The two largest grants approved by the National Life Group Foundation’s Board of Directors were for hunger relief in Vermont and Texas.
The board met last week to discuss the Foundation’s 2018 Impact Report, the status of our efforts to help end childhood hunger and to act on grant recommendations for 2019.
The board approved grants totaling more than $1.1 million. When we add this to a number of multi-year pledges we’ve committed to, our Foundation will donate more than $1.4 million to nonprofits in central and northern Vermont and the Dallas area.
The Foundation received 190 new applications this year; 139 were approved and 51 were denied. Of that total, 111 will support Vermont-based nonprofits and 27 will be donated to organizations in Texas. One will go to Ohio to support our General Agent Jim Oppenlander’s cause.
The largest donation will go to the Vermont Foodbank to help with hunger relief. The Foodbank will receive $375,000 over the next three years to support its backpack program as well as warehouse reconfiguration to accommodate a larger cooler. This will provide space for more fresh food. The space for volunteers will also be improved.
The North Texas Food Bank and Hunger Free Vermont will also receive $100,000.
Donations for hunger relief make up 40 percent of the grant allocation for this cycle followed by programs that help children and families.