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Sonora Area Foundation awards $1.2M |
The Sonora Area Foundation and its supporting organization, the Irving J. Symons Foundation, awarded more than $1.23 million in grants and scholarships to local students and nonprofits in 2011.
The foundation’s competitive grants program gave $577,000 to local nonprofits, according to a news release. It also awarded $661,000 in donor-advised funds, including scholarships and other directed giving from community contributors. “Foundation directors felt strongly about maintaining a $500,000 budget for competitive grants in 2011, then went on to allocate another $77,000 in ‘human needs’ grants throughout the year,” said Sonora Area Foundation Executive Director Ed Wyllie. “We were able to finish the year strong in meeting the needs of our community partners.” Foundation directors will finalize giving priorities for 2012 in the next few weeks, and Wyllie expects the focus to remain on the local safety net. The Sonora Area Foundation was established in 1990 and channels donors’ charitable contributions to projects in Tuolumne County. Its mission is to strengthen its community by promoting philanthropy through assisting donors, making grants and providing leadership. The foundation and its two supporting organizations, The Irving J. Symons Foundation and the Symons Family Fund, now have assets of more than $26 million. |