From left are Tiffany D. Bell, director of Donor Relations, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF); Nikki Williams, president, executive director and co-founder of Elijah’s Closet; and Dr. Christen Duhé, president and executive director, GCCF.
Elijah’s Closet, a nonprofit located in Biloxi, has been awarded the inaugural $20,000 GivHer Circle Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The award was presented at the Granting Success with the GivHer Circle breakfast held May 21 at the Knight Nonprofit Center in Gulfport.
Elijah’s Closet assists families with children in foster care and those at risk of entering the foster-care system. The GivHer Circle Grant will go toward the purchase of beds for children in need in the community.
“It is an honor to be the very first recipient of the GivHer Circle Grant and to be selected by a community of women who understand the power behind numbers,” said Nikki Williams, president, executive director and co-founder of Elijah’s Closet. “Elijah’s Closet is made up of imperfect humans who came together out of compassion and empathy for other imperfect humans to ensure that the next generation is a little less imperfect than we are.”
During the GivHer Circle Grant cycle, nonprofits from Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River, Jackson, Stone and George counties are eligible to apply for the GivHer Circle Grant, which is awarded from the GivHer Circle Fund, a fund with GCCF. The grant is made possible by GivHer Circle members.
The Granting Success event was also an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the GivHer Circle, connect with like-minded individuals and find out more about the work being done by nonprofits in South Mississippi. Guest speakers included Erin Rosetti, communications manager, Memorial Health System; Dorothy Shaw, retired director of Ethics and Compliance, Ingalls Shipbuilding; and Kathy Springer, chief executive officer, United Way of South Mississippi.
“Today’s event was truly inspiring and showcased the power of collective giving. It was incredible to witness so many passionate women unite for a common cause and to witness Elijah’s Closet receiving the first-ever GivHer Circle Grant,” said Tiffany D. Bell, GCCF’s director of Donor Relations. “Membership in the GivHer Circle allows us to achieve amazing things and make a lasting difference in South Mississippi.”
To find out more about the GivHer Circle and to join, visit GivHerCircle.org.
To find out more about GCCF, visit mgccf.org.