News Release

HHS Awards $49 Million from Compassion Capital Fund

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced awards totaling $49 million through the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF). The awards are designed to help grass roots, faith-based and community organizations enhance their ability to provide a wide range of social services to those in need including the homeless, at-risk youth, rural communities, the elderly and families transitioning from welfare to work.

“President Bush recognizes the effectiveness of faith and community-based organizations in mobilizing communities to serve those in greatest need,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. “These funds help strengthen organizations that perform acts of mercy in their neighborhoods.”

Today’s announcement consists of three sets of grants. The first involves the CCF Demonstration Program and totals $17,695,299 for 20 organizations. These groups will serve as intermediaries to help build the capacity of smaller faith-based and community organizations. These awards include $1.1 million to the OneStar Foundation of Austin, Texas; $1.4 million to the Black Ministerial Alliance in Roxbury, Mass.; $708,334 to the Latino Pastoral Action Center in Bronx, N.Y., and $750,000 to World Vision in Federal Way, Wash.

The second set totals $15,192,810 for 310 faith-based and community organizations under the CCF Targeted Capacity-building Program. The target program areas include at-risk youth, the homeless, rural communities and strengthening marriage.

In addition, awards totaling $15,740,265 were given to continue currently funded CCF programs. The list of continuation awards is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2005/continuation_awards.htm.

“Faith-based and community groups know how to help people in their neighborhoods,” said HHS’ Director of the Office of Community Services, Josephine B. Robinson. “The grants we are awarding from the Compassion Capital Fund continue President Bush’s goal to improve the capacity of organizations to deliver social services around the nation.”

The Compassion Capital Fund, a key component of President Bush’s faith-based and community initiative, is designed to help community organizations partner with the federal government to strengthen social services. Since the program began in 2002, $148 million has been given to more than 3,000 organizations including sub-awards from intermediary grantees.

The list of today’s CCF demonstration and targeted capacity building awards is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2005/ccf_awards_data.htm.