CA Awards $246,000 in Grants

The Columbia Association released a list of grants last week that it awarded to local groups and causes between May 2011 and April 2012. Some of the $246,000 in grants went to support the Columbia Festival of Arts, buy bike helmets and provide scholarships.

"Each one of the grants that were awarded is intended to increase livability in Columbia," said Phil Nelson, Columbia Association president. "Grants ranging from transportation assistance to helping young people with college expenses, to helping our senior citizens with program offerings to assisting with community events, are the sorts of things that CA's Board of Directors want to show the community how CA is reinvesting in the community."

In FY2013 the CA has budgeted $334,000 for city-wde grants with $100,000 dedicated to community aesthetics projects.

Here's the full list of grants provided in FY2012 by the Columbia Association:

Organization

Grant Amount Purpose Bicycling Advocates of Howard County $1,000 Supply 50 bike helmets to students at Cradlerock Elementary School in support of "Bike to School Day" Columbia Festival of the Arts $95,000 Support LakeFest, a three day free community and arts festival Columbia Foundation $75,000 Support their charity work of giving and connecting people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Patty Rouse Fund) $2,500 In mermoriam of Patty Rouse Howard County Department of Citizen Services' Office on Aging $30,000 Provide home and modification repairs to lower-income residents on CA-assessed property Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks $6,500 Support Fourth of July Celebration Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship Awards $15,000 Award up to six $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors who exhibit exceptional effort in providing community service to Columbia area residents Howard County Economic Development Authority $15,000 Support marketing Columbia and Howard County businesses Neighbor Ride $6,000 Provide supplemental transportation for seniors