News Release

HHS Awards $58 Million through Compassion Capital Fund

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced awards totaling $58,025,562 through the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF). The awards, to 420 faith-based and community organizations, are designed to help grass-roots faith-based and community organizations enhance their ability to provide a wide range of social services for those in need. Those services include aid for homeless persons, at-risk youth and rural communities and initiatives to empower youth and promote healthy marriage.

�These awards are central to President Bush�s agenda of compassion toward those in need,� said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. �By partnering with faith-based and community organizations, the Bush Administration is strengthening social services for millions of citizens.�

The awards consist of four sets of grants. The first involves the CCF Demonstration Program and totals $5 million for ten organizations. These groups will serve as intermediaries to help build the capacity of smaller faith-based and community organizations.

The second set totals $15,116,280 for 310 faith-based and community organizations under the CCF Targeted Capacity Building Program. The areas of focus for this program include at-risk youth, homeless persons, rural communities and strengthening marriage.

The third set of awards inaugurates the Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) program, a new program created in response to First Lady Laura Bush�s Helping America�s Youth initiative. CEY provides funding to strengthen existing community coalitions working to combat gang activity and youth violence and provide positive alternatives for at-risk youth. Under this new program, $30 million is awarded to 100 organizations to build the capacity of their coalitions, better enabling them to reduce youth violence in communities across the country.

In addition, grants totaling $7,909,282 were awarded to continue currently funded CCF programs.

�These funds provide compassion from the grass-roots up,� said Josephine B. Robinson, director of the Office of Community Services. �The Compassion Capital Fund is making a positive difference for disadvantaged children and families in communities across our nation.�

The Compassion Capital Fund is a cornerstone of President Bush�s faith-based and community initiative, and is designed to help organizations partner with the federal government to strengthen these organizations� ability to provide social services. Since its inception in 2002, approximately $206 million has been given to more than 4,300 organizations, including sub-awards from intermediary grantees. The primary purpose of CCF is to help faith-based and community organizations increase their effectiveness, enhance their ability to provide social services to serve those most in need, expand their organizations and create collaborations to better serve those in need.

To view a complete list of today�s awards, go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2006/ccf_fy_2006_data.pdf.

For more information on the Compassion Capital Fund, go to: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccf/.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last revised: October 6, 2006