Arizona Community Foundation

This morning, as family, friends, and community members gather to celebrate the life of Dr. Gene C. Blue, we pause to honor a life defined by service, vision, and impact. As the longtime Executive Director of Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center, Dr. Blue helped more than 65,000 students access education and supported over 47,000 individuals in securing employment—transforming families and strengthening communities across Arizona. At the Arizona Community Foundation, we are proud to have partnered with him to advance workforce development and educational opportunity, including through scholarship programs that continue to uplift future leaders. His impact is both measurable and deeply personal. Today, we honor his legacy and commit to carrying it forward. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and all who were touched by his extraordinary life.

This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re celebrating the individuals, families, organizations, and giving circles helping strengthen communities across Arizona through philanthropy and partnership. From the Arizona Asian American Women’s Giving Circle and the Chinese American Foundation Fund (CAFA), to community partners like OCA Phoenix Non Profit Reserve Fund and United Foods International of Japan, these efforts reflect the power of community-centered giving and collective impact. At ACF, we believe philanthropy is strongest when it reflects the people and communities it serves. Through our Asian American Philanthropy initiatives, donors and partners are helping create lasting impact across Arizona. Interested in getting involved? Learn more about joining a giving circle through ACF at the link in bio. #AAPIHeritageMonth #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

Motherhood shapes the way we care for others, show up for our communities, and build brighter futures for the next generation. This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the moms of ACF and the love, strength, and compassion they bring to their families and to communities across Arizona. Thank you to everyone who shared a glimpse into their lives and reflections on motherhood, family, and philanthropy. #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

Recap of our River Walk with @theazfoundation /Arizona Community Foundation: From restoring the Rio Salado to reimagining what environmental justice can look like in South Phoenix, this coalition is proving what’s possible when organizations work with community and not in silos. Together, we are building pathways toward environmentally resilient, culturally grounded, and community-led futures in our barrios. Through this multi-sector partnership, AZ(LAND) Fund is helping elevate environmental education, community capacity, culture, and ecological restoration by creating opportunities for residents to engage in stewardship, storytelling, and climate learning rooted in place. The @thesagrado Galleria is contributing sustainable and resilient design practices that center cultural relevance, public space activation, and community healing. @protectorsofthesaltriver continues leading restoration and stewardship efforts along the Rio Salado organizing volunteer restoration, protecting native habitat, and reconnecting people to the river through Indigenous and community-based care practices. Together with Indigenous leaders, educators, youth, artists, researchers, and residents, we are advancing a shared vision for watershed restoration, environmental education, and climate resilience that honors the history, culture, and ecological knowledge of our communities. This work is not just about restoring or conserving land it is about bringing JUSTICE, restoring relationships, memory, stewardship, and collective power for future generations. Read more from AZCentral: /story/news/local/arizona-environment/2026/05/04/community-groups-look-for-ways-to-protect-arizonans-from-extreme-heat/89828085007/ 📸 thank you to @lando.phx.photographer for the beautiful photos.

Last Saturday, May 2, we were proud to see our President and CEO, Anna María Chávez, recognized as Advocate of the Year at the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 72nd Annual Black and White Ball. Anna María and the other honorees were celebrated in a room filled with family and community, an inspiring reminder that this work is never done alone. Thank you to the @azhcc for recognizing Anna and the impact of leaders working to strengthen communities across our state.

Grateful for the sponsors helping power the 122 Conference. Thank you to @srpconnect , Desert Diamond Casino, @freeportfcx , and @wellsfargo for showing up in a meaningful way for Arizona communities. Your support helps create space for important conversations and real solutions that move the work forward. #122Conference #CommunityIsOurMiddleName #Environment

“Empowering Dreams, Enriching the Community” is more than a theme for The Bisbee Foundation. It is how this community shows up for one another. This weekend, ACF joined The Bisbee Foundation at the historic Serbian Hall to celebrate 20 years of partnership and the incredible work of this volunteer-led foundation. In a town built on mining and grit, Bisbee has created a lasting legacy of giving that continues to support local students, nonprofits, and community needs. This year alone, The Bisbee Foundation awarded $72,000 in scholarships to 26 students and now helps steward more than $1 million in community assets. Community is our middle name, and Bisbee brings that spirit to life. Here’s to the next 20 years of taking care of our own. #Bisbee #CommunityIsOurMiddleName #RuralPhilanthropy

A meaningful milestone for our partners at @pvcc_official as they celebrated the first annual recipients of the Paradise Valley Country Club Scholarship. Through the generosity of club members and families, this new fund is already creating opportunity. Six recipients will share a combined total of $47,500 in scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year—support that helps open doors to higher education and brighter futures. Each scholarship is more than financial assistance. It’s an investment in potential, hard work, and the future of employees and their families. Grateful for this partnership and the shared commitment to expanding access to education and strengthening our communities across Arizona. #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

Look up, Phoenix. You might just see a familiar face! Our President and CEO, Anna María Chávez, has been named Advocate of the Year by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce @azhcc and now the recognition is lighting up the skyline. This well-deserved honor reflects the lasting impact of her work and the example she sets for leaders across our state. She will be formally recognized this weekend at the 72nd Annual Black and White Ball and Business Awards on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Arizona Biltmore, alongside other outstanding leaders shaping Arizona’s future. We are proud to celebrate this moment and grateful for the leadership she brings to our organization and communities every day. Congratulations, Anna! #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

We’re honored to share that the Arizona Community Foundation was recognized with the Civic Engagement Award from the @maricopacountynaacp at this year’s Annual Freedom Fund Dinner, celebrating 107 years of service to the community. The award reflects ACF’s ongoing commitment to responding to urgent needs, strengthening Arizona’s nonprofit sector, and advancing inclusive philanthropy across our state. Board members Dr. @michelehalyard and @bgreatcoleman , former Board Member Dr. Rufus Glasper, and @mslcag , Chair of the African American Women’s Giving and Empowerment Circle, accepted the award on behalf of our community—alongside members of the ACF team and partners who help make this work possible every day. We’re grateful for the partnership with the NAACP and for the opportunity to continue investing in solutions that uplift communities across Arizona. At ACF, #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

Alex Duran made a promise to himself in high school, to work hard, earn scholarships, and build a better future for his family. That promise led him to graduate from @arizonastateuniversity with a degree in electrical engineering and to use his skills to serve Arizona communities along the way. With support from the Thunderbirds Scholars Program Fund, Alex was able to focus on his education, gain real-world experience, and step confidently into his career. Scholarships don’t just support students. They unlock potential. @thunderbirdscharities #CommunityIsOurMiddleName

From the four walls of the classroom to the Rio Salado river we are continuously and collectively working together to elevate environmental and climate justice education, community, culture, and capacity. We made that evident during today’s walk, blessing, and conversations to ground us in what TRUE community rooted environmental and climate leadership looks like in Arizona from those living and working from those exact communities. Through a shared river tour experience and community rooted dialogue, AZ(LAND), @thesagrado and @protectorsofthesaltriver showed what it means to move together, not in silos, but in centering barrio innovation, our gente, sustainable design, and Indigenous stewardship to elevate environmental and climate justice across culture, education, community, and capacity. This work has been amplified and supported by @theazfoundation who we are grateful for as a coalition. Today’s announcement of the 122° Conference will continue to position Arizona as a global leader in sustainable, resilient and just solutions grounded in community. Bottom up investment, support, and strategies are what we need to scale, not just top down, outside approaches. Climate change is real, our communities are continually dealing with compounded crisis and through our survival we have shown that we have the solutions, we have the leadership, we just need more investment at the hyper local level🌵🔥 Thank you to @lando.phx.photographer for your awesome videography coverage documenting and photographing this event 🙏🏽📸