WCCF Announces Spring 2021 Community Grants

The Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees met in May and approved grant awards for the Spring competitive grant cycle. Ten organizations were awarded grants totaling $251,750 from some of the Foundation’s named Community and Field of Interest funds:

Chippewa Local Schools received a $25,000 challenge grant from the WCCF General Fund for the demolition, rebuilding, and resurfacing of the Doylestown Memorial Stadium Outdoor Track. The grant is contingent on the school raising the additional funds needed for the project within one year.

The 555^th Honors Detachment Inc. received a $24,000 grant from the Florence L. Rice Community Fund and the John G. Taggert Community Fund for the acquisition of a used passenger van to transport people and equipment throughout Wayne County to perform last rites for Wayne County veterans.  

The Friends of Secrest Arboretum received a $1,250 grant from the Tug and Alma Maibach Family Fund to help underwrite the summer Music at the Arboretum Series and to produce signs which will be used for future concert series. The concert series consists of four outdoor concerts which will be free to the public in Summer 2021.

Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare received a $100,000 grant from the John Kaylor Memorial Fund and anonymous community funds for their Center for Supportive Care Capital Campaign to completely reconstruct and extend an existing unused building on their campus to provide more space for their essential services.

The Wayne County Historical Society of Ohio received a $25,000 grant from the Margaret Hauenstein Memorial Fund, the Ceylon E. Hudson Charitable Fund, the Edward, Arlene and Kaye Maibach Community Fund, the Marjorie B. Newland Memorial Fund, and the Robert L. and Kathleen M. Polsky Foundation Community Fund for the Beall-Stibbs House Porches Preservation Project to construct improved foundations for the front and East Kitchen porches.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy received a $25,000 grant from an anonymous community fund to support and expand the educational, marketing and outreach efforts at Kister Mill.

The Women’s Committee of the Wooster Symphony Orchestra received a $2,500 grant from the Lillian Steiner Community Fund to support the Wooster Symphony Orchestra Women's Suffrage Concert Orchestra Commission. Composer James Kessler has been commissioned to arrange an original score which will be presented at a special concert as part of the “Votes for Women! Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage” series.

The Wooster Community Hospital Health System received a $15,000 grant from the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund, Earle and Ann Klosterman Family Community Fund, and the Mathur Family Community Fund to support their Remote Monitoring Community Care Program, which would provide direct care through telehealth services and remote monitoring for various conditions while the patient remains at home.

Wooster Youth Hockey Association received a $10,000 grant from the Nolan and Elsie Hite Community Fund to support the Alice Noble Ice Arena Youth Summer Camp for Wayne County youth ages 5-12.

The YMCA of Wayne County received a $24,000 grant from the Jeanne Heise Adams Community Fund, the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund, the WCCF Trustees Community Fund, and the Charles R. and Henrietta Yenne Fund for their Gym Renovation at the Wooster Facility to purchase and install new sport court flooring, a curtain to split the gym, and gym mats/hoops.

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 Wayne County. Since 1978, the Foundation has awarded more than $94.5 million in the form of grants and scholarships from its 485 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 help to increase the amount available for grants each year. 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.