How the Golden Heart Community Foundation Supports Alaska’s Fairbanks Region

The Alaska Community Foundation is among the top three funders in Alaska in terms of total annual giving. It awards grants directly through a competitive program and donor-advised funds, but it also has several affiliates that focus on needs in specific parts of the state. One of these affiliates is the Golden Heart Community Foundation, which is based in Alaska’s second-most-populated city, Fairbanks.

Here’s a look at what the Golden Heart Community Foundation (GHCF) funds and how to approach it for support.

How it got started

The history of GHCF dates back to March 2012, when the Rasmuson Foundation and Alaska Community Foundation came together in Fairbanks to meet with 30 community members. The group decided that GHCF would be one of four new affiliates in early 2013, and the Rasmuson Foundation offered to match gifts for its new unrestricted endowment fund. GHCF met the first match challenge in less than six months and now has an endowment of around $1 million.

GHCF’s approach

GHCF describes its home of Fairbanks as a land of contrasts and a vibrant, energetic and welcoming place with a generous spirit. It invests resources locally in a permanent fund to help current and future generations, and has a broad vision of improving quality of life for the people of Fairbanks and the surrounding communities. GHCF takes a broad approach to grantmaking and offers grants for health and wellness, education, the great outdoors, community development, and arts and culture.

Annual grant program

Although GHCF has awarded special response grants during times of emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, its main avenue of funding is its annual grant program. This program is typically open from mid-August to mid-September and accepts applications from nonprofits, schools, tribal entities and faith-based organizations in the Fairbanks North Star Borough area.

Grant guidelines and process

Applying for a GHCF grant is refreshingly straightforward since this funder provides an online grant application tutorial with tips and instructions on its website. New applicants should know that the typical award range is $1,000 to $5,000 and that projects must be completed within one year of receiving an award. This is an accessible funder with staff members available to answer application-related and general questions. The affiliate’s advisory board also remains very active in the local community, doing things like manning a phone bank for a fundraiser and greeting visitors at the state fair.

To learn more about the Golden Heart Community Foundation and other Alaska Community Foundation affiliates, check out IP’s Alaska Grants for Nonprofits page.

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