WCCF Announces 2017 Fall Grants

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees met in November and approved grant awards for the Fall competitive grant cycle. Ten organizations were awarded grants totaling $105,698 from some of the Foundation’s named community and field of interest funds:

The American National Red Cross-Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter received $7,500.00 from the Harold W. Picking Charitable Fund and the WCCF General Fund to support the Home Fire Campaign in Wayne County, to reduce the risk of home fires or fire-related injuries.

The Doylestown Community Food Cupboard received $8,000.00 from an anonymous community fund to support the BackPack Program, a program that packs and distributes weekend food to Doylestown school children in low-income households.

Main Street Wooster, Inc. received $9,000.00 from the WCCF General Fund and the WCCF Admin Fund to support the printing of Main Street Wooster’s 30th Anniversary Book.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc. received $10,000.00 from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund to support the Camp Invention STEM Summer Enrichment Program, serving underserved Wayne County youth.

Rittman Elementary School / Rittman Exempted Village Schools received $15,000.00 from the Andrew Berkey Fund and an anonymous community fund to support the Rittman Literacy Project, to increase reading proficiency for students in Rittman.

St. James Episcopal Church received $25,000.00 from the William A. Foll, Sr. and Patricia K. Foll Community Fund for an elevator, as part of their Parish Hall expansion and renovation, to provide accessibility for their community and outreach programs.

Wayne Center for the Arts received $6,000.00 from the David and Carol Briggs Community Fund and an anonymous community fund for the Art for Elders - Bringing Art to Wayne County's Seniors program.

Wayne College-University of Akron received $12,698.00 from the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund to provide nursing lab equipment for a new nursing four-year degree program through Wayne College at the Career Center.

The Wayne County Historical Society of Ohio received $10,000.00 from the Margaret Hauenstein Memorial Fund and an anonymous community fund to assist in the construction and implementation of a new drainage system to stabilize and preserve the Beall-Stibbs Homestead on the WCHS campus.

The Wooster United Methodist Church/Music on Market received $2,500.00 from the Ceylon E. Hudson Charitable Fund for the Rising Stars event through the Music on Market program.

The WCCF is a not-for-profit charitable community organization established in 1978 to accept contributions, create and administer funds, and make grants for the benefit of the people of the greater Wayne County area. Since 1978, the Foundation has awarded more than $66.8 million in the form of grants and scholarships from its 400 separate funds.

Its Community and Field-of-Interest funds permit the WCCF Board of Trustees to be responsive to the changing needs of the community. Donations to these funds by individuals, families, businesses and service organizations allow for greater future grant opportunities. Contact Sara Patton, WCCF Executive Director, for more information.

Competitive grant applications from nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organizations should be submitted by March 1 and September 1 each year. The grant guidelines and online application are available on their website, www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org.