2016-01-28

After two weeks of voting in 75 markets across the US, more than 160,000 votes were cast in the Yelp Foundation Gives Local grant contest, and we have a winner! A lot of them, actually. With three nonprofits in each market receiving grants, that’s 225 organizations that are receiving grants totaling $750,000. Read on for the full list.



It’s amazing to see how passionate community members are about the work these charities do. We saw a ton of talk on the #YFGivesLocal hashtag, with locals sharing who they voted for and nonprofits spreading the good news about their nomination. Each one in their own way supports the Yelp Foundation’s mission of addressing the needs of local communities including: access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression. It’s pretty cool to think of that mission making progress in so many cities across the nation, and I can’t wait to see what each of these nonprofits is able to do with their grant winnings.

Thank you to everyone who took time to vote. It’s so important to the Yelp Foundation to involve the community and Yelp employees in driving decisions about how best to give back to the local communities we all love. That’s why I can’t wait to get started on the Foundation’s next grant program later this year! Go to YelpFoundation.org to stay up to date on all the ways you can get involved with the Yelp Foundation, and for more information on grant winning nonprofits. Learn more about the impact Yelp Foundation grants have in this video profiling two grant recipients from previous years.

2016 Yelp Foundation Gives Local Grant Winners

First place winners received grants of $5,000, second place received $3,000 grants, and third place received $2,000 grants.

Birmingham, AL

1st: REV Birmingham

2nd: Better Basics

3rd: The Community Kitchens

Phoenix, AZ

1st: SARRC

2nd: STARS

3rd: AZ Literacy & Learning Center

Tucson, AZ

1st: Tucson Botanical Gardens

2nd: Literacy Connects

3rd: South Arizona Research, Science & Engineering Foundation

East Bay, CA

1st: Oakland Digital

2nd: The Bread Project

3rd: K to College

Los Angeles, CA

1st: Fulfillment Fund

2nd: Reading Partners

3rd: Create Now

Orange County, CA

1st: Project Access

2nd: Once OC

3rd: Think Together

North Bay, CA

1st: Next Generation Scholars

2nd: St. Vincent De Paul Society

3rd: Marin Literacy Program

Sacramento, CA

1st: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

2nd: WEAVE

3rd: Food Literacy Center

San Diego, CA

1st: United Through Reading

2nd: San Diego Council on Literacy

3rd: Friends of Read San Diego

San Francisco, CA

1st: Reading Partners

2nd: Creativity Explored

3rd: Upwardly Global

South Bay, CA

1st: The Bridge School

2nd: Summer Search

3rd: Code2040

Denver, CO

1st: Odyssey School

2nd: Reading Partners

3rd: VSA Access Gallery

Hartford, CT

1st: The Connecticut Forum

2nd: Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford

3rd: reSET

Jacksonville, FL

1st: Rethreaded

2nd: Learn to Read Jacksonville

3rd: Museum of Science and History

Miami, FL

1st: Catalysts Miami

2nd: Amigos For Kids

3rd: Breakthrough Miami

Broward Palm Beach, FL

1st: Best Foot Forward

2nd: Young At Art

3rd: The Children’s Healing Institute

Orlando, FL

1st: A Gift For Teaching

2nd: Volunteers For Community Impact

3rd: Credo

Tampa Bay, FL

1st: The Hillsborough Literacy Council, Inc.

2nd: Wheels of Success

3rd: Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay

Atlanta, GA

1st: Everybody Wins! Atlanta

2nd: Literacy Action

3rd: The NEXT Steps Youth Entrepreneur Program

Honolulu, HI

1st: Hawaii Literacy

2nd: Friends of the Library of Hawaii

3rd: Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii

Chicago, IL

1st: Chicago Coalition For The Homeless

2nd: Red Door Animal Shelter

3rd: After School Matters

Chicago Suburbs, IL

1st: Naperville Cares

2nd: The Literacy Connection

3rd: Reading is Fundamental in Chicago

Chicago North Shore, IL

1st: Family Promise Chicago North Shore

2nd: Infant Welfare Society Of Evanston

3rd: Literature for All of Us

Indianapolis, IN

1st: Indy Reads

2nd: Nine13sports

3rd: People for Urban Progress

Des Moines, IA

1st : Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa

2nd: Everybody Wins! Iowa

3rd: Orchard Place

Louisville, KY

1st: Louisville Public Media

2nd: The Food Literacy Project

3rd: Acess Ventures

Baton Rouge, LA

1st: Baton Rouge Youth Coalition

2nd: Louisiana Art & Science Museum

3rd: Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank

New Orleans, LA

1st: APEX Youth Center

2nd: Good Work Network

3rd: Arts Council New Orleans

Portland, ME

1st: PSL Services

2nd: Maine Youth Leadership

3rd: Ruth’s Reusable Resources

Baltimore, MD

1st: South Baltimore Learning Center

2nd: Community Law Center

3rd: Learning is For Tomorrow

Maryland Suburbs, MD

1st: Literacy Council Of Montgomery County

2nd: Literacy Council Of Frederick County Maryland

3rd: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County

Boston, MA

1st: More Than Words

2nd: Reach out and Read

3rd: TUGG

Detroit, MI

1st: Motor City Blight Busters

2nd: Insideout Literary Arts Project

3rd: Young Detroit Builders

Minneapolis, MN

1st: Reading Partners

2nd: Open Access Connections

3rd: Free Arts Minnesota

Kansas City, MO

1st: Great Plains SPCA

2nd: Green Works KC

3rd: Literacy KC

Saint Louis, MO

1st: Ready Readers

2nd: Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis

3rd: Small Business Empowerment Center

Omaha, NE

1st: Keep Kids Alive Drive 25

2nd: InCommon Community Development

3rd: Fod Bank for the Heartland

Las Vegas, NV

1st: Safe Nest

2nd: Three Square

3rd: The Shade Tree

Reno, NV

1st: Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology

2nd: Assistance League of Reno-Sparks

3rd: Northern Nevada Literacy Council

Jersey City, NJ

1st: New City Kids

2nd: Rising Tide Capital

3rd: UCEDC

Albuquerque, NM

1st: Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Mexico

2nd: Rio Grande Community Development Corporation

3rd: Reading Works

Buffalo, NY

1st: WEDI Buffalo

2nd: Western New York Book Arts Center

3rd: PUSH Buffalo

Manhattan, NY

1st: Reading Partners

2nd: Stupid Cancer

3rd: Hot Bread Kitchen

Queens, NY

1st: Queens Community House

2nd: Make The Road New York

3rd: Big Reuse

Brooklyn, NY

1st: Brooklyn Public Library

2nd: Reconnect

3rd: My Own Book

Long Island, NY

1st: Literacy Nassau

2nd: SEA-LI

3rd: Leadership Huntington

Rochester, NY

1st: Writers & Books

2nd: The Center For Youth

3rd: Literacy Volunteers of Rochester

Charlotte, NC

1st: Classroom Central

2nd: Charlotte Reading Partners

3rd: A Child's Place

Raleigh-Durham, NC

1st: Hope Center at Pullen

2nd: Durham Literacy Center

3rd: YES!

The Triad (including Greensboro, Winston Salem, High Point), NC

1st: Reading Connections

2nd: Triad Local First

3rd: Triad Community Kitchen

Cincinnati, OH

1st: Crayons To Computers

2nd: Gorman Heritage Farm

3rd: Bad Girl Ventures

Cleveland, OH

1st: The Refugee Response

2nd: Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center

3rd: Laura's Home - The City Mission

Columbus, OH

1st: Wild Goose Creative

2nd: Columbus Literacy Council

3rd: ECDI

Oklahoma City, OK

1st: Community Literacy Centers

2nd: OKC Metro Literacy Coalition

3rd: I2E

Tulsa, OK

1st: Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma

2nd: Emergency Infant Services

3rd: Tulsa Girls Art School

Portland, OR

1st: Late Night Library

2nd: The Children's Book Bank

3rd: Stumptown Syndicate

Philadelphia, PA

1st: Mighty Writers

2nd: Philadelphia Reads

3rd: Career Wardrobe

Pittsburgh, PA

1st: Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council

2nd: Assemble

3rd: Beverly's Birthdays

Providence, RI

1st: New Urban Arts

2nd: Farm Fresh RI

3rd: Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program

Charleston, SC

1st: Reading Partners

2nd: Lowcountry Local First

3rd: Trident Literacy Association

Austin, TX

1st: The Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

2nd: Austin Food & Wine Alliance

3rd: LifeWorks

Dallas, TX

1st: Literacy Instruction for Texas

2nd: My Second Chance

3rd: Lift Fund

Fort Worth, TX

1st: Tarrant Literacy Coalition

2nd: Family Pathfinders of Tarrant County

3rd: SafeHaven

Houston, TX

1st: Literacy Advance of Houston

2nd: Houston's Charity for Children

3rd: Prison Entrepreneur Program

San Antonio, TX

1st: SAReads

2nd: SA2020

3rd: Culinaria

Memphis, TN

1st: Literacy Mid-South

2nd: New Memphis Institute

3rd: Emerge

Nashville, TN

1st: Thistle Farms/Magdalene House

2nd: Center for Refugees & Immigrants of Tennessee

3rd: Nashville Adult Literacy Council

Salt Lake City, UT

1st: Project Read

2nd: Local First Utah

3rd: Neighborhood House

Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach), VA

1st: For Kids

Tied for 2nd & 3rd: The Up Center, The Literacy Partnership

(Each nonprofit will get a $2,500 grant)

Northern Virginia

1st: Loudoun Literacy Council

2nd: Doorways for Women and Families Inc

3rd: Institute for Justice

Richmond, VA

1st: The New Community School

2nd: Read To Them

3rd: Richmond Entrepreneur’s Assistance Program

Seattle, WA

1st: The World is Fun

2nd: Reading Partners

3rd: Seattle Alliance For Education

Washington DC

1st: The Literacy Lab

2nd: Latino Economic Development Corporation

3rd: Books for America

Madison, WI

1st: Boys & Girls Club of Dane County

2nd: Literacy Network

3rd: 100state

Milwaukee, WI

1st: Milwaukee Achiever

2nd: SHARP Literacy

3rd: Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative

Show more