give256 is a giving circle that lets members pool their money and make a positive impact on our community through grants to nonprofits.
Formed in 2017, give256 was created by a group of community leaders and the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville to encourage philanthropy in a new group of donors.
give256 advances the well-being of the Greater Huntsville area by:
Equipping members with experiences and knowledge for making meaningful contributions to the community
Exposing members to a diverse range of social issues and to the community-based efforts working to address them
Supporting a wide range of nonprofit and community based projects in the Greater Huntsville area
Leveraging financial, social, and human capital for collective philanthropic impact
Building and growing a fellowship of informed and engaged donors.
How to Join
Join any time during the year by giving $256 to make our community better, and your membership will be good for 365 days. Your dollars are then pooled with others, and you decide together which local organizations you want to receive the money.
You can pay with a one-time donation or through monthly installments.
Want to give more than $256? Donations above and beyond that amount are always welcome. You can also become a Lifetime Member.
How are your dollars spent?
An important aspect of give256 is that 75% of all money contributed by members goes towards grants in the coming year and 25% goes into an endowment. An endowment is a way of investing that ensures a permanent source of funds for give256.
The principal of the endowment fund is never spent, and it can grow over time to generate an increasing stream of funding devoted to fulfilling the mission of give256. Earnings are used to make grants that meet community needs. Your gift—and all future income from your gift—is a permanent source of community funding that makes good works possible, forever.
Gifts are treated as follows:
Annual membership gifts, matches, and general donations from $256 to $2,560 may be paid as one-time gifts or installments. These are allocated 75/25 between the give256 annual grant fund and the give256 endowment fund.
Lifetime Membership gifts of $2,560 or more are allocated at 10% to the give256 annual grant fund in the year received, and 90% to the give256 endowment fund. Exceptions to this treatment may be made for gifts with restrictions, such as foundation grants.
Once you join, how do you get involved?
give256 membership is inclusive and flexible - so you can engage in a way that fits your schedule and interests. It's that easy.
Vote on your grantee choices. Grant finalists, selected by grant review team, present their projects at a Finals event in the Spring. Come to the Finals to watch those 3-minute presentations (with snacks and drinks!). Submit your top choices using a voting link sent beforehand.
Watch your dollars at work. We will announce the grantees, and you will get to see a year's worth of impact and progress. We will keep you updated on the status of the grants, invite you to engaging events with featured grantees, and give you other opportunities to have fun with fellow members.
What are you waiting for? It's time to join!