NeighborWorks America awards $45,000

Mayo Clinic forming new permanent professorship to focus on finding new treatments and preventive measures to reduce incidence of cancer, funded with $2 million gift from The Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation.

Nicor, Naperville, Ill., gave over $2 million in corporate and employee financial donations in 2009, and thousands of volunteer hours, benefiting over 1,200 causes throughout northern Illinois. 

Pier 1 Imports gave $1.1 million to U.S. Fund for UNICEF, representing proceeds from sale of UNICEF greeting cards during 2009 holiday season.

Rasmuson Foundation, Anchorage, received $900,000  from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support educational programs for low-income and minority populations in Alaska. 

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Board approved $1.2 million in grants in November for 54 organizations serving diverse and disadvantaged communities in California.

U.S. Bank donated $1.05 million to The Ohio State University, which will name its conference theater for the bank.

Daniels Fund, Denver, made $4.8 million in grants, with organizations serving seniors, youth, and the homeless among major recipients.

Northwest Area Foundation, St. Paul, Minn., awarded six grants totaling $665,000 to help people build assets and wealth needed to get out and stay out of poverty.

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced competitive research grants totaling nearly $6 million to 13 institutions to explore how housing matters to children, families, and communities.

Secular Coalition for America received $500,000 from Todd Stiefel, Raleigh, N.C., for SCA Education Fund to increase secular activism across U.S.

Kaiser Permanente approved 500 grants and donations throughout U.S. totaling $90 million in fourth quarter 2009, bringing total grants and donations in 2009 to $170 million.

California Institute of Technology and its Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering received gift of $3.9 million from estate of Edward and Ruth Hughes. Edward Hughes was a senior research associate in chemistry at Caltech.

Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, received $1 million from 3M Corp. and its foundation for new professional sales and communications lab for students, first major corporate gift for $60 million capital campaign to transform school's facilities for undergraduate students.

MasterCard Foundation launched $4.6 million scholarship program to provide educational support to 676 of Kenya's most promising yet disadvantaged youth.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art received early contributions of $250 million in $480 million campaign to expand museum and double endowment.