Cox Charities announced its selection of 80 Arizona nonprofit organizations to receive $543,250 in grant funding. The majority of the grant funds awarded came from the generous donations of Cox’s 3,200 employees who call Arizona home.

“Cox is committed to making a difference in Arizona by giving back to the communities we serve,” said John Wolfe, senior vice president and southwest region manager for Cox Communications. “We are proud to make this donation to local nonprofits whose missions are to support and educate youth.”

Locally, Center for the Future of Arizona and Million Dollar Teacher Project are among the 80 recipients in the Phoenix Metro area.

The Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) is helping to shape and define Arizona’s future through an action-oriented agenda focused on educational issues and topics critical to the state. It combines research with collaborative partnerships and educational initiatives that drive the state’s economic prosperity, quality of life and civic health, and create a better future for all Arizonans.

The support from Cox Charities will be used to deepen and expand the organization’s Participatory Budgeting in Schools work, which invites students to learn democracy by doing. High school students across Phoenix are invited into a process of developing ideas and then voting on the specific projects that will help build stronger school communities.

“It’s not only an investment in the school, but an investment in our students’ critical thinking, communication, problem solving abilities and their buy-in and ownership of the school,” said a Phoenix Union High School District Principal.

Another recipient of a grant from Cox Charities is the Million Dollar Teacher Project, which was established in October 2016 as a mechanism to strengthen schools in Arizona. The work of the organization revolves around the principle that the most cost-effective and sustainable way to improve schools, is to direct more resources and support directly to the teaching profession, so schools have the ability to attract great talent in to every classroom.

The Cox Charities grant will be used towards the organization’s work in the Alhambra Elementary School District to bring more support directly in to classroom through its Classroom Support Team model (CST). Through the CST, each teacher is surrounded with a team including a student teacher, teaching assistant, tech integration specialist and a parent engagement specialist. The team’s role is to assist the teacher in creating more opportunities for diversified and differentiated instruction in the classroom. The financial support from Cox Charities will help boost academic growth, student engagement, tech integration in the classroom, teacher confidence in differentiating instruction, teacher retention and satisfaction.

Phoenix organizations awarded grant funds this year include:

Organization

ACCEL

American Red Cross

Anti-Defamation League

Arizona Center for Nature Conservation

Arizona Council on Economic Education

Arizona Friends of Foster Children

Arizona Helping Hands, Inc.

Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped

Arizona Science Center

Arizona’s Children Association

Assistance League of Phoenix

AZ SciTech

Back to School Clothing Drive Association

Banner Health Foundation of Arizona

Be A Leader Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (BBBSAZ)

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Casa Grande Valley

Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley

BUTTERFLY WONDERLAND FOUNDATION INC

Career Concepts for Youth, Inc.

Center for the Future of Arizona

Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS)

Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.

Child and Family Resources, Inc.

Child Crisis Arizona

Children’s Cancer Network

Children’s Museum of Phoenix

Childsplay, Inc.

Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts

Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Caballeros Western Museum

Doreen Katz Memorial Cancer Foundation

Elevate Phoenix

Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona

Foothills Community Foundation

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona

Fresh Start Women’s Foundation

Friendly House

Furnishing Dignity

Future Stars, Inc

Gabriel’s Angels

Girl Scouts – Arizona Cactus-Pine Council

Gompers

Greater Paradise Valley Community Assistance Team, Inc. DBA Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank

HandsOn Greater Phoenix

Homeless Youth Connection

ICAN

Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates, Inc.

Junior Achievement of  Arizona, Inc.

Kids In Focus

KIDS NEED TO READ

Make-A-Wish Arizona

Matthew’s Crossing

Million Dollar Teacher Project

New Pathways for Youth Inc.

one n ten

Operation Welcome Home Arizona

Phoenix Center for the Arts

Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation

Phoenix Community ToolBank

Phoenix Conservatory of Music

Phoenix Film Foundation

Phoenix Symphony Association/The Phoenix Symphony

Playworks Arizona

Read Better Be Better

Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children

Ryan House

Save the Family Foundation of Arizona

Scottsdale Cultural Council (D.B.A. Scottsdale Arts)

Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS)

SEEDs For Autism

Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

Special Olympics Arizona

THE SALVATION ARMY, A California Corp.

Treasures 4 Teachers, Inc.

UMOM New Day Centers

United Food Bank

Valle del Sol, Inc.

Valley Leadership

Wesley Community Center

WHEAT (World Hunger Ecumenical AZ Taskforce)

Wickenburg Performing Arts Boosters

Xico, Inc.

Young Arts Arizona, LTD

YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix

 

Total grant funds awarded in Phoenix and Southern Arizona: $543,250