Community Foundation for Greater Rome Awards $101,000 in Historic Grant Cycle to 13 Local Nonprofits

The Community Foundation for Greater Rome (CFFGR) has announced the recipients of its 2025 competitive grant cycle, awarding $101,000 to 13 local nonprofit organizations serving Floyd County and the surrounding area. The awards were presented at a ceremony hosted by MSP Attorneys on Tuesday, October 7.

This year’s grant cycle was dedicated to the memory of Villa Hizer–and her outstanding legacy of generosity, leadership and service to Rome. The grant process generated a historic response, with 39 applications submitted requesting nearly half a million dollars in funding. A volunteer Citizen Review Panel representing the Rome community carefully reviewed the proposals and made recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, who approved the final slate of awards.

“The committee faced difficult funding decisions, but these grants represent the heart of our mission,” said Jennifer Scott, Interim Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Greater Rome. “Through a variety of channels, these nonprofits are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of our neighbors. We are proud to stand alongside them and to help connect the generosity of local donors with the strategic needs of our community.”

2025 Grant Recipients:

  • Battlefield Ministries – Keeping Counseling Accessible  – $10,000

  • Bloom Our Youth – Bloom Closet Items for Needy Children– $5,000

  • Cancer Navigators – Enriching Cancer Patients’ Lives – $9,000

  • Extra Special People – ESP Rome Summer Camp – $10,000

  • Rome First Methodist Church– Playground Access for Every Ability – $5,000

  • Goodwill of North Georgia – Rome Career Services – $7,700

  • Harbor House: NWGA Child Advocacy Center – Child Abuse Prevention Program – $5,000

  • Hospitality House for Women – Hope for Healing – $9,800

  • YMCA of Rome and Floyd County – Doorway to Belonging – $9,000 (funded through the First Christian Heritage Fund)

  • Restoration Rome – Floyd Family Support Partners Program – $8,500 (funded through the Spiegelberg Fund & Greater Rome Impact Fund)

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Georgia – Project Learn – $5,000 (funded through the Villa Hizer Fund)

  • Lovejoy Community Services  – Summer Explosion: Reading Without Limits – $10,000 (funded through the Villa Hizer Fund)

  • NAMI Rome – Ending the Silence school presentations – $7,000 (funded through the Villa Hizer Fund)

Building a Stronger Future Together

CFFGR relies on the generosity of local donors to make these grants possible. The Foundation’s Greater Rome Impact Fund provided the majority of this year’s funds and serves as a flexible resource to address the community’s pressing needs both now and in the future.

“Every gift, no matter the size, strengthens our ability to respond to opportunities and challenges in Rome,” said Scott Smith, Board Chair of CFFGR. “Together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant community.”

Community members are invited to learn more or make a gift to the Greater Rome Impact Fund at cffgr.org.