The Bell Charitable Foundation has awarded another round of impactful grants to community-based
nonprofits! This cycle’s focus was on the Economic & Social Mobility Pillar, and the Sustainability Pillar.
BCF continues to receive an outpouring of interest and support from the communities we serve, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to give back in such a transformative way
The details of our 14 grants, totaling over $250,000, are below. These organizations are making true change in the lives of our neighbors, and the environment, throughout Greater Cincinnati and Hawaii.
Economic and Social Mobility Pillar
3CDC: The GeneroCity 513 jobs van operates 3 days per week, picking up 10 individuals each day and transporting them to a predetermined route near downtown to provide community beautification projects. GeneroCity 513 is an initiative that was created in 2018, aimed at helping individuals who have been driven to panhandling, including those facing unfortunate circumstances like homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. GeneroCity 513 is operated by Downtown Cincinnati, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC). The organization's mission is to strategically revitalize Cincinnati's urban core.
Back2Back: This Bell Charitable Foundation grant will support Back2Back’s Communities of Belonging program in 2025, equipping roughly 400 Greater Cincinnati children in poverty for economic mobility through trauma-informed after-school activities and summer camps. These "Communities of Belonging" offer diverse activities including socioemotional learning groups and tutoring. In recent years, engagement in Communities has led to significant reductions in behavioral disruptions and improvements in academic performance for students in the program.
Beech Acres Parenting Center: Beech Acres works diligently to advance youth mental and social-emotional well-being through our Effective School Solutions (ESS) programs. ESS features a multi-tiered framework of trauma-informed counseling, social-emotional curriculum, and wrap-around family support in partner schools to ensure all children can thrive inside and outside the classroom. Funding will underwrite programming in 25 Greater Cincinnati schools serving predominantly low-to-moderate income students, furthering our mission of delivering scientific and compassionate solutions that meet children's needs while cultivating their natural strengths.
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative: CYC’s 3 E's Program is designed to help young people prepare for and enter one of the 3 E's after graduating high school: college Enrollment, career Employment, or military Enlistment. The 3 E's Program consists of a three-pronged approach. Work Readiness helps students explore various career paths and develop the necessary skills to be ready to join the workforce. College and Career Success helps students gear up for college. Mentoring matches young people with caring adult mentors who help them develop socially, emotionally, academically, and professionally. BCF funding will help CYC serve at least 3,650 Cincinnati young people, as well as allowing CYC to develop programmatic content, effectively plan program logistics and success strategies, and recruit and train program volunteers.
CityLink Center: CityLink Center was founded to address a fractured social service structure which challenged our neighbors to navigate an incredibly complex system of support with little margin of time or money. CityLink Center unified the client experience by co-locating services in one facility. CityLink offers multiple programs and wrap-around services all in one building, providing an opportunity for those who walk through our doors to achieve their desired outcomes in education, employment, and financial education, as well as supporting them as they work to remove barriers in transportation, housing, and childcare. BCF funding directly fuels CityLink Center's capacity to provide clients with a unique client-centered experience through our case management approach and systems.
Daybreak: Daybreak serves an average of 500-650 youth, ages 10-24, per year. The organization offers comprehensive support through one-on-one case management for our youth, helping them achieve their specific housing, career, and social goals. BCF funding will help empower homeless youth in creating stable futures by providing integrated employment, housing, and wellness services.
Dress for Success: The partnership with Dress for Success Cincinnati is focused on two cornerstone programs: 1:1 Dream Path/Thriving Coaching, and Women's Thriving Circles. DSF refers to the combination of these programs as Following Dream Paths to Thriving (FDPTT) because of the profound impact they have on women’s lives when they take advantage of them. Both programs support women in assessing their overall well-being, and well-being in nine critical areas, while measuring progress throughout their engagement. Through these efforts, we are supporting women in building resiliency factors and creating a healthier, thriving community surrounded by support and healing.
Humanity Hale: Humanity Hale's Life Skills Program empowers at-risk youth in Hawai'i with essential skills that foster economic and social mobility. This funding will support program materials, mentorship sessions, and resources that equip youth with financial literacy, career preparation, and sustainable nutrition skills. By addressing gaps in life skills through a trauma-informed approach, the program promotes inclusivity and destigmatizes mental health, creating a supportive environment for youth of all backgrounds, including non-binary and gender-nonconforming participants.
PAL Hawaii: The Beyond Housing Program (BHP) aims to stabilize formerly houseless and low-income tenants by improving their economic and social mobility. Through personalized case management, tenants receive needs assessments and referrals to social services or educational resources to support their path toward self-sufficiency and, in some cases, home ownership. Currently operating in the Kekaha and Kapa'a communities, the BHP serves a diverse tenant base, including former houseless individuals and households earning 30% to 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). As additional rental units are built or acquired, the BHP will expand island-wide.
Samaritan Car Care Clinic: Access to affordable and reliable transportation is one of the biggest barriers to financial independence that low-income families face in the Greater Cincinnati region. The Samaritan Car Care Clinic supports economic mobility in two direct ways: 1) helping low-income families stay on the path to self-sufficiency with shared cost car repairs; and 2) offering low-income community college students the opportunity to participate in an auto technology co-op program that provides tools for them to use.
Sustainability
Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub: Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub (the Hub) is working to improve and expand the school-based recycling collection programs, particularly in low-income communities where resources are less likely to be focused on environmental education and sustainability initiatives. The Hub operates multiple programs to divert items from the landfill, pursuing our mission "to revolutionize how people think about 'things' and to provide a place where almost anything can be recycled or reused." BCF’s grant funding supports expansion and improvement of school-based recycling programs through increased staffing, supplies, and transportation. These partnerships will further the Hub's goals to increase landfill diversion rates and promote environmental stewardship.
Friends of Kauai Wildlife Refuge: The overarching goal for Friends of Kauai Wildlife Refuge is to support the native Hawaiian seabirds and waterbirds and the protected spaces they rely upon. Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges serves as the dedicated nonprofit Friends Group to support the environmental and wildlife conservation, historic preservation, and community education programs of the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes Hanalei NWR, Hulēʻia NWR, and Kīlauea Point NWR. Through our partnership, we serve as a gateway to help channel the generosity of our community members in support of these critical ecosystems and help protect native Hawaiian seabirds and water birds.
Mission of Mary: Mission of Mary Cooperative (MMC) is a catalyst and partner for sustainable urban development committed to building a sustainable and just food system in Dayton's Twin Towers neighborhood by making fresh, healthy food accessible, empowering residents to grow their own, and educating the community on sustainable practices. In 2024, we strategically shifted our operations to donate 30,000 pounds of additional produce to those most in need, distributed through partners like Miami Valley Meals and local food pantries. The plan is for that nutrient dense produce, once sold in our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, to now be given at no cost thanks to increased philanthropic efforts. Our backyard garden program will also expand to serve 130 households, improving health, promoting resilience, and fostering community connections.
Re-Use Hawaii: Re-use Hawai'i has secured a location on O'ahu to establish a Workforce Development Training Center that will serve a nearby disadvantaged community by offering a redistribution center and supporting active deconstruction sites for paid, on-the-job training opportunities. This initiative aims to support the circular economy, reduce landfill waste, and address economic disparities by providing green job training and employment opportunities. Re-use Hawai'i is committed to expanding its Workforce Development (WFD) program to address the significant gap in vocational training. This expansion will enhance general operations by cultivating a skilled workforce prepared to support the essential building sector.
