Cultural Coalition Included in Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust Largest Single-Day Grant Initiative in Arizona History

Cultural Coalition is honored to announce that they are one of 71 nonprofits surprised with an award from Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust as part of its Now is the Moment Grants Commemoration that awarded $123 million in grants earlier on September 13. 

Cultural Coalition Executive Director, Carmen Guerrero shared that when she and their Board Treasurer, Tom Pynn were invited to the Piper Trust offices, they were completely unaware of what was to come next.  When Piper Trust Trustees revealed that Cultural Coalition was being awarded $100,000 to continue their work of providing arts and culture events and opportunities to communities throughout the Valley, Carmen said, “Our jaws dropped to the floor!”

“It is a beautiful and unexpected blessing,” Carmen said with the biggest smile. “We have been working so hard to keep people engaged with the arts and supporting local artists. Especially, during the last year and a half. This grant will help to ensure that our festivals and community engagement events can continue to grow, and our artists will have opportunities to share their culture, tradition, and talent with our community.”

As announced by the Trust on September 13, “Despite a tumultuous year due to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19 and economic uncertainty across all sectors, many individuals and institutions with large investments in the stock market experienced extraordinary growth in the value of their holdings. Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s endowment grew by $123 million in the 15 months following the start of the pandemic. With these two opposing forces at work, and as stewards of the Trust’s founder, Virginia Galvin Piper, Trustees felt compelled to share all of the earnings with the community in one swift action.”

After the shock and awe of the announcement passed, Cultural Coalition Board and staff are now working on a plan for ways to put the $100,000 grant award to best use for the work they do making the arts accessible to everyone in Arizona.

About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. The Trust concentrates its efforts in six areas: Arts & Culture, Children, Education, Healthcare and Medical Research, Older Adults, Religious Organizations.

Piper Trust was founded by Virginia Galvin Piper, the wife of Motorola founder Paul V. Galvin. Virginia Piper sought to follow her husband’s philanthropic example by establishing a charitable legacy of her own and was passionate about supporting Maricopa County nonprofits.

“For me,” she wrote, “managing the stewardship of charitable giving is a moment-to-moment dignified responsibility of a truly high calling in human affairs and human relations.” For the last three decades of her life, Mrs. Piper lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona. She moved from Chicago with her second husband, Kenneth M. Piper. During that time, she worked quietly and steadily at building relationships with and helping strengthen Phoenix-area nonprofits. Mrs. Piper established the Trust in 1995 and appointed four Trustees to oversee the work of the foundation. Shortly after Mrs. Piper’s death in 1999, the Trustees began the formal work of the Trust.

Piper Trust’s presence began when it made its “Cornerstone Grants” in December 2020 of $41 million to a select group of organizations that Mrs. Piper supported over the years. Of the seven Trustees, three are original Trustees appointed by Virginia, and four have served the Trust in their roles for over half the life of the Trust. Upon settlement of Mrs. Piper’s estate in 2000, the Trust received approximately $600 million, making the Trust one of the nation’s 100 largest foundations.

In Fiscal Year 2021 (which for the Trust ended on March 31, 2021), Piper Trust awarded more than $37 million to nonprofit organizations—a significant increase from the historical average of $22 million annually. Many of the additional grants in 2021 were a direct response to the pandemic.

On September 13, after completing 71 personal meetings with nonprofit leaders, Piper Trust’s grantmaking to date will exceed more than $644 million.

Piper Trust works side-by-side with nonprofit organizations as a partner, helping them to identify problems, build expertise, find solutions, and become continually stronger and more effective. The Trust strives to be a vital part of Maricopa County—not only as a source of leadership and financial support, but as a neighbor sharing a lasting stake in the county’s future.

For more information, visit pipertrust.org.

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