Map the Future

Investing in innovative solutions to improve quality of life

The Compass Society brings our community's spirit of innovation to generosity to serve as a catalyst for Greater Huntsville's future. Through the power of generosity, the Compass Society implements visionary projects that have a significant and sustainable impact across all eight areas of our community's quality of life.

As a "Now & Later" fund, fifty percent of all Compass Society donations support current year grantmaking to make an immediate impact. The remaining fifty percent of donations are added to the Compass Endowment to serve as an permanent source of funding to address community needs. This innovative approach to charitable giving serves as an investment into our community's future, and a commitment to the future generations that will inherit this place we all call "home."

Ready to map the future?

The Greater Huntsville area is growing quickly as more and more people come to recognize all of the great things happening in our area. With this growth comes opportunity. The Community Foundation must be poised to meet the needs of our growing community in a strategic way. The Compass Society allows us to meet the current needs of our community, as well as provide for future needs that we may not yet know.

Help us reach our goal to have 100 Compass Society members with a donation at the link below, or make an interfund transfer from your donor advised fund.

Donate to Compass Society

Goal: 100 Members

Map the Future

Compass Society Grantmaking

Compass Society grant objectives include grant applications that are high-impact, collaborative, visionary, and span the Community Foundation’s Quality of Life Framework. Grants will range from $50,000 - $100,000 to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Huntsville area (Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan County). Exact allocations will be determined based on funding and projects.

2022 Compass Society Vision Session Summary

2022 GRANT FUNDING

The Compass Society awarded two nonprofits serving the Greater Huntsville area a combined total of $107,165.02 for initiatives that were high-impact, collaborative, and spanned multiple areas of the Quality of Life framework. Created to “Map the Future” the Compass Society brings the region’s spirit of innovation to generosity and serves as a catalyst for Greater Huntsville's future.

View Press Release

View Impact Report

Village of Promise

Health Services Program

Village of Promise received $57,165.02 in grant funding to support the Health Services Program which is in partnership with HEALS and WellStone to provide care for Village of Promise scholars, ages 0-5, and their families. Village of Promise will provide access to these health services at an on-site Village of Promise clinic staffed by a registered nurse from HEALS and a school-based therapist from Wellstone.

Singing River Trail

Let's Get Moving Wellness Stations

Singing River Trail was granted $50,000.00 to launch three SRT Let's Get Moving Wellness Stations in Bridgeport, Scottsboro, and Gurley. These workout stations will help three trail towns by encouraging physical exercise, mental/emotional health and wellness, community engagement, public art, and economic development.

Each project has the goal of "moving the needle" on measurable community indicators and is carefully monitored for measurable outcomes to ensure our investments are achieving a significant and sustainable impact on quality of life in our community.

Previous Compass Society Grants Include:

Arts LEAD Huntsville (Learning, Equity & Artist Development)

First Stop Client Enrichment Program

Habitat for Humanity Meridian Street Community

Huntsville Area Mountain Bike Riders John Hunt Trail

SAIL

Singing River Trail

Society of St. Andrew Alabama Gleaning Network

Standards for Excellence

The CornerStone Initiative Jobs For Life Course

The Schools Foundation Raise Your Hand Project

Thrive Mobile Health Case Services

Compass Society Members

$100,000 - $1,000,000

Anonymous
CFD Research
Mike and Patty Lowe
Jan Smith
Torch Technologies

$50,000 - $99,999

Cadence Community Reinvestment Fund
George and Peg Heeschen
Betty G. (Jean) Lee

$25,000 - $49,999

Visually Handicapped Teacher Fund
Larry and Amanda Lowe

$10,000 - $24,999

Butterfly Frog Fund
Mike and Theresa Durboraw
Beth and Bill Fleming
Investor's Resource
Cindi and Bob Ludwig
Randy and Jan Reynolds Family Fund
Sangeeta Singhal
Sonrisa Fund
Tenth Leper Fund
Triple E Fund

$5,000 - $9,999

Joe and Pam Alexander
Jay and Valerie Chandler
Dennis and Josephine Clements
Chad and Natalie Donald Foundation
Leah and Paul Gradl
Lucinda K. and Gary Griner, Jr. Family Fund
Tim and Sharon Holcombe
Linscomb & Williams - Chris Russell/Sheri Robinson
Little Drummer Girl Fund
Michael and Jana Moody
Sandra and John Moon Memorial Fund
Chris Russell and Sharon Doviet
Sameer and Ruchi Singhal

$1,000 - $4,999

Thomas and Elizabeth Abel
Aerojet Rocketdyne Foundation
Alabama A&M University
Peter and Erika Alvarez
Carol and Leon Bell
Matt and Deanna Bender
Blue Summit Supplies
John and Candy Burnett
Paul and Audrey Byrge
Caprio Family Fund
BG(Ret) and Mrs. Phil Coker
Michael and Leta Hornbuckle DeMaioribus
Gary Donald
Jason and Kelly Gallaspy
James and Violet Gilbert
John and Patti Gipson
Helen and Vincent Harrand
Rob and Laurie Heard
Marc and Vicki Highsmith
Hinson & Hinson - In Honor of Jean Lee
Greg and Kathy Hopper
Cindy and Tim Howard
Dr. Jeanette Jones
Wes and Sundown Kelley
Laura Lester and Dennis Madsen
Todd and Zara Lowry
Brian and Valarie Magerkurth
Lauren and Doug Martinson
Rick Myers and Wendy Yang
Marie C. Newberry
Lisa and Kapil Pant
Beth B. Richardson
Kem and Nancy Robertson
Sheri Robinson
Sarah Savage-Jones
Brian Seay
Jeff and Cecilia Showalter
Smalligan Giving Fund
Rick and Sherry Smith
Karen Stanley
Paula Steigerwald
Sam Thompson
Melissa and Tom Thompson
Vaughn Defense Services
Hunter and Nancy Washington Vaughn
Angela Walker
Roland Walker, Jr.
Bree and Rick Wilbourn
Womack & Associates, LLC

A Vital Need

The Community Foundation takes a holistic view of quality of life and seeks ways to make our great community even better. Grant funding is guided by the evaluation of community needs found in our Vital Signs Report which provides a check-up using key community indicators (or vital signs) to take a pulse of the health and vitality of each quality of life category. This snapshot of our community can be viewed in our Vital Signs Digital Dashboard which gathers data from the five counties of the Greater Huntsville area.

View VITAL SIGNS

How It Works

Although all gifts are appreciated, donors who contribute at least $1,000 are invited to become members of the Compass Society. Donors of all Compass Society giving levels will be recognized on the Compass Society webpage.
You can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets. Click here for instructions on how to make a donation to the Compass Society.
50% of your gift will be deployed in current year grantmaking. 50% of your gift will be added to the Compass Endowment. Each year, earnings from this fund are used to make grants addressing community needs. The principal of the fund will remain intact.
Your gift – and all future earnings from your gift and the gifts of others – will be a permanent source of community capital, helping to do good work forever.
You receive the full tax benefits associated with your gift in the year your gift is made.
Annually, the Compass Society Grants Committee will make grants decisions for the fund.