More than $46,000 awarded to support 11 projects and programs
IRONTON, Ohio – The Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF), with the support of its donors and in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), has awarded $46,564 during its 2025 grant cycle to advance 11 projects and programs benefiting the county’s residents and communities.
“We’re seeing new opportunities blossom across our communities, from our classrooms to our riverbanks and beyond, thanks to those who give selflessly of their time, talent and financial resources,” said Dan Evans, chair of LCCF’s grants committee. “It’s an honor to partner with donors and doers to invest in an even brighter Lawrence County.”
Nonprofits, schools and public organizations serving Lawrence County were invited to apply for grants – made possible by gifts to LCCF’s endowment fund – to advance opportunities across five funding areas: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. Emphasis is on supporting individuals of all ages who are spearheading projects and programs that create opportunities, meet pressing needs and unleash the potential within Lawrence County.
The 2025 grant recipients are:
- Chesapeake High School to support a project through which art, engineering and Ohio history students will create and install large-scale artwork and banners in public spaces in the village
- Facing Hunger Foodbank to purchase food for Lawrence County food pantries
- Fairland Local School District to purchase recording equipment for the music department
- Friends of Ironton to install stage lighting at the renovated Ro-Na Theater
- Ironton City Schools to update the nonfiction book collection at Ironton High School’s library
- Ohio University Southern to support the creation of the Bobcat Boutique, which will provide students and other Lawrence County residents with access to free professional clothing for career opportunities
- Rotary Club of Ironton to support an Italian cultural exchange tour that will bring young performers to Lawrence County to share their music, dance and storytelling
- Rome Township to purchase benches and swings for the riverfront park
- Southern Wayne Advocacy Council to help launch the Lawrence County Youth Environmental Stewardship and Cleanup Initiative, which will educate and mobilize high school students to engage in clean-up efforts at riverfront and forest recreation sites
- Tri-State STEM + M Early College High School to create an outdoor classroom where students, families and community members can experience nature while learning about environmental stewardship
- Way To Battle to purchase 200 Battle Pups – stuffed animals wearing collars that read “No one battles alone,” which are distributed to individuals fighting illness or facing other trauma along with a kind note
LCCF, one of FAO’s 15 affiliate foundation partners, was established in 2022 to develop and grow permanent resources that provide continuous investment in Lawrence County and its nonprofits, schools and communities. Each year, earnings from charitable giving to LCCF’s endowment fund are reinvested in Lawrence County through grants that meet the county’s greatest needs and most promising opportunities.