wealth Strategies (VWS) created the first corporate giving fund with the Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County, the VWS Community Impact Fund. A corporate giving fund provides a charitable vehicle for a company and its employees.
Vector Wealth Strategies is dedicated to giving back to the community. VWS actively supports local and national charities and thinks it is important that they demonstrate the importance and the joy of giving as they encourage clients to include charitable giving in their estate planning.
