The UNFoundation

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The UNFoundation

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THE UNFOUNDATION CREATES UNCONVENTIONAL GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO UNCOMMON PROJECTS THROUGH UNLIKELY PEOPLE, YOU. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY IS CHANGING.

We grant up to $3,000 to the best idea, once a month. Requirements:

-Your project must improve Chattanooga. If you've got an idea you think we should know about, go to theunfoundation.org and apply.

10/14/2026

Meet one of our August grant winners: !

Two Chattanooga dads thought club soccer cost too much, so they started their own club. They began with two players and now have twenty kids, with U7 and U8 teams on the field and U6 and U9 on the way.

Their secret: volunteer coaches and board members keep player costs around $945 a year, compared to roughly $3,000 at many competitive clubs. Our $1,500 grant helps fund training gear for the new teams and a Player Access Fund so no kid gets turned away over cost.

Congrats to Jesse Ramos and the whole Strike Force crew! Learn more at StrikeForceFC.com.

https://theunfoundation.org/projects/2026/10/14/august-2026-grant-winner-strike-force

09/21/2026

Back to school season = teachers and social workers slammed.

Translation: fewer people finish our September grant application.

Which means if you apply, your odds just got better.

We're putting $3,000 behind one cool idea this month. No budget spreadsheets, no grant-writing degree — just tell us what you want to do and why it matters.

Get your typing fingers ready. Apply before September 30!

No complex grant-writing. Just cool ideas. ⭐

https://theunfoundation.org/apply

09/17/2026

We’re live at the Bloom Creative Summit today! 🌸

Catch our UNFoundation board member, Summer Elliott, moderating the "Capitalizing on Creativity" panel at 2:00 PM at The Landing Social House.

We're diving deep into non-traditional ways to fund your next big idea right here in Chattanooga. Let’s build, invest, and bloom together! ✨

09/09/2026

Meet our July grant winner: The Sattva Project!

Their $3,000 grant is funding El Arte de Nutrirse, a six-week wellness series for 15-20 Latina women in Chattanooga, built with partner La Paz Chattanooga.

Trauma-informed yoga, guided meditation, and grounding movement, paired with cultural cooking, nutrition education, and fresh produce from local farms. Six sessions, real facilitator pay, and bilingual support built in from the start.

Because the folks who spend all day caring for everyone else deserve a little nourishment too.

Congrats to Madigan and the whole Sattva Project team! Learn more on our website. https://theunfoundation.org/projects/2026/8/19/july-2026-grant-winner

08/11/2026

Meet our June grant winner: Special Kids Chattanooga!

Their $3,000 UNFoundation grant is buying new speech-language evaluation tools, basically the gear a therapist needs to catch a speech delay early and know exactly how to help.

Since opening in Chattanooga last year, they've already served 85+ kids, and the need keeps growing. Turns out a lot of little ones missed key social time during COVID, masks and all, and now they're catching up on speech and communication skills.

One dad shared his son couldn't tell them what he wanted to eat before starting therapy. Now he plays with other kids and talks in full sentences. That's what this grant is helping fund more of.

Congrats to the whole Special Kids crew! Learn more at specialkidschatt.com.

https://theunfoundation.org/projects/2026/8/11/june-2026-grant-winner

07/27/2026

We were on a podcast. ¡Escucha, amigos!

Our Executive Director, Melanie Silva, recently joined host Maddie Hollis on HR Office Hours to talk about employee engagement, and the conversation kept circling back to one idea: recognition works best when it's tied to shared purpose, not just perks.

At The UNFoundation, our giving circle is one way we see employees living that shared purpose. Typically, remote workers lack the tie between their own community and their careers. Charitable giving matches through their employer can bridge these two, and it gives people a reason to stay, not just for the paycheck.

A few things they dug into on this episode:
- Charitable giving matches as a tool for engagement, not just a benefit line item
- Giving circles as a way to foster social connection and fund charitable endeavors tied to personal values.
- Why real recognition starts with simply asking people what matters to them

Thanks to HR Office Hours for having Melanie, and to everyone doing this work of building workplaces people actually want to be part of.

If you're looking to join a giving circle, Grapevine is a fantastic resource to find one near you. If you're here in Chattanooga and would like to join ours, it's your lucky day. We're expanding and have a few seats available in 2026!

Watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZZHfWVKeo

07/20/2026

Meet our newest Board Advisor, y'all, Jamison Shimmel.

Jamison's resume speaks for itself: he's the new Director of Leadership Development at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, where he leads Leadership Chattanooga, Protégé, and Young Professionals of Chattanooga, plus a whole career before that in education and nonprofit work. He spent years as the Chief Stability Officer at Northside Neighborhood House, helping families build long-term stability, so steady leadership is kind of his whole thing.

Why us? Jamison is all about leadership spaces where diverse voices and lived experiences don't just get invited, they get heard. That's exactly the perspective we needed at the table.

Outside of board life, Jamison is probably at a Broadway show, cheering on local drag, or humming whatever's currently stuck on repeat in his head (ask him about The View sometime, he has thoughts, and so does Joy Behar).

Welcome to the team, Jamison. Let's fund cool ideas together.

Want to be part of what makes The UNFoundation tick? Become a Trustee and help us fund the next great idea Chattanooga hasn't heard of yet.

07/14/2026

Meet our new Board Advisor, y'all, Toya Moore.

Toya brings serious receipts: she's the Administrator of One Westside for the Chattanooga Housing Authority, the former Director of Leadership Development at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, and so much before that. She's also DiSC-certified, so she's probably already figured out how you lead.

Why us? Toya has a soft spot for the same thing we do: small, community-rooted ideas that don't always get their shot. She's exactly the kind of energy we want.

Outside of board life, Toya is a proud dog mom to Nino and Rocko and can usually be found elbow-deep in the garden or defending her right to a really good cup of coffee before anyone talks to her.

Welcome to the team, Toya. We are counting our lucky stars for sure.

Want to be part of what makes The UNFoundation tick? Become a Trustee and help us fund the next great idea Chattanooga hasn't heard of yet.

07/06/2026

Meet our May grant winner: REconnect Nature School!

They're putting their $3,000 grant toward Q***r Youth Adventure Camps, three weeks of paddling, hiking, climbing, and caving for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 10-18. Last summer, they planned for 30 campers and 36 showed up. This summer they've grown to 45 kids a week.

Half of this summer's campers need a full scholarship to attend, and that's exactly where our grant is going: activity costs, transportation for volunteer counselors, and snacks and water for three straight weeks of camp.

Chattanooga is a better National Park City when it's accessible for every kid. Congrats to Jaime Peterson and the whole REconnect crew!

Camp runs June 22-26, June 29-July 3, and July 13-17. Learn more at reconnectnatureschool.org.

***rYouthAdventureCamp

https://theunfoundation.org/projects/2026/6/15/reconnect-nature-school

06/15/2026

Meet your other April grant winner: Blades of Hope.

Troy Rogers has spent 30+ years working in reentry and public safety in Chattanooga. Now he's launching a lawn care crew, staffed by returning citizens and high-risk youth, that turns second chances into paychecks and clean neighborhoods.

With our $1,500, Reentry Playbook is buying push mowers and w**d eaters and getting a crew out the door within 30 days. Lawn care for seniors and low-income homeowners. Jobs for people who deserve one. That's the whole idea.

Congratulations, Troy. Cool idea.

You can make a donation to Reentry Playbook to support their work on their website here: https://www.reentryplaybook.com/get-involved

https://theunfoundation.org/projects/2026/5/15/blades-of-hope

Address

Chattanooga, TN

Website

http://www.wefundcoolideas.org/

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