The Arizona Community Foundation and its donors distributed $26.2 million in grants and scholarships from its six statewide regional offices.

Between July 1 and Sept. 30 of this year, the $26.2 million in both discretionary and advised grants and scholarships were awarded in five strategic priority areas: health innovations, community improvement and development, environment and sustainability, arts and culture, and quality education.

The Arizona Community Foundation is located at 2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 405b, in Phoenix.

Health Innovations: $7.3 million was awarded to 609 organizations and programs in the areas of health, health care, medical research, and a variety of human services.

Community Improvement & Development: $2.1 million awarded to 171 programs in this category, which includes housing, community and neighborhood development, financial literacy training, legal assistance, and crime prevention programs.

Environment & Sustainability: $913,322 awarded to 120 organizations and programs in the areas of environmental education, renewable resources, conservation, and animal welfare.

Arts & Culture: $1.3 million awarded to 143 artistic and cultural organizations across Arizona.

Quality Education: $13.9 million was awarded in scholarships and education-related grants.

College scholarships accounted for $5 million of the fiscal quarter’s total and were awarded for the benefit of 1,389 students pursuing higher education. College scholarships are awarded to Arizona students to attend a wide range of colleges, universities, and technical schools in Arizona and across the U.S.

In addition to these grants, 33 nonprofits with agency endowments managed by the Arizona Community Foundation received their annual distributions during the second quarter of ACF’s fiscal year, accounting for $749,395 distributed during the quarter.

The $26.2 million awarded across all categories represents 2,759 grants and scholarships.

Some grants are awarded at the discretion of the Arizona Community Foundation with input from board committees and diverse community panels, while others are awarded through donor advice. All grants are approved or ratified by ACF’s Donor & Community Engagement Committee whose members include ACF board representatives and other community leaders.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.