30th Season for Sharing raises nearly $1.6M; Funds granted to over 160 nonprofits

The 30th annual Season for Sharing campaign is officially a wrap, and every penny of the nearly $1.6 million donated by readers of The Arizona Republic has been granted to more than 160 nonprofits that serve Arizonans in need.

“For three decades, Season for Sharing has demonstrated how vital it is for Arizonans to help Arizonans,” said Greg Burton, executive editor of The Republic, azcentral.com and La Voz. “Because of the generosity of Arizona Republic readers and the dedication of scores of hard-working nonprofits, thousands of people will be nourished and sheltered and be able to obtain other critical support like health care and education.”

The Republic covers all administrative and promotional costs of Season for Sharing, meaning 100% of donations go to organizations helping people in Arizona communities.

The biggest grants from the 2023-24 Season for Sharing campaign went to groups that provide food and shelter.

Central Arizona Shelter Services received a $30,000 grant to support families experiencing homelessness. Child Crisis Arizona, St. Mary’s Food Bank, and the Arizona Food Bank Network each received $25,000. In addition, The Salvation Army, UMOM and Chicanos Por La Causa each received $20,000.

List of nonprofits: Here are the Season for Sharing grantees for 2023-24

“Generous contributions through Season for Sharing allow CASS to improve client empowerment programs, provide essential shelter services, toiletries and hygiene items, and ultimately offer a hand up to so many in our community who need us,” said Whitney Thistle, Central Arizona Shelter Services’ chief development officer.

The Arizona Pet Project was among this year’s first-time Season for Sharing grant recipients. The nonprofit received $7,500 to help people keep their pets despite challenging circumstances, like the need to cover a costly vet bill when a household budget is already stretched to the max.

“When people are facing difficult times, they’re making choices between themselves and their animals,” said CEO Leanna Taylor. “It really is about whole family care, and people consider their pets part of the family.”

Native American Fatherhood & Families Association, based in Mesa, is also a new Season for Sharing grantee. The nonprofit received $7,500 to support free parent education classes and workshops and family law and child support clinics.

Since 1993, Season for Sharing has raised more than $74 million to support nonprofits. Many groups that received Season for Sharing grants in the campaign’s first year were operating long before — and continue to serve Arizona communities.

The Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, for instance, has been offering training and building community since 1947. The Phoenix nonprofit received $7,500 from the 2023-24 Season for Sharing campaign to help maintain programs that enrich the lives of older adults.

“The reason why this population is underserved is because it’s hard to provide services and costly,” said Michelle Hargreaves, the nonprofit’s chief development officer. “The Season for Sharing grant helps us elevate our level of services for these older adults so that they can continue to participate and engage and have a full life.”

Nonprofits help break down education barriers

Almost half of the 2023-24 Season for Sharing campaign donations were granted to groups that support young people. Many do so by providing educational opportunities.

Audubon Southwest, which received $7,500, is one of several Season for Sharing grantees that make field trips and other hands-on learning activities more accessible for students.

“These funds support our outdoor learning education programs, which connect students and families with science and nature right here in Phoenix,” said Katie Weeks, Audubon Southwest’s director of community education. “We offer free field trips and classroom visits to Title I schools that allow students to get outside and explore with birds, wildlife, rivers and more.”

Several Season for Sharing nonprofits, including the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, The Black Theatre Troupe, and Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped, have committed to using their grants to create spaces where young people can explore the arts and other extracurricular activities. All three of these groups received $7,500.

Other Season for Sharing grantees work to ensure kids have what they need to thrive in school. Back to School Clothing Drive, based in Phoenix, received $10,000 to help students from low-income households and students living in shelters or foster care.

“Each summer, we give thousands of children new clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, dental screenings and fluoride rinses, and books. We also put on a STEM camp for some of the older students where they can assemble a laptop they get to keep,” said Krissy Miskovsky, the nonprofit’s director of strategic initiatives. “We wouldn’t be able to meet the rising needs without the funding that we — and the nonprofits we partner with — get from Season for Sharing.”

Ensuring the well-being of Arizona’s older adults

About a quarter of this year’s Season for Sharing nonprofits work to improve the quality of life of older Arizonans.

Aunt Rita’s Foundation, based in Phoenix, is a first-time grantee. It received $7,500 for its regular gathering of people 50 and older living with HIV. The social and support group helps reduce isolation and promote community, according to the nonprofit.

Ballet Arizona and Scottsdale Arts will use their $7,500 Season for Sharing grants for tailored arts programming. Ballet Arizona offers dance classes through its Creative Aging program, which helps older adults express themselves creatively and improve strength and flexibility. The dance company also provides the Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program, which teaches people with the disease and their caregivers ways to manage physical and emotional symptoms. Scottsdale Arts offers Memory Lounge events — arts-oriented learning opportunities for adults with dementia and their careers. 

Most Season for Sharing nonprofits that work with older adults will use their grant funding to provide meals, housing and other supportive social services. Benevilla, based in Surprise, will use its $10,000 to help ensure older adults and people with disabilities in the West Valley have support that allows them to live independently.

“The Benevilla Home Services program is much more than just picking up groceries or driving someone to the doctor,” said Sara Villanueva, Benevilla’s vice president of donor relations. “The positives of the relationships built between the members and their volunteers are truly invaluable.”

Reach the reporter at alexis.waiss@gannett.com.