Community Foundation Awards $262,599 in Grants

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $262,599 at the May board meeting. This total includes five competitive grants totaling $218,400; one HancockREADS grant totaling $3,909; and twenty Hancock Education Fund grants totaling $40,290.

COMPETITIVE GRANTS
Competitive grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that seek to meet community needs and match the goals, objectives, and priorities of the Community Foundation. Grantseekers must submit a written grant proposal for consideration. Applications are reviewed four times per year.

Funding for competitive grants comes from unrestricted and field of interest funds established by donors at the Community Foundation. Unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees to direct the funds where they are most needed. Field of interest funds are granted in the donor’s chosen area of interest, such as health, education, or the arts.

The following five competitive grants totaling $218,400 were approved by the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees at its May meeting.

Children’s Mentoring Connection of Hancock County was awarded a three-year grant totaling $35,000 to implement a community-wide branding and marketing campaign to strengthen its position as the community leader in providing Hancock County youth with vital mentoring relationships.

City Mission was awarded a three-year request totaling $100,000 for partial funding for the staffing of a Day Center for the local homeless population.  This will be a collaborative project involving many local stakeholders:  St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Lutheran Church, Central Church of Christ, City Mission, Hope House, ADAMHS Board, Focus on Friends, and the University of Findlay.

Findlay Family Y.M.C.A. was awarded a one-year grant totaling $25,000 to sustain a successful weekend feeding program (Feed A Child) for students at Washington Intermediate School and Jacobs Primary School.

Findlay Hancock County Community Foundation was awarded a three-year grant totaling $37,500 to provide an opportunity for three agencies from the inaugural Schneider Circle cohort to participate in a comprehensive three-year strategic planning and business management consulting process with Six Disciplines. This will be presented as the capstone offering for agencies graduating from the Schneider Circle.

Findlay-Hancock County Public Library was awarded a one-year grant totaling $20,900 to partially support the 2013 CommunityRead event.

HancockREADS GRANTS
HancockREADS provides funds to programs that support individuals in Hancock County who have difficulty reading, writing, or using basic math skills necessary in everyday life. The mission of this program is to ensure that these individuals can find the help they need to become successful, and to ensure the current and future success of our children. The following grant totaling $3,909 was awarded by the HancockREADS Committee and approved by the Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

Van Buren Elementary School was awarded a $3,909 grant to improve literacy development by bringing in author/illustrator, Nick Bruel, to work with elementary students, teachers, parents and students at the University of Findlay in April 2013.

HANCOCK EDUCATION FUND GRANTS
The Hancock Education Fund provides grant dollars to promote classroom learning and to provide teachers with resources that encourage learning activities. Grantseekers are asked to focus on “21st Century Learning” skills which include cultural awareness and diversity, creative thinking, technological savvy, and interpersonal communication skills. Education experts believe these are the skills necessary to prepare our students for success in a global economy.

An advisory committee comprised of members from the Community Foundation, Findlay Rotary and Findlay Rotary’s Golden Apple Teachers meets semi-annually to review grant proposals. The following 20 grants totaling $40,290 were awarded by the Hancock Education Fund Committee and approved by the Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

Arcadia Local Schools were awarded

• a $990 grant to support the “How Does It Work” project to spark students’ interest in math, science, engineering and technology;
• a $1,000 grant to support a project for students to link current scientific knowledge about an historical issue and compare it to modern epidemiologic technology; and
• a $1,988 grant to develop a summer reading program for students in grades K-8;
  

Arlington Local Schools were awarded a $900 grant to support the “Seeing our Potential” project with media writing students.

Findlay City Schools were awarded

• A collaborative grant totaling $1,075 to develop independent living skills with special needs students at Chamberlin Hill Intermediate School;
• A collaborative grant totaling $2,000 to develop a high school-college partnership using research to increase STEM interest;
• A collaborative grant totaling $1,181 to developing a working historical garden at Chamberlin Hill Intermediate School;
• A collaborative grant for $1,742 to practice brain-based learning and developing gross motor skills in first grade students at Jacobs Primary School;
• A collaborative $2,922 grant to Implement the iLEARN program with English as a Second Language (ESL) students at Glenwood Middle and Whittier Primary Schools;
• A collaborative $2,445 grant to develop an intergenerational program entitled “Swapping Stories” through professional development with a Lincoln Center trained artist;
• A collaborative $2,003 grant to expand the travelling Mazza art program to serve fourth graders in the Findlay City and Hancock County Schools;
• A collaborative $3,000 grant to develop a Robotics II program for middle school students; and
• A collaborative $3,000 grant to provide anti-bullying training for teachers, students and parents.

Hancock County Educational Service Center was awarded

• A $2,977 grant to provide autism tool kits for eight local school districts; and
• A $3,000 collaborative grant to implement an EQUALS Math Curriculum for middle school special needs students.

Liberty-Benton Local Schools were awarded

• A $3,000 grant to develop STEM Concepts with Robotics Engineering program for elementary and middle school students; and
• A $3,000 grant to support Toledo Symphony Orchestra visits to local students in grades 4-8.

Vanlue Local Schools were awarded

• A $543 grant for a project to support the earth and space project to help students recognize the components of the solar system and use scientific inquiry;and
• A $999 grant to support a program to develop healthy fitness levels in students.

Van Buren Local Schools were awarded a $2,525 grant to develop a gardening for hunger awareness program with students at Van Buren Elementary and Jacobs Primary Schools.