{"id":18504,"date":"2026-06-10T00:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=f094bc2888d45d5a98d620a0f3fac40d"},"modified":"2026-06-10T00:39:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:39:00","slug":"virginia-g-piper-charitable-trust-awards-24-7-million-in-grants-celebrates-25-years-of-piper-fellows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=18504","title":{"rendered":"Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Awards $24.7 Million in Grants, Celebrates 25 Years of Piper Fellows"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#MaricopaCounty<\/a>--Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded nearly $25 million in grants during its recently concluded 2026 fiscal year, supporting local nonprofits and community partners in strengthening quality of life for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona.<\/p><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>

\n25 Years of Piper Fellows<\/b><\/p>

\nThis year marks the 25th<\/sup> anniversary of the Piper Fellows<\/a> program, which provides outstanding nonprofit leaders with extensive, self-designed professional development opportunities. A Piper Fellowship offers the potential for up to $90,000 in grant funding to a Fellow\u2019s organization.<\/p>

\n\u201cWe invest in people. We invest in leaders,\u201d said Steve Zabilski, president and CEO of Piper Trust, \u201cnot simply to become Piper Fellows in order to improve themselves or even their organizations, but also for their commitment to improve our community.\u201d<\/p>

\nThe Piper Fellows program was created by the Trust\u2019s inaugural CEO, Dr. Judy Mohraz, who believed in the possibilities of supporting our nonprofit leaders in a way that put them first, when they often think of themselves last. Dr. Mohraz was recognized at the announcement of the 2025 class of Piper Fellows<\/a>. Dr. Alberto R\u00edos<\/a>, Arizona\u2019s inaugural poet laureate, read \u201cThe Art of Believing,\u201d which he wrote to commemorate the 25th<\/sup> anniversary of the Piper Fellows program\u2014the poem is dedicated to Mohraz. View the reading of the commemorative poem via the video below.<\/p>

\nPiper Trust\u2014Art of Believing VIDEO<\/b><\/a><\/p>

\nR\u00edos is director, regents\u2019 professor, and chair of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University<\/a>. Mohraz has served on Piper Trust\u2019s Board of Trustees<\/a> since 2012.<\/p>

\nA total of 131 Piper Fellowships have been awarded since the program\u2019s inception in 2001.<\/p>

\nFiscal Year 2026 Grants<\/b><\/p>

\nDuring fiscal year 2026 (for the period covering April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026<\/b>) Piper Trust awarded more than $24.7 million in support of local nonprofits and programs.<\/p>

\nAmong these were $1 million grants awarded to six of Arizona\u2019s largest colleges and universities<\/a> to advance their higher education missions in Maricopa County ($6 million total awarded in August 2025).<\/p>

\nThe following outlines published grantmaking by the Trust\u2019s core areas. View grants awarded in 2026 and all years dating back to 2000 via the online Grantmaking History<\/a> search tool.<\/p>

\nTRUST-INITIATED GRANT AWARDS\u2014TOTAL: $15,529,415<\/span><\/b><\/p>

\nTrust-Initiated Grantmaking: <\/i><\/b>grants conceived by the Trust or in partnership with other philanthropies\/organizations; these grants are often unique long-term investments that carry broad impact. Following lists the breakdown of Trust-initiated grants by core funding area<\/b>.<\/p>

\nArts and Culture\u2014Total: $1,960,566<\/p>

\nChildren\u2014Total: $2,657,220<\/p>

\nEducation\u2014Total: $6,483,164<\/p>

\nHealthcare\u2014Total: $1,728,000<\/p>

\nOlder Adults\u2014Total: $286,000<\/p>

\nReligious Organizations\u2014Total: $783,171<\/p>

\nOther\u2014Total: $1,631,294<\/p>

\nFor further context, the $15.5 million in Trust-initiated grantmaking includes<\/b> pools of funding directed to special grantmaking categories this past fiscal year such as:<\/p>

\nArts and Culture Experience Grants\u2014Total: $350,000<\/span><\/b><\/p>

\nA philanthropic collaboration initiated by Piper Trust and Stardust Foundation, Arts and Culture Experience grants<\/a> were jointly awarded to 47 Maricopa County arts and culture organizations (October 2025) timed for the holiday season. Grants provided organizations with an unexpected funding boost as a means for them to help welcome more community members through their doors, especially those who may be less likely to attend due to financial or transportation challenges.<\/p>

\nHomelessness Prevention\u2014Total: $1,500,000<\/span><\/b><\/p>

\nTrust-initiated grants<\/i> provided in collaboration with other philanthropies and partners focused on homelessness prevention; the Trust awards grants to organizations engaged in eviction prevention and housing stability efforts targeting workers earning low-incomes and older adults with fixed incomes. To optimize the use of housing and homelessness resources in the community and support family stability, Piper Trust seeks to decrease the rate of people becoming homeless due to an immediate financial hardship. A recent story by Catholic Charities Arizona<\/a> discusses how an unexpected setback can quickly threaten a family\u2019s stability\u2014and how temporary assistance can save a move to homelessness.<\/p>

\nMaterials Resource System\/Gifts in Kind Efforts\u2014Total: $600,000<\/span><\/b><\/p>

\nTrust-initiated support <\/i>to expand a collaborative effort designed to efficiently receive, store, and distribute high-quality and new donated essentials to individuals and families in Maricopa County through a collective of nonprofits. Organizations currently leading this effort include Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies, Delivering Dreams Arizona, Nourish Phoenix, and St. Vincent de Paul.<\/p>

\nPiper Fellows Program\u2014Total: $920,000<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

\nA Trust-initiated program<\/i>, the 2025 Class of Piper Fellows<\/a> is comprised of 13 nonprofit leaders with each organization awarded $30,000 to support the Fellows\u2019 respective self-designed, professional development plan; each organization is also awarded $10,000 to support related board\/staff development. Upon completion of their Piper Fellowships, Fellows\u2019 organizations are eligible to apply for a $50,000 Organizational Enhancement Grant. The 2025 Piper Fellows are: Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, CEO, Phoenix Indian Center; Jennifer Caraway, founder and CEO, The Joy Bus; Debbie Castaldo, president, Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation; Richard Crews, director of strategic impact, Keys to Change; Latrice Hickman, COO, Copa Health, Inc.; Lloyd Hopkins, founder, Million Dollar Teacher Project; Shonna James, president and executive director, Shemer Arts Center; Tracy Leonard-Warner, executive director, Ryan House; Jaclyn Pederson, CEO, Feeding Matters; Valentina Restrepo-Montoya, executive director and CEO, Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services; Nate Rhoton, CEO, one-n-ten; Eric Spicer, CDO, Arizona State University Foundation; and Michael Zirulnik, PhD, assistant vice president of university relations, Creighton University.<\/p>

\nRESPONSIVE GRANT AWARDS\u2014TOTAL: $6,053,000<\/span><\/b><\/p>

\nResponsive Grantmaking<\/i><\/b>: application-based grants proposed by a nonprofit working in partnership with a Trust program officer; these grants support nonprofit programs or projects that align with the Trust\u2019s defined grantmaking. Following lists a breakdown by core funding area.<\/p>

\nArts and Culture<\/i>\u2014Total: $988,000<\/b><\/p>

\nJazz in Arizona, Inc. ($375,000) \u2022 Phoenix Chorale ($283,000) \u2022 Phoenix Conservatory of Music ($230,000) \u2022 TheaterWorks ($100,000)<\/p>

\nChildren<\/i>\u2014Total: $1,225,000<\/b><\/p>

\nArizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills ($250,000) \u2022 East Valley Children\u2019s Theatre ($150,000) \u2022 Encircle Families ($275,000) \u2022 Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona ($150,000) \u2022 Hope Women\u2019s Center ($100,000) \u2022 Open Table, Inc. ($300,000)<\/p>

\nHealthcare<\/i>\u2014Total: $1,165,000<\/b><\/p>

\nAdvance Community ($195,000) \u2022 Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Foundation ($225,000) \u2022 Circle the City ($410,000) \u2022 Prisma Community Care ($175,000) \u2022 Valle del Sol, Inc. ($160,000)<\/p>

\nOlder Adults<\/i>\u2014Total: $400,000<\/b><\/p>

\nArizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired ($400,000)<\/p>

\nReligious Organizations<\/i>\u2014Total: $2,275,000<\/b><\/p>

\nCare Portal ($250,000) \u2022 The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix ($950,000) \u2022 The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix ($1,000,000) \u2022 Valley Beit Midrash ($75,000)<\/p>

\nFinancial Report FY2025 is Now Available<\/b><\/p>

\nPiper Trust\u2019s Annual Financial Report<\/a> includes full, audited financials and grant award totals for the Trust\u2019s 2025 fiscal year (April 1, 2024 \u2013 March 31, 2025<\/b>). On a cash basis, grants and Direct Charitable Activities (DCAs) were more than $26 million and totaled more than $58 million over the two-year period. These outsized grantmaking payouts continue to reflect the Trust\u2019s deep commitment to providing the community with additional supports in a post-pandemic environment. DCAs are programs\/projects initiated by Piper Trust that often support long-term investments, collaborations, or targeted efforts focused on solving specific challenges.<\/p>

\nAbout Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust:<\/b><\/p>

\nVirginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $775 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information, visit pipertrust.org<\/a>| Facebook<\/a> | LinkedIn<\/a> | X<\/a>.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nMedia Contact:<\/b>Karen Leland, kleland@pipertrust.org<\/a> | 480-556-7125<\/b>Chief Communications Officer, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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