St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation

As you may be aware, the SMUMC Foundation has partnered with the College of Coastal Georgia to implement a new Service Learning Program at the college.  As the program progresses, the college will be hosting  “Service Fair” events to provide local community service organizations an opportunity to highlight their programs to the students, faculty and staff.  Local community service organizations will be able to get the word out about local community service as well as potential campus/community partnership opportunities. 

Click here to find more detailed information regarding the upcoming Service Fairs which will be held on August 8^th and August 25^th at the Brunswick campus and August 18^th at the Camden Campus.  Click here  for a Service Organization Application to participate in any of the fairs. 

We hope that you will be able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.  Please feel free to contact the Foundation office at (912) 510-9350 or the college at the Office of Student Life at (912) 279-5813 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Marcie Montgomery

Grant Administrator

SMUMC Foundation, Inc.

www.smumcfoundation.org 

(912) 510-9350

For Immediate Release

June 6, 2011                                                     

Community Foundation Selects Broad Array of Local Charities for its 2011 Awards

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, a community foundation serving Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties, recently announced its 2011 competitive grant awards. Twenty-one proposals were received, representing requests totaling nearly $90,000.  Of these, fourteen local nonprofits were recommended by a committee comprised of both board and non-board representatives from all three counties who reviewed the proposals, governance information, and financials that nonprofits submitted in early spring.  The full board voted on the committee recommendations at its June board meeting and designated $50,000 for awards.

“The committee spent quality time discussing the individual proposals and weighing them against community needs and our focus areas of nonprofit capacity building and education/literacy,” explained community foundation chair Rees Sumerford. “In the end, the full board was very pleased with the committee recommendations which included four from McIntosh County, eight from Glynn and two from Camden.  There was also good diversity among categories such as social service agencies, arts and culture groups, and programs for both adults and youth. 

 “Many donors hesitate to give for technology needs or staff and board development, preferring to give only to tangible programs,” added foundation director Lee Owen.  “You can’t run a successful nonprofit, however, without a strategic plan, an engaged, informed, and passionate board, and modern computers and communication tools.

 2011 Grants Recipients:

America’s Second Harvest                                                               $4,000

To improve website and update social networking tools

Bryan-Lang Foundation                                                                    $3,000

For strategic plan and board development

Camden Community Crisis Center                                                   $5,000

For technology upgrades and training

CASA Glynn                                                                                      $2,500

Training for Executive Director and staff

Communities In Schools of Glynn County                                       $4,400

Professional development of Executive Director and new staff

Ferst Foundation of Glynn                                                                $2,000

Literacy – books provided to children 0-5

Grace House of Brunswick, Inc.,                                                      $3,000

Creation of a learning lab for on-site computer skills training

McIntosh Art Association                                                                 $2,400

Educational outreach during summer and fall for children 4-12

McIntosh Family Connection                                                            $4,000

Technology and equipment upgrades

McIntosh Sustainable Environment and Economic

Development (SEED)                                                                        $4,700

Project Y.E.L.L. – leadership and life-skills building program

for youth

Safe Harbor Children’s Shelter                                                        $3,000

Technology upgrades for new program        

Southeast Youth Development Academies                                      $5,000

Beyond the Horizon literacy program

STAR Foundation                                                                              $2,000

Technology upgrade/laptop

YMCA – McIntosh                                                                            $5,000

Implementation of a health management lab and

“Activate America” program

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation is one of some 800 community foundations in the United States.  With a mission to increase the quality of life in coastal Georgia by attracting named funds and making philanthropic grants to the area’s nonprofit charities and schools, this six year old public charity has already granted over

$ 2.3 million dollars through funds held by donors at the community foundation as well as the foundation’s own community impact fund from which the above grants were made.

For further information as well as guidelines on its grant making, visit www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org. 

The Camden County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with local community partners such as the College of Coastal Georgia, recently presented to the community a new report called the Pulse of Camden.

The 2010 Pulse of Camden is the first business conditions study conducted in and for Camden County, including the Cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, Woodbine and several unincorporated communities within the county’s scope. Camden County is located in the extreme southeast corner of Georgia and is known for its rich history, natural scenic beauty, Southern hospitality and the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay – the only US Navy installation in the State of Georgia. The study collected and analyzed empirical data, not anecdotes, from Camden’s organizational executives and small and medium-sized (SMEs) business owners. The empirical data collected the participant’s perspectives on various topics and was gathered during June and July, 2010.

For more information and to view the report please visit http://www.camdenchamber.com/userfiles/File/Pulse_of_Camden_Final_Report_by_Fleisher_Mathews_and_Oueslati_Sept_20_2010_Print_v_Corrections_cpc.pdf

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, a community foundation serving Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties and St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation partner, recently announced its 2010 competitive grant awards. Over 40 proposals were received, representing requests totaling nearly $200,000.  Of these, thirteen local nonprofits were recommended by a committee comprised of both board and non-board representatives from all three counties who reviewed the proposals, governance information, and financials that nonprofits submitted in early summer.  The full board voted on the committee recommendations at its August board meeting.

“This year’s recipients represent a good mix among the three counties we represent, and also among the different nonprofit sectors,” explained executive director Lee Owen.  “In tight economic times, people tend to think only of those agencies that provide for basic needs like food, clothing and shelter.  We can take the broader view that arts and culture, the environment, and historic preservation are also vitally important to quality of life here.”

“Many donors hesitate to give for technology needs or staff and board development, preferring to give only to tangible programs,” added Rees Sumerford, board chair.  “You can’t run a successful nonprofit, however, without a strategic plan, an engaged, informed, and passionate board, and modern communication tools.”  “We were also pleased to see so many applications that focused on early childhood education and improved literacy, as that continues to be a major focus of the foundation.”

2010 Grants Recipients:

Altamaha RiverKeeper $3,350

Technology upgrades including new reporting database

America’s Second Harvest $3,000

Technology upgrades for training and presentation purposes

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Glynn $5,000

Staff training and website redesign and reconstruction

Coastal Counseling Center/Camden $3,000

Technology upgrades and website development

Coastal Medical Access Project (CMAP) $3,000

Technology upgrades including hardware and software for electronic medical records

Christian Montessori School $4,000

Underwriting for a sector-wide education workshop for pre-school educators on early detection of learning disabilities

Ferst Foundation of McIntosh $5,000

Underwriting the cost of books to be mailed into homes of registered children to encourage early literacy

Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association (GIAHA) $5,000

“The Big Read” community-wide program to encourage reading the classics

Habitat for Humanity of Camden $3,650

Tools and trailer to expand capability to work simultaneously on multiple sites

McIntosh Art Association $2,600

Funds for strategic planning, annual planning and board development for this new nonprofit

McIntosh SEED $4,100

Project Y.E.L.L. youth education project

Satilla RiverKeepers $4,300

Education program for elementary students

St. Marys Submarine Museum $4,000

Technology upgrades and funding for a student history project

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation is one of over 700 community foundations in the United States.  With a mission to increase the quality of life in coastal Georgia by attracting named funds and making philanthropic grants to the area’s nonprofit charities and schools, this five year old public charity granted over $1/2 million dollars last year through donor advised funds and the foundation’s own community impact fund.

For further information about the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation as well as guidelines on its grant making, visit www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.