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.