Testimonials
Community Funds: Since 1978, visionary donors have been making gifts and creating funds to address the community's most pressing needs. Community Funds, because they are unrestricted, enable Wayne County Community Foundation to address a wide range of ever-changing community issues. Giving to a Community Fund provides broad support for the community's well-being, allowing the Foundation and you, the donor, to respond to priority issues now and in the future. Grants from your named fund will always respond to real needs and address current issues, providing assistance where it is needed most. You can be assured that grants will be made to those nonprofit organizations that are doing the most effective work at any point in time. Community needs are difficult to anticipate many years in advance; Community Funds allow the Foundation's Board of Trustees to initiate new opportunities and to meet urgent needs within our community - even ones that we might not be able to anticipate today. The flexibility of an unrestricted Named Community Fund can support long-term solutions to problems facing education, human services, or health care, as well as cultural and ecological activities within our community. If you want to help Wayne County and its residents thrive, and to make the greatest impact possible with your charitable dollars, now and for many years to come, a Community Fund is right for you.
GIVE 365 unites and informs emerging philanthropists to make a collective impact on Wayne County, Ohio. With only a $1 a day - or $365 a year - pooled with gifts from other donors, members can join together to make a greater impact with their philanthropic dollars, while learning about the nonprofits which are making our communities better places to live and work. It also gives nonprofit organizations to demonstrate, to a captive audience, their impact and their potential.
Carlos Appleman Scholarship Fund: Carlos R. Appleman, or better known as "Cork" passed away on September 16, 2009. A graduate of Shreve High School, Cork served with the Army Engineers in Germany from 1956-1958 and was employed by Rubbermaid for 38 years. Friendly, humorous, and giving, he enjoyed the camaraderie of both the Masonic Lodge and the Wooster Elk's Lodge and was a member of the Shreve Disciples of Christ for more than 60 years. He loved to grow roses and give them away in bouquets. During his illness, he admired the care, compassion, and devotion to duty that his nurses provided him. These caregivers would often be given roses or oranges by Cork as his way of acknowledging and thanking them. Many were living on limited income levels and could not afford to continue their education to improve their healthcare careers. In his will, he bequeathed the establishment of a permanent endowment scholarship fund to recognize the care that he received by Registered Nurses (RN's), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN's) and Nursing Aides (STNA's) and to encourage these caring professionals to continue their healthcare education. Applicants must be enrolled at the Wayne County Schools Career Center to acquire the skills to become a LPN, RN or Nurse Practitioner. He envisioned supporting students in a meaningful way, so the scholarship committee grants a minimum $5,000 per award, plus roses or oranges in his memory.
WCCF received a $100,000 challenge grant from The J.M. Smucker Company to establish the Women's Fund. The Women's Fund positively impacts the lives of women and children in Wayne County by directing resources to organizations that support the education of women and empower change and self-sufficiency. Despite dramatic advancements by women in recent decades, women are still far more likely than men to be homeless, live in poverty, be unemployed or under-employed, face violence, or suffer from inadequate housing and healthcare. More women than men are single parents, responsible for the care and protection of their children. Aware that just 7% of all philanthropic dollars raised in the nation are earmarked for programs for women and girls, the WCCF created the Fund to focus on projects and programs that create opportunities for educational advancement, economic empowerment, and enhancement of the quality of life for women and children throughout the County. "We want to give more women opportunities to succeed," said Sara Patton, Executive Director of WCCF. "Our goal is to involve women in programs that will positively impact the strength of our communities now and in the future." The permanently endowed fund will provide more than $10,000 each year to support women in Wayne County, and grants will continue to increase as the endowment continues to grow. As a permanent endowment, The Women's Fund will be able to meet community needs far into the future.
WCCF helps donors make a lasting difference with their philanthropy by offering a variety of gift and fund options, based on a clear understanding of what each donor wants to accomplish. We offer the flexibility to customize your fund to serve the issues and causes that you care about the most.
Boys & Girls Club Funds: In every community across the country, an increasing number of boys and girls return home after school to no adult care or supervision. They are left to find their own recreation, their own companionship, and their own help with homework. Boys & Girls Clubs address these young peoples' needs for caring supervision and support for their progress in school. The Boys & Girls Club of Wooster and the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club both have established funds at the Wayne County Community Foundation. The funds provide charitable assistance to the organizations when needed. And with your help, they can continue to enrich the lives of Orrville and Wooster youth for many years to come. Boys & Girls Clubs are safe places to learn and grow-all while having fun with other young people.
Carl Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Funds: In Ben Douglas' 1878 history of Wayne County, he writes, "Orrville, a creation and product of the railroad, and the inevitable genius which surrounds and pursues such corporations, is fast approaching the proportions of cityhood." Much of this is credited to Judge Smith Orr in his relentless efforts to get the "Iron Horse" to stop in Orrville for water and fuel for their steam engines. In gratitude for Orr's influence in attracting the railroad, the new town was named in his honor. Judge Smith Orr's only biological child, Hon. William Orr had only one daughter, Maria, who married Samuel Brenneman. Their child, Maud married Carl Congdon, Sr. at the Smith Orr Homestead in 1919. Community spirited and influential, Maud served as president of the Orrville Savings Bank & Trust from 1932-1940. Carl Congdon, Jr., one of Maud's two sons married Susanna Rieley in 1957. Susanna was born July 2, 1921 in Cleveland and graduated from Shaker Heights High School, Ohio in 1939. She is a 1943 alumnus of Western College for Women in Oxford and a 1944 graduate of Toba-Coburn School for Fashion Careers in New York City. In 1980, she and Carl moved to Orrville to be closer to Maud, whose health was failing. Maud passed away in October of the same year. Seventeen years later, Carl passed away at age 72. In June 1997, Susanna married Bill (William) Harvey McIntyre, who died the day before Christmas Eve in 1999. Eleven years later, Susanna passed away on May Day at the age of 89. Carl and Susanna's famous lineage has always been very generous with their time, resources, and talents to serve the Orrville community. In fact, the very first bequest the WCCF realized came from Maud Congdon. Over 120 grants have been awarded from the Maud Congdon Memorial Fund going to several Orrville non-profit organizations. Several trusts were established by Carl Jr. to support various non-profit organizations in Orrville. In 1999, Susanna and her brother-in-law, Rowland Congdon, tendered the Smith Orr Homestead deed to the Orrville Historical Museum (OHM) and another designated endowmnent was established at the WCCF to support the OHM. Susanna's bequests include portions of Carl's trusts and were used to establish the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Memorial Fund and the Carl E. Congdon, Jr. and Susanna Congdon McIntyre Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club Fund. As with all the Congdon funds, only a portion of the investment income may be distributed annually, to ensure a legacy that will serve Orrville organizations in perpetuity.
Albert "Koby" Kobilarcik Educational Fund: In 2011, the community filled the Ida Sue School gym for a special Appreciation Open House to honor Albert "Koby" Kobilarcik and his lifetime mission of sharing the Christmas spirit with thousands of people each year. Awards and proclamations were presented by the Ohio House of Representatives, the Wayne County Commissioners, the Wooster Mayor, The Knights of Columbus, Wooster Community Hospital, and the Wayne County Community Foundation. Donations from the event were used to establish this Fund to provide library materials and literacy teaching aids to local elementary level schools. Koby will be remembered as the man with the cheerful smile, wearing a red suit filled with a heart of gold!
Supporting any of WCCF's funds is easy with online giving! The process is safe, simple and convenient; you may contribute at any time and from anywhere there is a web connection.
George T. Dunlap Community Foundation Fund: In January 2012, Dunlap Community Hospital became a subsidiary of Aultman Health Foundation and is now Aultman Orrville Hospital. The new arrangement builds on a 15-year relationship between Aultman and Dunlap through the Independent Hospital Network. The Independent Hospital Network promotes and maintains community, not-for-profit hospitals by meeting local healthcare needs. "I am gratified by the positive response we have received from the community during the transition," said Dr. Marchelle Suppan, President and CEO of Aultman Orrville Hospital. "We have remained a not-for-profit, critical access hospital and with our relationship with Aultman Health Foundation, we continue to provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, including increased access to high-quality specialty care and advanced services." Built in 1951, the hospital employs 230 healthcare professionals and has a medical staff of 125 active and courtesy physicians. As part of the Aultman-Dunlap agreement, the George T. Dunlap Community Foundation Fund was established at the Wayne County Community Foundation to promote wellness and health education in the Aultman Orrville Hospital service area. Grants and other charitable activities that benefit the community are planned from this endowment. Initial Directors of the George T. Dunlap Community Foundation Board are Jon Ritchie (Chairman), Mark Auble, Jarra Underwood, Debra Marthey, John Metzger, and Andrew Naumoff M.D. "The decision was made to name the fund after Dunlap, who donated $600,000 to help found the hospital, in honor and preservation of the Dunlap legacy," said Suppan. The son of a Presbyterian minister, George Terry Dunlap was born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania on May 7, 1864 and moved to Orrville six years later. In 1886, he married Elizabeth D. Ramsey of Orrville. According to Wikipedia, by 1898, he helped establish Grosset and Dunlap, a highly respected publishing firm that is historically known for its youth oriented books such as The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, The Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift, and Cherry Ames. Dunlap passed away in 1956 and had not lived in Orrville for over 50 years, but the town left a deep impression on him. His obituary notes that in his 1937 biography, The Fleeting Years, "he pays much tribute to Orrville as his former home."
Norma and Kenneth G. Rhode Scholarship Fund: The children of Norma Jean Rhode and Kenneth George Charles Rhode established a permanent endowment fund to honor their parents' enthusiasm for life and emphasis on education. Acceptance of the scholarship also includes a minimum of four hours of community service at either the Wooster YMCA or Main Street Wooster Inc. Norma passed away July 23, 2008 at the age of 90 and Ken passed away on March 12, 2011 at the age of 102. A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Ken was a graduate of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and moved to Wooster in 1937. Norma, who was born in Mt. Eaton, Ohio, married Ken on June 2, 1940. Both were very active in the community, highly engaged at Trinity United Church of Christ in Wooster, enjoyed traveling and focused on family and friends. They celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary just five weeks before Norma died. Norma taught Sunday School, was a volunteer teacher at Ida Sue School when it first opened, an avid reader, a supporter of the Wayne County Public Library, a competitive bridge player, and an officer of several local volunteer organizations. In addition to serving his family and faith, Ken also served his country during World War II as a naval officer with the 7th Fleet in the South Pacific and the Philippines Liberation. He was an astute businessman and the last living founder of the Lighting Rod Mutual Insurance Company and Western Reserve Mutual Casualty Company. Within the statewide and national mutual insurance industry, he was often called "Mr. Mutual of Ohio" due to his involvement with the Ohio Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, where he served as director, president, and later as its manager, secretary, and treasurer for over thirty years. He served as a director and officer for many local, state, and national business and professional organizations, banks, and was president of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce. As a past trustee of the Griffith Foundation, he helped support the insurance and risk management program at Ohio State, which included funding for the insurance library, student scholarships, and research. Ken's local community leadership included a variety of civic, service, and fraternal organizations such as the Masons, American Legion, Isaac Walton League, the Elks, Rotary, and he was elected to the prestigious walls of fame for the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA. Often, he could be found at the YMCA, using their exercise equipment before breakfast. His many and significant accomplishments are printed in the Midwest, Commerce & Industry, and American Banking editions of Who's Who.
Wayne County Community Memorial Fund: Making a gift in honor of or in memory of a loved one is one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate a life. This community fund was created to give anyone the opportunity to make a gift that will help impact our community while celebrating lives well lived.
Earle and Ann Klosterman Family Community Fund: A South Dakota native, Earle Klosterman spent 28 years in The Ohio State University's Department of Animal Sciences at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster. During his career, he earned his PhD from Cornell University and authored or co-authored 49 scientific journal papers, 35 bulletins and circulars, 71 abstracts, and 125 field day papers addressing ways to improve beef cattle management, production, nutrition, breeding and carcass quality. He left the OARDC in 1980 for Washington State University to work on a farming system research project in Lesotho, Africa, sponsored by a U.S. Agency for International Development. Earle retired in 1984 and returned with his wife, Ann to Wooster. Ann, a graduate of the University of Tennessee received her Master's Degree in Human Nutrition from Cornell University, where she met Earle. They were married in 1946. She taught Home Economics at Wooster High School and Family Living at the Vocational School for a total of 23 years. During her 90-year life, she traveled extensively including all 50 US states and 55 countries participating in Elder-hostel educational programs throughout the world. Ann passed away in April 2011. Due to the Klosterman's varied interests, Earle established a "Community Fund" which is the key funding method for the WCCF's semi-annual competitive grant cycle, where charitable organizations submit grant applications for evaluation.
Lillian Steiner was known for her hard work as a volunteer. She spent countless hours serving Wayne County organizations. From church and area schools to the Red Cross and Wooster Community Hospital, Lillian was always willing to lend a hand. In 1986 she joined the Board of Trustees of the Wayne County Community Foundation, bringing with her knowledge of local nonprofits and community needs. She served on the Board until 1994, and her retirement from the Board did not mean the end of her involvement. Through a bequest in 1999, she established the Lillian Steiner Community Fund to further the work of the Foundation well into the future.
The mission of The Women's Fund is to create a permanent legacy that enhances the lives of women in Wayne County, Ohio. By focusing on three key areas - education, economic empowerment, and health and wellness - the Fund gives more women opportunities to succeed. A partnership of donors, grantees, and volunteers, The Women's Fund works to improve the lives of women of all ages by directing resources to organizations that empower change and self-sufficiency. The Fund is operated by women, for women.
Scholarship funds help students to realize their dreams of a college education. In addition to scholarships that benefit high school seniors, there is a growing need to support post-high school educational opportunities for individuals who didn't finish their college educations, need to be retrained, or are in advanced fields of study.
Wayne County
Community Foundation
517 North Market Street
Wooster, Ohio 44691
Phone: (330) 262-3877
Fax: (330) 262-8057
Email: [email protected]
