Dr. Wil Counts & Pastor Aubrey Barnwell
Scholarship Committee Member & Scholarship Fundholder
The Bishop Henry L. Barnwell Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund
has deep roots in Arizona’s African-American community. The scholarship
is named after the late Bishop Henry Barnwell, who fought to make the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a state holiday in Arizona. Despite
threats to his life, Bishop Barnwell led non-violent protest marches, meetings,
and candlelight services. His ultimate goal was to provide scholarships to
students who would be unable to attend college without financial assistance.
The scholarship fund has supported students for over 40 years.
When Bishop Barnwell passed away two years
ago, his son, Pastor Aubrey Barnwell, wanted
to find a permanent home for the fund that
honors his late father. Pastor Barnwell worked
with Dr. Wil Counts, who serves on the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Committee, to move the fund to its new
home at ACF in December 2017. Thanks to
their involvement, the fund continues to
fulfill Bishop Barnwell’s dream of building a
pathway to higher education for students of
all backgrounds and experiences.
“They weren’t always large scholarships,
but they still made a difference,” said
Pastor Barnwell. “The amount was enough
to show that this community supported
local students on their quest to get a higher
education. We’ve had students say to us,
‘That scholarship provided me the money
I needed to eat.’”
Each year, the Arizona Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Celebration Committee partners with
the City of Phoenix to host a series of events
honoring the MLK dream and legacy, including
a candlelight concert, a march through the city,
and a festival. The celebrations kick off with the
MLK Awards & Scholarship Breakfast, where
the scholarship recipients are recognized for
their achievements.
Judah Crum
Scholarship Recipient
Judah Crum was awarded the Bishop Henry L. Barnwell
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship during the 2018-
2019 academic year. She attends Phoenix College, where
she studies American Sign Language through the College’s
Interpreter Preparation Program. Judah is passionate
about sign language and interpretation, and has been since
she was a child. “The way my mom tells it is, I was two years
old and watching Sesame Street. They had the sign language
interpreter box for the show, and I just couldn’t stop watching,”
said Judah. “I fell in love with it.”
In addition to her studies, Judah interprets at her church to
share the service with those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Once she has completed her degree, she plans to interpret
professionally and continue her service in the community.
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Felix Moran, James Hoyt, & Kendelle Brown
Outreach Coordinator,
Executive Director,
& Program Coordinator,
Opportunities for Youth
Opportunities for Youth is a partnership among
nonprofit organizations, education providers,
employers, and government agencies focused on
connecting young adults with resources for personal
growth, educational advancement, and career
development. Operating under Arizona State
University’s Watts College of Public Service and
Community Solutions, Opportunities for Youth
collaborates with over 70 local agencies and
organizations to connect young adults with
employment training, GED and high school diploma
resources, college preparation, and more.
“This work
is important to me,” said Felix Moran, who leads
the Youth Outreach Team. “I personally know the
struggles that these youth are going through, and
I know how powerful it can be to have someone
connect with you in that moment, show you respect,
and care about where you are headed in life.”
Aubrey Brookover
Former Opportunity Youth
When Aubrey Brookover first interviewed
for a barista position with Opportunities
for Youth employment partner Starbucks,
she faced a number of personal challenges,
including homelessness. She began working
at the Starbucks community store in Central
Phoenix, known as an “Opportunity Café” for
its role in training and employing youth from
underserved communities. Her managers
and colleagues were quickly impressed by
her ability to connect with customers.
Aubrey now serves as the general manager
of a newly-opened Starbucks in Phoenix.
She feels a strong connection to her store
and the community it serves.
She hopes to build the same sense of
openness and compassion in her store that
she encountered years ago. When asked what
she’d say to an opportunity youth confronting
the journey to employment or school, Aubrey
shared honest insight: “It’s not going to be
easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard,” she said.
“And you don’t have to do it alone.”
Carlos Alvarez
Former Opportunity Youth
After Carlos Alvarez graduated high school, he came across
the Arizona Center for Youth Resources, an Opportunities
for Youth partner. The center offered Carlos a community
outreach internship, where he connected other young
people to available education and employment resources.
This job served as a stepping stone to another internship at
Opportunities for Youth, where Carlos continued to build
his professional and personal network. Carlos found this
experience invaluable to the start of his career. “It’s best
to explore all your options.
Partnership organizations like
Opportunities for Youth and the Arizona Center for Youth
Resources help you gain a lot of different experiences;
they’re like a hub to connect you with all sorts of things,”
said Carlos. “To me, it’s so important to explore everything
that’s out there.” Carlos now works at Starbucks and plans
to pursue his degree at Arizona State University.
Rita & Lucio "Chief" Villalpando
Coffelt-Lamoreaux residents
The Coffelt-Lamoreaux Apartment Homes were
the state’s first affordable housing project. When
faced with the threat of demolition, dozens of
collaborative partners stepped up to renovate the community. This effort included a zero-interest loan from the Arizona Community Foundation's Affordable Housing Loan Fund, which helped kick-start the renovation.
The revitalization project prevented the uprooting of long-time residents
like Chief Villalpando, who has called Coffelt home
for 50 years. He has plenty of stories to share about
his life, recalling his days as a boxer and the 23 years
he spent volunteering at Phoenix Memorial Hospital.
Chief now lives with his daughter Rita, who moved
to Phoenix two years ago to care for him. “I always
say we keep each other going,” said Rita of their
relationship. “We keep each other in good company,
and we just keep going.”
Vanessa Magil & Faith
Coffelt-Lamoreaux residents
Vanessa Magill lives at Coffelt-Lamoreaux
with her daughter Isabella, her sister Faith,
and her two brothers Steve and Charles.
Their newly renovated three-bedroom
apartment offers a safe and spacious home
for her and the children.
Although Coffelt-Lamoreaux is a large
complex that houses over 800 residents,
Vanessa has formed close connections within
the community. During the eight years she’s
lived here, she’s found strength, support, and
friendship in the property’s management
team. “On bad days, I’ll come into the office
ready to vent, and they are always there to
help and support me,” said Vanessa.
Elisa de la Vara & Gloria Muñoz
Partnership between ACF and the
Housing Authority of Maricopa County
The Coffelt-Lamoreaux Apartment Homes were built in
1953 to house veterans returning from the Korean War.
When the community faced the threat of demolition due
to unsafe living conditions in 2012, the Housing Authority
of Maricopa County, developer Gorman and Company,
and dozens of other partners worked to transform the
neighborhood into modern, affordable homes for the
hundreds of families who live there. To launch the project,
the Housing Authority leveraged ACF’s Affordable Housing
Loan Fund as a resource. The pre-development loan helped
support much of the initial activity required to bring the
project to fruition.
“This project has made a huge difference in the quality
of life for the families and individuals who live here,” said
Gloria Muñoz, Executive Director of the Housing Authority
of Maricopa County. “Families who have lived in this
neighborhood for decades were able to stay in their homes
while benefiting from much-needed upgrades.”
Gompers
The Arizona Endowment Building Institute (AEBI) at the Arizona Community Foundation works with nonprofits that are ready to build an organizational endowment. Through its structured curriculum, AEBI encourages organizations to develop planned giving programs that promote long-term growth, financial stability, and enduring service to the community. Since 2005, AEBI has guided 45 nonprofits through the process of building endowment programs.
Among AEBI’s successful participants is Gompers, a nonprofit based in metropolitan Phoenix. For over 70 years, Gompers has assisted adults and kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities in accomplishing their dreams. Through the organization’s diverse programming, which includes a private school, day programs, employment services, and in-home services, Gompers develops innovative opportunities for people with disabilities.
In 2013, the Gompers board and leadership team realized that its existing endowment portfolio lacked a strong foundation of procedures and policies. AEBI emerged as a solution, equipping Gompers with the tools, knowledge, and mentorship necessary to craft an effective process for cultivating donors.
“As an organization, Gompers matured greatly thanks to our experience with AEBI,” said Mark Jacoby, President and CEO of Gompers. “Our donor cultivation has been formalized with touchpoints from our board of directors and we now have a complete set of policies to deal with gift acceptance and bequests. As a board and a leadership team, we became much more sophisticated in how we operate.”
Five years after graduating from AEBI, Gompers continues to utilize what they learned in the institute to guide decision-making as they strive for a sustainable financial future. With a robust endowment program in place, the Gompers team is confident that they will continue to empower their program members for many years to come.
The First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation
First Baptist Church has had a presence in Phoenix since the early 1880s, first downtown and then relocating to their church campus in north central Phoenix in 1968. The First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation was originally formed in 1993 by the leadership of First Baptist Phoenix. The Foundation’s activities were limited until 2006 when the members of First Baptist Phoenix voted to formally dissolve, sell the property to another like-minded congregation, and turn the proceeds over to the First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation.
In 2013, The First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation Board voted to become a supporting organization of the Arizona Community Foundation, where it continues to support churches, pastors, and evangelical causes through their annual grant cycle. The Foundation provides funding for the planting and support of new Christian churches, education and training of planting pastors, and other mission and outreach projects.
The Phoenix Bible Church is a recent grant recipient that, with support from the First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation, has begun developing their ministry and found a new church building for their growing congregation. Lead Pastor Tim Birdwell and his family started Phoenix Bible Church in 2014 after the church he had moved here to lead was forced to close by their sponsoring organization.
“My family and I had only been in Phoenix for three months so we didn’t have the close relationships you would normally need to plant a church,” said Tim. “We literally had zero money and no one had ever heard me preach before! Despite all the obstacles, we couldn’t get over the sense that God hadn’t moved us across the country to tap us out after three months, so after much prayer and counsel we decided to start Phoenix Bible Church. It was incredibly difficult, but by God’s grace we were able to get the new church off the ground.”
Since 2016, Phoenix Bible Church has received $34,000 in grant funding from the Foundation, which was catalytic in developing their ministry’s leadership within the first years of their church plant. The funding enabled the church to find a permanent location, allowing them to move from their temporary meeting space. Now they have an opportunity to serve their new neighborhood, community, and faith.
one•n•ten
Every day, the staff at one•n•ten open the doors of their youth center to
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth across
the state. The nonprofit organization provides an array of programs including housing, counseling, networking opportunities, and workforce development. Above
all else, one•n•ten aims to empower Arizona LGBTQ youth by creating a safe space that allows
for self-expression and self-acceptance.
Over the past three years, the Arizona Community Foundation’s Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy has had many opportunities to collaborate with one•n•ten. In 2016, one•n•ten was a recipient of an LGBTQ Youth Grant, receiving funding from the Center for the development of signature programs. Examples include Camp OUTdoors!, an LGBTQ summer camp, and Youth Education
& Success (Y.E.S.), an LGBTQ-focused workforce development and mentorship program.
On July 12, 2017, a fire forced the closure of the one•n•ten Phoenix Youth Center. ACF’s Center
for LGBTQ Philanthropy was one of many community groups that provided emergency assistance funding, allowing one•n•ten to continue providing programs for the youth who rely on their services. Today, one•n•ten operates a state-of-the-art youth center in downtown Phoenix, with satellite programs in Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, Queen Creek, and Flagstaff.
“Thanks to the work of our devoted team, our previous executive director Linda Elliott, and opportunities to collaborate with organizations like ACF’s Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy,
we have seen unprecedented growth in our programs and services for the youth we support across the state,” said Nate Rhoton, Executive Director of one•n•ten.
one•n•ten is also a past participant in ACF’s Arizona Endowment Building Institute, which offers
a comprehensive curriculum to nonprofits that are ready to develop and implement endowment building programs. As a result of their team’s enthusiasm, skill, and determination, one•n•ten
has successfully secured over $1 million in gifts to their endowment since completing the course.