After two weeks of voting in 75 markets across the US, more than 160,000 votes were cast in the Yelp Foundation Gives Local grant contest, and we have a winner! A lot of them, actually. With three nonprofits in each market receiving grants, that’s 225 organizations that are receiving grants totaling $750,000. Read on for the full list.
It’s amazing to see how passionate community members are about the work these charities do. We saw a ton of talk on the #YFGivesLocal hashtag, with locals sharing who they voted for and nonprofits spreading the good news about their nomination. Each one in their own way supports the Yelp Foundation’s mission of addressing the needs of local communities including: access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression. It’s pretty cool to think of that mission making progress in so many cities across the nation, and I can’t wait to see what each of these nonprofits is able to do with their grant winnings.
Thank you to everyone who took time to vote. It’s so important to the Yelp Foundation to involve the community and Yelp employees in driving decisions about how best to give back to the local communities we all love. That’s why I can’t wait to get started on the Foundation’s next grant program later this year! Go to YelpFoundation.org to stay up to date on all the ways you can get involved with the Yelp Foundation, and for more information on grant winning nonprofits. Learn more about the impact Yelp Foundation grants have in this video profiling two grant recipients from previous years.
2016 Yelp Foundation Gives Local Grant Winners
First place winners received grants of $5,000, second place received $3,000 grants, and third place received $2,000 grants.
Birmingham, AL
1st: REV Birmingham
2nd: Better Basics
3rd: The Community Kitchens
Phoenix, AZ
1st: SARRC
2nd: STARS
3rd: AZ Literacy & Learning Center
Tucson, AZ
1st: Tucson Botanical Gardens
2nd: Literacy Connects
3rd: South Arizona Research, Science & Engineering Foundation
East Bay, CA
1st: Oakland Digital
2nd: The Bread Project
3rd: K to College
Los Angeles, CA
1st: Fulfillment Fund
2nd: Reading Partners
3rd: Create Now
Orange County, CA
1st: Project Access
2nd: OneOC
3rd: Think Together
North Bay, CA
1st: Next Generation Scholars
2nd: St. Vincent De Paul Society
3rd: Marin Literacy Program
Sacramento, CA
1st: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
2nd: WEAVE
3rd: Food Literacy Center
San Diego, CA
1st: United Through Reading
2nd: San Diego Council on Literacy
3rd: Friends of Read San Diego
San Francisco, CA
1st: Reading Partners
2nd: Creativity Explored
3rd: Upwardly Global
South Bay, CA
1st: The Bridge School
2nd: Summer Search
3rd: Code2040
Denver, CO
1st: Odyssey School
2nd: Reading Partners
3rd: VSA Access Gallery
Hartford, CT
1st: The Connecticut Forum
2nd: Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford
3rd: reSET
Jacksonville, FL
1st: Rethreaded
2nd: Learn to Read Jacksonville
3rd: Museum of Science and History
Miami, FL
1st: Catalysts Miami
2nd: Amigos For Kids
3rd: Breakthrough Miami
Broward Palm Beach, FL
1st: Best Foot Forward
2nd: Young At Art
3rd: The Children’s Healing Institute
Orlando, FL
1st: A Gift For Teaching
2nd: Volunteers For Community Impact
3rd: Credo
Tampa Bay, FL
1st: The Hillsborough Literacy Council, Inc.
2nd: Wheels of Success
3rd: Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay
Atlanta, GA
1st: Everybody Wins! Atlanta
2nd: Literacy Action
3rd: The NEXT Steps Youth Entrepreneur Program
Honolulu, HI
1st: Hawaii Literacy
2nd: Friends of the Library of Hawaii
3rd: Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii
Chicago, IL
1st: Chicago Coalition For The Homeless
2nd: Red Door Animal Shelter
3rd: After School Matters
Chicago Suburbs, IL
1st: Naperville Cares
2nd: The Literacy Connection
3rd: Reading is Fundamental in Chicago
Chicago North Shore, IL
1st: Family Promise Chicago North Shore
2nd: Infant Welfare Society Of Evanston
3rd: Literature for All of Us
Indianapolis, IN
1st: Indy Reads
2nd: Nine13sports
3rd: People for Urban Progress
Des Moines, IA
1st : Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa
2nd: Everybody Wins! Iowa
3rd: Orchard Place
Louisville, KY
1st: Louisville Public Media
2nd: The Food Literacy Project
3rd: Access Ventures
Baton Rouge, LA
1st: Baton Rouge Youth Coalition
2nd: Louisiana Art & Science Museum
3rd: Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
New Orleans, LA
1st: APEX Youth Center
2nd: Good Work Network
3rd: Arts Council New Orleans
Portland, ME
1st: PSL Services
2nd: Maine Youth Leadership
3rd: Ruth’s Reusable Resources
Baltimore, MD
1st: South Baltimore Learning Center
2nd: Community Law Center
3rd: Learning is For Tomorrow
Maryland Suburbs, MD
1st: Literacy Council Of Montgomery County
2nd: Literacy Council Of Frederick County Maryland
3rd: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County
Boston, MA
1st: More Than Words
2nd: Reach out and Read
3rd: TUGG
Detroit, MI
1st: Motor City Blight Busters
2nd: Insideout Literary Arts Project
3rd: Young Detroit Builders
Minneapolis, MN
1st: Reading Partners
2nd: Open Access Connections
3rd: Free Arts Minnesota
Kansas City, MO
1st: Great Plains SPCA
2nd: Green Works KC
3rd: Literacy KC
Saint Louis, MO
1st: Ready Readers
2nd: Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis
3rd: Small Business Empowerment Center
Omaha, NE
1st: Keep Kids Alive Drive 25
2nd: InCommon Community Development
3rd: Fod Bank for the Heartland
Las Vegas, NV
1st: Safe Nest
2nd: Three Square
3rd: The Shade Tree
Reno, NV
1st: Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology
2nd: Assistance League of Reno-Sparks
3rd: Northern Nevada Literacy Council
Jersey City, NJ
1st: New City Kids
2nd: Rising Tide Capital
3rd: UCEDC
Albuquerque, NM
1st: Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Mexico
2nd: Rio Grande Community Development Corporation
3rd: Reading Works
Buffalo, NY
1st: WEDI Buffalo
2nd: Western New York Book Arts Center
3rd: PUSH Buffalo
Manhattan, NY
1st: Reading Partners
2nd: Stupid Cancer
3rd: Hot Bread Kitchen
Queens, NY
1st: Queens Community House
2nd: Make The Road New York
3rd: Big Reuse
Brooklyn, NY
1st: Brooklyn Public Library
2nd: Reconnect
3rd: My Own Book
Long Island, NY
1st: Literacy Nassau
2nd: SEA-LI
3rd: Leadership Huntington
Rochester, NY
1st: Writers & Books
2nd: The Center For Youth
3rd: Literacy Volunteers of Rochester
Charlotte, NC
1st: Classroom Central
2nd: Charlotte Reading Partners
3rd: A Child’s Place
Raleigh-Durham, NC
1st: Hope Center at Pullen
2nd: Durham Literacy Center
3rd: YES!
The Triad (including Greensboro, Winston Salem, High Point), NC
1st: Reading Connections
2nd: Triad Local First
3rd: Triad Community Kitchen
Cincinnati, OH
1st: Crayons To Computers
2nd: Gorman Heritage Farm
3rd: Bad Girl Ventures
Cleveland, OH
1st: The Refugee Response
2nd: Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center
3rd: Laura’s Home – The City Mission
Columbus, OH
1st: Wild Goose Creative
2nd: Columbus Literacy Council
3rd: ECDI
Oklahoma City, OK
1st: Community Literacy Centers
2nd: OKC Metro Literacy Coalition
3rd: I2E
Tulsa, OK
1st: Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
2nd: Emergency Infant Services
3rd: Tulsa Girls Art School
Portland, OR
1st: Late Night Library
2nd: The Children’s Book Bank
3rd: Stumptown Syndicate
Philadelphia, PA
1st: Mighty Writers
2nd: Philadelphia Reads
3rd: Career Wardrobe
Pittsburgh, PA
1st: Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
2nd: Assemble
3rd: Beverly’s Birthdays
Providence, RI
1st: New Urban Arts
2nd: Farm Fresh RI
3rd: Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program
Charleston, SC
1st: Reading Partners
2nd: Lowcountry Local First
3rd: Trident Literacy Association
Austin, TX
1st: The Literacy Coalition of Central Texas
2nd: Austin Food & Wine Alliance
3rd: LifeWorks
Dallas, TX
1st: Literacy Instruction for Texas
2nd: My Second Chance
3rd: Lift Fund
Fort Worth, TX
1st: Tarrant Literacy Coalition
2nd: Family Pathfinders of Tarrant County
3rd: SafeHaven
Houston, TX
1st: Literacy Advance of Houston
2nd: Houston’s Charity for Children
3rd: Prison Entrepreneur Program
San Antonio, TX
1st: SAReads
2nd: SA2020
3rd: Culinaria
Memphis, TN
1st: Literacy Mid-South
2nd: New Memphis Institute
3rd: Emerge
Nashville, TN
1st: Thistle Farms/Magdalene House
2nd: Center for Refugees & Immigrants of Tennessee
3rd: Nashville Adult Literacy Council
Salt Lake City, UT
1st: Project Read
2nd: Local First Utah
3rd: Neighborhood House
Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach), VA
1st: For Kids
Tied for 2nd & 3rd: The Up Center, The Literacy Partnership
(Each nonprofit will get a $2,500 grant)
Northern Virginia
1st: Loudoun Literacy Council
2nd: Doorways for Women and Families Inc
3rd: Institute for Justice
Richmond, VA
1st: The New Community School
2nd: Read To Them
3rd: Richmond Entrepreneur’s Assistance Program
Seattle, WA
1st: The World is Fun
2nd: Reading Partners
3rd: Seattle Alliance For Education
Washington DC
1st: The Literacy Lab
2nd: Latino Economic Development Corporation
3rd: Books for America
Madison, WI
1st: Boys & Girls Club of Dane County
2nd: Literacy Network
3rd: 100state
Milwaukee, WI
1st: Milwaukee Achiever
2nd: SHARP Literacy
3rd: Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative
