Map the Future

Investing in innovative solutions to improve quality of life

The Compass Society brings our community's spirit of innovation to generosity to serve as a catalyst for Greater Huntsville's future. Through the power of generosity, the Compass Society implements visionary projects that have a significant and sustainable impact on all eight areas of our community's quality of life.

As a "Now & Later" fund, fifty percent of all Compass Society donations support current year grantmaking to make an immediate impact. The remaining fifty percent of donations are added to the Compass Endowment to serve as an permanent source of funding to address community needs. This innovative approach to charitable giving serves as an investment into our community's future, and a commitment to the future generations that will inherit this place we all call "home."

Ready to map the future?

The 2020 Census confirmed what we already know... that Greater Huntsville is growing quickly as more and more people come to recognize all of the great things happening in our area.  With this growth comes opportunity.  The Community Foundation must be poised to meet the needs of our growing community in a strategic way.  The Compass Society allows us to meet the current needs of our community, as well as provide for future needs that we may not yet know.

Help us reach our 2021 fundraising goal of $125,000 with a donation at the link below, or make an interfund transfer from your donor advised fund.

Donate to Compass Society
$173,000 of $125,000
Exceeded Goal for 2021!

Compass Society Grantmaking

2021 GRANT FUNDING

The Compass Society selected two focus areas for the 2021 grant cycle: Arts & Culture and Basic Needs. The Grants Committee thoroughly examined over thirty grant applications and selected the two projects detailed below which address critical aspects of our region's quality of life in the selected categories.

Donors who wish to support the Compass Society may make a donation by interfund transfer from their donor advised fund, by check, or by an online donation. To co-invest in either of the two selected grants, donors must simply include the project name in the "Note" section of the donation form.

Arts & Culture

Arts Huntsville: Arts LEAD Huntsville

The Greater Huntsville area is home to a vibrant arts scene, but investment is needed to support diverse artists of all backgrounds. Arts LEAD Huntsville (Learning, Equity & Artist Development) will provide institutional learning within Arts Huntsville to provide more equitable resources and support for artists.

lifestyle

Basic Needs

Society of St. Andrew: Alabama Gleaning Network

Alabama Gleaning Network brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduces waste, and builds caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors. They seek good, but unmarketable, produce from local farms, mobilize volunteers to glean crops, and distribute it to nonprofits serving folks in need.

basic needs

Each project has the goal of "moving the needle" on measurable community indicators and is carefully monitored for measurable outcomes to ensure our investments are achieving a significant and sustainable impact on quality of life in our community.

Previous Compass Society Grants Include:

SAIL
Read more
Standards for Excellence
Read more
Singing River Trail
Read more
First Stop Client Enrichment Program
The CornerStone Initiative Jobs For Life Course
The Schools Foundation Raise Your Hand Project
Thrive Mobile Health Case Services
Huntsville Area Mountain Bike Riders John Hunt Trail
Habitat for Humanity Meridian Street Community

Compass Society Members

$100,000 - $1,000,000

  • Anonymous

  • CFD Research Corporation

  • Mike and Patty Lowe

  • Jan Smith

  • Torch Technologies

$50,000 - $99,999

  • Cadence Community Reinvestment Fund

  • George and Peg Heeschen

  • Betty G. (Jean) Lee

$25,000 - $49,999

  • Visually Handicapped Teacher Fund

  • Larry and Amanda Lowe

$10,000 - $24,999

  • Butterfly Frog Fund

  • Mike and Theresa Durboraw

  • Investor's Resource

  • Bob and Cindi Ludwig

  • Ashok and Sangeeta Singhal

  • Sonrisa Fund

  • Tenth Leper Fund

  • Triple E Fund

$5,000 - $9,999

  • Jay and Valerie Chandler

  • Little Drummer Girl Fund  

  • Lucinda and Gary Griner, Jr. Family Fund

  • Sandra and John Moon Memorial Fund

  • Chris Russell and Sharon Doviet

$1,000 - $4,999

  • Joe and Pam Alexander

  • Carol and Leon Bell

  • John and Candy Burnett

  • Michael and Leta Hornbuckle DeMaioribus

  • James and Violet Gilbert

  • Leah and Paul Gradl

  • Hinson & Hinson - In Honor of Jean Lee

  • Beth B. Richardson

  • Karen Stanley

  • Melissa and Tom Thompson

  • Hunter and Nancy Washington Vaughn

A Vital Need

The Community Foundation takes a holistic view of quality of life and seeks ways to make our great community even better. Grant funding is guided by the evaluation of community needs found in our Vital Signs Report which provides a check-up using key community indicators (or vital signs) to take a pulse of the health and vitality of each quality of life category. This snapshot of our community can be viewed in our Vital Signs Digital Dashboard which gathers data from the five counties of the Greater Huntsville area.

View VITAL SIGNS

How It Works

  • Although all gifts are appreciated, donors who contribute at least $1,000 are invited to become members of the Compass Society. Donors of all Compass Society giving levels will be recognized on the Compass Society webpage.
  • You can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets. Click here for instructions on how to make a donation to the Compass Society.
  • 50% of your gift will be deployed in current year grantmaking. 50% of your gift will be added to the Compass Endowment. Each year, earnings from this fund are used to make grants addressing community needs. The principal of the fund will remain intact.
  • Your gift – and all future earnings from your gift and the gifts of others – will be a permanent source of community capital, helping to do good work forever.
  • You receive the full tax benefits associated with your gift in the year your gift is made.
  • Annually, the Compass Society Grants Committee will make grants decisions for the fund.

303 Williams Ave SW, Ste 1031 | Huntsville, Alabama 35801

Board Member Login

Copyright © Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville | Privacy Policy
Website Development by Red Sage Communications, Inc.