Providing water assistance and education

The Salvation Army, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and the Louisville Parks Foundation are a few of the organizations that have been awarded grants from the Louisville Water Foundation.

The foundation is committed to improving “the health and well-being of the communities we serve and around the world by providing water assistance and water education,” according to its mission statement.

The following grants have been awarded this year:

• The Salvation Army received $10,000 to support its utility bill payment assistance program. The foundation also awarded $10,000 in 2018 and $5,000 in 2017. This year, the foundation noted that the Salvation Army “has displayed timely and responsible administration of its prior foundation grants,”  and both organizations formalized an ongoing partnership that will provide a framework for annual funding levels, how funds are used, and reporting guidelines.
• The foundation awarded $7,200 to the Kentucky Derby Museum to install/upgrade four water stations with Louisville Water branding. The project also will establish a partnership between the foundation, Louisville Water, and the museum to launch a campaign focused on the value of water for horses and people, as well as the importance of water sustainability.
• The Louisville Parks Foundation received $15,000 to install a drinking fountain and bottle-fill station near the soccer fields at the Beechmont Community Center in Louisville’s south end.
• The foundation awarded $10,000 to the KY/TN Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). This organization and the KY-TN Water Environment Association (in partnership with Louisville MSD, Louisville Water, the University of Louisville, and the craft beer community) sought funding to support the Next Round Brewing Challenge during the recent Water Professionals Conference.
• The Louisville Urban League received $25,000 to fund installation of water-filling stations and associated infrastructure during construction of a Sports and Learning Complex on the 24-acre Heritage West site at 3029 W. Muhammad Ali.
• The foundation awarded $20,000 to Teach Kentucky to support national recruitment of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) educators who will launch their careers in the region’s public schools. Part of the funding will go to the Louisville Water Foundation Fellowship Program, a collaboration that focuses on local water education, community issues, and curriculum development.