Why a Community Giving Fund?
The CSA Community Giving Fund is designed to strengthen our neighborhood by supporting local organizations that provide vital services to Center Square and the broader Albany area. By redistributing CSA funds into the community, we aim to strengthen our impact on small, community-based organizations that are addressing timely and pressing issues affecting our neighbors and neighborhood.
This fund is one way for us to collectively support the well-being and resilience of our neighborhood.
Subcommittee & Giving Process
The Community Giving Fund is managed by a subcommittee open to all CSA members who wish to participate. Its role is to ensure transparent, community-informed decision-making about how funds are distributed.
Here’s how it works:
- CSA will allocate money to the Community Giving Fund annually as part of its budget.
- All members will be invited to suggest organizations for consideration.
- The subcommittee will review suggestions and research each organization’s mission, service area, and financial scope using the established giving criteria.
- The group will reconvene to discuss findings and make recommendations.
- Final funding decisions will be shared with the broader CSA membership for input before funds are distributed.
This approach ensures that our giving remains rooted in shared values, local insight, and active neighborhood participation.
Funding Criteria
To guide our giving, we’ve identified the following criteria:
- Geographic Focus: Organizations must primarily serve Center Square and/or the City of Albany.
- Direct Impact: We prioritize groups that provide direct services to neighbors in our community.
- Timeliness: We look for groups offering situational or responsive services related to current events or urgent needs.
- Scale of Impact: We favor smaller organizations where our contributions can have a significant and tangible effect.
Past Funded Organizations
- United Tenants of Albany
- RISSE (Refugee & Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, Inc.)
- Grassroots Givers
- The Radix Ecological Sustainability Center
- In Our Own Voices
