Appalachian Ohio Nonprofits Receive
Barbara Miller, President of the Ohio Children’s Foundation noted, “The Ohio Children’s Foundation congratulates the organizations which received the 2006 mini-grants in a very competitive field. Our partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville in this project has helped to enhance the lives of children in Appalachian Ohio, an important goal for the Ohio Children’s Foundation.”
Ann Day, Director of Programs for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) said 118 grant proposals were received from among area nonprofits, community agencies, public schools and post secondary institutions from throughout Appalachian Ohio, totaling more than $326,000 in requests for funds. Because of the high number of grant requests from area organizations, the partnering foundations provided a total of $93,487 in mini-grant awards for 33 projects and programs this year.
Terri Donlin Huesman, Director of Programs for the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville noted, “The overwhelming response to the Program presented the Grants Advisory Committee with a number of worthy programs to potentially support, as the requested amount far exceeded the initial investment of the partner foundations. Recognizing the significant opportunity to positively impact communities in southeastern Ohio, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville provided an additional contribution toward the Mini-Grant Program. We are pleased with the success of the funding partnership and the good work of so many non-profits in the region.”
The FAO Grants and Program Advisory Committee consists of community leaders from the region and representatives from the partnering foundations who work together to review and screen applications. The process takes several months and culminates with a full day meeting to complete and finalize the recommendations for funding. Final awarding of funding involves multiple considerations: the area of interest served (economic and community development; education, family support, healthcare, and leadership development, for example). Priority is given to funding projects located in or serving counties where past FAO grant cycles had produced few if any competitive grant applications or grant awards. The Committee especially focused on funding projects and programs that provided opportunities and benefits for populations with needs that might otherwise remain unfulfilled.
“It’s amazing how much even a modest grant can mean to an organization’s progress,” said Jennifer Simon, Chair of the FAO Grants and Programs Advisory Committee. “This year, we were overwhelmed with an amazing batch of grants and look forward to the success of these projects.” Future grant and scholarship opportunities will be announced on the website of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
To see a complete listing of grants listed by county, click PDF icon.
