Major foundations in Chattanooga give millions of dollars annually to endeavors that are tackling the city’s biggest challenges. The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga granted in excess of $27 million in 2023, including $830,000 paid to landlords as part of the city of Chattanooga’s Eviction Prevention Initiative. The money rescued more than 300 families from removal, the foundation’s 2023 annual report reveals.
It was money charitably given and well-spent. Yet despite the generous hands the Maclellan, Benwood and Lyndhurst foundations, among others, there remains a gap in local giving that can leave the less visible struggles within Chattanooga unaddressed, says Melanie Silva, chief operating officer at Hinton & Company and founder of Rad Wrk.
“Foundations have millions to give away and typically prefer making large multiyear grants to established nonprofits. That leaves a gap in the philanthropic funding landscape for seed stage and small program grant awards,” Silva says.
Enter The UNFoundation, a local fund that gives up to $3,000 to any project that will help to fill Chattanooga’s giving gap. Silva is a member of the organization’s board.
“We’ll fund any project that will make Chattanooga better. We’re open to all ideas as long as we’re not funding a keg party or buying you a sweet new ‘insert product name’ for personal enjoyment. Each month, we give up to $3,000 to an awesome project.”
In January, The UNFoundation funded the Welcome Home Project at Help Right Here Chattanooga, a nonprofit that supports people who are coming out of homelessness. Welcome Home provided starter kits containing cleaning supplies, bedding and toiletries to 30 formerly homeless individuals.
Like the Eviction Prevention Initiative, Welcome Home focused on housing, but instead of ensuring an individual had a roof over their head, it made sure the space under their roof was stocked with essentials.
The UNFoundation website (www.theunfoundation.org) catalogs 183 additional grants the fund has awarded since its launch in 2011. The list is diverse – UNFoundation has given money to causes as varied as a name change clinic for the Black Rainbow Movement and awards for the Chattanooga Film Festival – and reflects a responsiveness to immediate needs. In 2020, for example, the UNFoundation reacted to the coronavirus pandemic with grants that funded everything from gas cards to the curbside distribution of art supplies.
“We once funded a woman who purchased coats at thrift stores, washed the coats and then gave the coats to kids at school bus stops who didn’t have one,” recalls Silva. “Cool idea, right? Artists, artisans, justice seekers, neighborhood organizers, culinary cats, scientists, hot air ballooners, authors, athletes and anyone else who wants to do something that needs a little extra cash can apply and will get a fair shot at up to $3,000.”
While many private foundations issue grants based on sizable charitable endowments, The UNFoundation rallies money in increments as small as $100.
“The UNFoundation provides local philanthropy through collective action,” explains Silva. “Our members – or trustees, as we call them – each contribute $100 per month. We then pool those funds together to make a microgrant of $3,000.”
Serving as an UNFoundation trustee gives individuals a voice with which they can share their opinions about who is funded, Silva says. It also allows people who give on a smaller scale to collectively change the face of philanthropy.
No longer do the grand portraits of affluent humanitarians like Coca-Cola bottler George Hunter, founder of Benwood, exclusively hang in the gallery of local philanthropists; rather, the selfies of everyday Chattanoogans who donate to The UNFoundation and other grassroots efforts have greatly expanded the exhibit.
“Our goals are twofold: to invest in cool ideas that make Chattanooga more awesome and to help everyday Chattanoogans become philanthropists,” says Silva. “Wealth is no longer a prerequisite. Our members are ordinary people who are philanthropists; we support these philanthropists with a platform that can impact our shared community.”
The UNFoundation has its origins in 48Hour Launch, a CO.LAB event that challenged teams of entrepreneurs and specialists to transform a startup concept into a viable business model in two days. The UNFoundation was voted crowd favorite and awarded a $17,000 services package.
“Teal Thibaud was organizing the social track of the competition and was introduced to Ben Garrison, who had an idea for a grassroots-level philanthropic organization in Chattanooga,” details Silva. “Teal liked the idea so much that she volunteered brand genius Tavis Salazar to develop the name and branding. Bijan Dhanani jumped in as the pitch artist and promoter and Joda Thongnopnua joined the event to support building the organization.”
To arrive at the name “UNFoundation,” Salazar paired how foundations traditionally worked with the organization’s grassroots structure.
“We’re not a 501(c)(3); we’re a fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga,” notes Silva. “This gives us the flexibility to focus on investing in our community and not the red tape and reporting a nonprofit requires. We’re unlike other foundational philanthropy, so we decided we’d be The UNFoundation.”
As part of simplifying the acquisition of a grant, The UNFoundation accepts applications every day through an easily accessible form on its website, says Silva.
“We don’t require you to create an account or give us your blood type and shoe size. Instead, we make it easy.”
The UNFoundation also pairs philanthropy with fun, Silva promises. Monthly meetings include spirits, snacks and laughter at a “cool” Chattanooga spot. Free child care is available to those who need it.
All of this is part of The UNFoundation’s efforts to encourage philanthropy among average people. The tactic appears to be working, Silva adds.
“We often see trustees roll onto the boards of organizations that receive an UNFoundation investment or fund applications that don’t win on their own.”
Much like it accepts applications around the clock, The UNFoundation is always ready to welcome new trustees.
“Most of us have time or money or both to give back to our community. Should you have an extra $100 in your budget for paying it forward, we have a grassroots giving vehicle for you.”
For those who are unable to make a monthly donation, The UNFoundation offers trustee scholarships to ensure it has a range of voices deciding on grants.
“You’ll get to meet folks who care about our community and are compassionate, pay-it-forward-minded and attractive. I mean, we’re all attractive on the inside with our glowing philanthropic hearts.”