April 2026 Grant Winner

Learn to Skate Clinics | ChattSkates

Chattanooga calls itself one of the greatest outdoor cities in the country. ChattSkates is here to make sure that's actually true for everyone.

We're stoked to name ChattSkates our April 2026 grant winner! This freshly minted 501(c)3 nonprofit has been building and activating the greater skatepark community since spring of 2020 — 30+ events, thousands of attendees, and a hand in launching Chattanooga's very first "Learn to Skateboard" program in partnership with Outdoor Chattanooga back in 2022. Over 150 local youth and adults took their first roll that year. Then the clinics went quiet. ChattSkates decided not to wait around for someone else to bring them back.

With their $1,500 UNFoundation grant, they're building out a fleet of skateboards, ramps, and safety gear to bring free Learn to Skate clinics directly into rec centers, parks, churches, and schools across the city — with a clear priority on underserved communities. They're also covering the operational nuts and bolts: insurance, licensure, event fees, and fundraising merch to keep the whole thing rolling long-term.

Oh, and while they're at it? They're pushing to change a little-known Chattanooga law that makes it illegal to ride a skateboard downtown — even as a form of transportation. Yeah, we said what we said.

ChattSkates isn't just building ramps. They're building access, equity, and a front door into a community that's been here all along — and three locally owned skate shops are pretty happy about it too.

Congrats, ChattSkates!

Alex Reed, Nollie Kickflip. photo Brent Sanders

March 2026 Grant Winner

Primavera Encantada

Congrats to our second winner of March, The Pop-up Project for their Primavera Encantada with their $1250 UNFoundation grant! This is an annual community celebration that is equal parts performance, party, and powerful statement of belonging. Young dancers from K–5 programs across Hamilton County Schools take the stage.

Held at East Side Elementary School, the event brings together students, families, educators, and community partners for an afternoon of dance, food, music, and connection.

Now in its fourth year, Primavera Encantada has become more than an event. It is a community saying out loud: your kids belong here, your culture belongs here, you belong here.

Come celebrate, April 24th, 2026 at East Side Elementary. Free and open to all!

March 2026 Grant Winner

Musician Mental Health Initiative

Chattanooga's music scene is alive with talent — but behind every performance is an artist navigating the very real pressures of building a creative life. Burnout, financial instability, isolation, and emotional exhaustion are challenges that too many local musicians face alone.

With the $1750 UNFoundation grant and help from other organizations, the Musician Mental Health Initiative will work to change that.

Developed by Be The Change Youth Initiative in partnership with local musicians, this 11-week cohort program offers a structured, supportive space where artists can come together to explore the human side of a creative career.

The initiative culminates in a community concert where participants share music created during the cohort, giving the public a window into the personal and emotional realities behind the art they love. Because when musicians are healthier and more supported, the whole city benefits.

February 2026 Grant Winner

Young Ladies of Power

Year Long Youth Camp

Since 2012, Young Ladies of Power, Inc. (YLOP) has been proving that "girl power" isn't just a catchy phrase—it's a full-time job.

We are thrilled to name them our February grant winner, awarding $3,000 to keep their "Youth Camp for the Year" series thriving through 2026. After a major sponsor hit budget cuts, we stepped in to ensure girls ages 4–18 still have access to their Spring, Summer, and Fall Break retreats at Booker T. Washington Park.

This funding covers everything from $1,000 in art supplies, $1,000 for expert speakers, and $1,000 for dedicated youth and adult staffing. These camps are leadership incubators where ballet, STEM, and mental health awareness meet civic action.

Whether they’re learning to pass bills at the State Capitol or leading local Days of Service, these young ladies are bringing serious tools back to the Scenic City.

By hitting their March 19 deadline, YLOP is set to keep empowering hearts and minds all year long. Congratulations to YLOP for making Chattanooga a lot more awesome, one future leader at a time!

January 2026 Grant Winner

Chatt Free Store

Stock the Community Fridge

Huge congrats to the Chattanooga Free Store, our January 2026 grant recipient! They’re using their $3,000 award to fight food insecurity head-on by stocking their 24/7 Community Fridge through December.

In a world of "more restrictive guidelines," the Free Store is offering "more open doors." Whether it's a Red Beans and Rice meal kit or a dozen eggs, this grant ensures that when a neighbor in need opens that fridge door, they find exactly what they’re looking for.

No barriers, no judgment, just good food. That’s how you build a better Chattanooga!

December 2025 Grant Winner

Seed Chattanooga

The Fresh Roots Initiative: Expanding Food Access Through Gardens

We’ve officially "picked" our December winner! Congratulations to SEED Chattanooga on securing our $3,000 monthly grant. SEED believes that every kid deserves to know where their food comes from (spoiler alert: it’s not just the grocery store). They’re using the funds to soup-up their current garden sites with fancy new irrigation systems and seasonal planting kits.

Why we love them:

• The Math: 12 beds + 350 students = A whole lot of outdoor science.

• The Vibe: Community-led, sustainable, and super-rooted.

• The Goal: Teaching families that "self-reliance" tastes a lot like a sun-ripened tomato.

Keep an eye on Hardy Elementary and Eastdale—things are about to get a lot greener around here!

November 2025 Grant Winner

L.o.L — Loads of Laundry Community Laundry Day

Clean clothes. Clear minds. Real dignity. That’s the energy our November 2025 UNFoundation Grant Winner is bringing to Chattanooga.

We’re honored to award this month’s grant to Diamonds and Denim for their project: L.o.L — Loads of Laundry Community Laundry Day. Diamonds and Denim is rooted in one powerful belief: people rise when their basic needs are met with respect. Through resilience, authenticity, and steady community care, they support individuals and families in becoming their strongest selves.

This project offers free laundry services and household essentials at local Chattanooga laundromats—twice a month, no strings attached. Because something as simple as clean clothes can shift everything: confidence for job interviews, ease in social spaces, lower anxiety, and healthier home environments.

The UNFoundation’s $3,000 grant will fund detergent, sanitizer, dryer sheets, hampers, cleaning supplies, and the actual cost of washing and drying clothes. Every dollar goes straight into machines, materials, and moments that restore dignity. One load at a time, Loads of Laundry is making Chattanooga cleaner, kinder, and more confident.

Huge congratulations to Diamonds and Denim for reminding us that care doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful.

October 2025 Grant Winner

Safe Pathways to School

Sometimes the biggest change starts with… a barricade. And this month’s grant winner proves it.

We’re proud to announce JJonJon, The Happy Urbanist as our October 2025 UNFoundation Grant Winner for the project: Safe Pathways to School. JonJon is a local community advocate and national urbanist educator with a clear mission: make streets safer, healthier, and more human—starting where it matters most. In Chattanooga, everyday walking has quietly become risky. Short trips to schools, parks, and neighbors’ homes are increasingly replaced by car rides, fueling traffic, pollution, and disconnection.

Cities around the world have shown us another way: start small. Focus on school streets—the routes kids and families use daily—and safety, movement, and community follow. The problem? Renting barricades costs over $1,500 per day, threatening to drain the remaining budget and stall progress. The solution? A smart, reusable one.

The UNFoundation’s $3,000 grant will fund the purchase of 10 Type III barricades—not just to finish this project, but to unlock dozens more across the city. Once installed, the barricades will be stored and managed by Tucker Build, allowing neighborhood groups, schools, and community organizers to borrow them for free or at very low cost.

This turns a one-time purchase into a shared community asset. Think safer intersections, block parties, play streets, safety demos, and pop-up neighborhood joy—without the financial barrier. The impact will be immediate: Hawthorne Avenue gets finished. And long-term? The vision is bold—100 safer intersections and 100 block parties over the next five years.

This isn’t just about traffic control. It’s about giving people the tools to reclaim their streets, protect their kids, and meet their neighbors. Congrats to JonJon for showing us that safer streets = stronger communities.