MANSFIELD – The Richland County Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $2,997,083 during its February meeting.
Competitive, field of interest, and donor advised fund grants approved by the board included the following grants:
Catholic Charities received a grant to assist Richland County residents struggling with poverty or temporary financial hardship by providing the following assistance to maintain family stability: rent/mortgage assistance, budget counseling/financial workshops, and up to one year of ongoing case management. The grant also will aid the Adult Advocacy Services (AAS) program which provides a court-appointed staff guardian to older adults who have been deemed incompetent by the Probate Court, have a diagnosed incapacity, and do not have family or other appropriate individuals, to advocate on their behalf and protect against abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) received a grant to develop a neighborhood store and café named “Grow by NECIC” at its Springmill Road location. “Grow by NECIC” will increase access to affordable, healthy food while creating hands-on learning and leadership opportunities for local youth and residents. The store will serve North End residents living in a historically disinvested area with limited access to fresh, nutritious food. The need for this project was identified directly by North End residents through NECIC’s Community Platform and community forums, where food access and economic opportunity consistently emerged as one of the top three priorities.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio received a grant for its Helping Hands program. The grant will offset the cost to house Richland County families at the Ronald McDonald House while their severely ill children are receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The cost to house one family per night is $100 per room and families are asked to donate $20 per night to help cover costs. However, the average donation in 2023 was $4.70 per night.
The Board of Trustees approved grants from donor advised funds which allow individuals, families, and corporations the opportunity to make grant suggestions to their favorite charities.
A family at the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus
Donor advised funds are a flexible and convenient alternative to a private foundation and a way to keep charitable contributions anonymous, at the preference of the donor.
The following organizations received grants from donor advised funds:
Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter
American Red Cross
Buckeye Imagination Museum
Community Foundation of Otsego County
Discovery School
Family Planning Of South Central New York
Fenimore Art Museum
Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Hartwick College
Heartwood
Helios Care
Highlands Nature Sanctuary (DBA Arc of Appalachia)
Idea Works Kitchen, Inc.
Killbuck Water Shed Land Trust
Kingwood Center Gardens
NAMI Richland County
North Central Ohio Land Conservancy (NCOLC)
North Central State College Foundation
Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Ohio Environmental Council
Pathfinder Village Foundation
Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center
Rails to Trails of Wayne County
Richland Community Development Group (RCDG)
Renaissance Performing Arts
Richland County Foundation
Richland County Land Reutilization Corporation
Rubies Women’s Group Inc
Springbrook Foundation
The Brookwood School
The Glimmerglass Festival
Third Street Family Health Services
United Way of Ashland County
United Way of North Central Ohio
United Way of Richland County
West Creek Conservancy
Wooster Community Hospital Foundation
The board allocated grants from designated and agency funds. Agency funds are established by charitable organizations and can be endowed or non-endowed. The agency benefits from the Foundation’s professional asset management, which allows the agency’s staff and board to focus on providing services to their clients.
Designated funds provide annual support to the charities selected by the donor. They offer the added benefit that if the organization ceases to exist, the Foundation has the responsibility to ensure the donor's original intent is met in seeking a new suitable organization.
The board approved grants from designated and agency funds to the following organizations: American Guernsey Foundation
American Red Cross
Ashland University
Buckeye Council Boy Scouts of America
Catalyst Life Services
Catholic Charities
Children's Dyslexia Center
Children’s Theatre Foundation
City of Mansfield
City of Ontario
Clear Fork Valley Foundation
Community Action for Capable Youth
Discovery School
Domestic Violence Shelter, Inc.
Downtown Mansfield Inc.
First Christian Church, Mansfield
First Congregational Church
Friendly House Association
Friends of the Richland County Park District
Hospice of Western Reserve
Humane Society of Richland County
Kingwood Center Gardens
Lucas Local Schools
Malabar Farm Foundation
Mansfield 1st Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Mansfield Area Intergroup
Mansfield Art Center
Mansfield Aviation Club
Mansfield Cancer Foundation
Mansfield Christian School
Mansfield City Schools
Mansfield Playhouse
Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society
Mansfield Richland County Public Library
Mansfield Rotary Club Foundation, Inc.
Methodist Theological Seminary
Monsignor Dunn Foundation
NECIC, Inc.
North Central Ohio Alzheimer's Association
North Central Ohio Land Conservancy
North Central State College
North Central State College Foundation
Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Ohio Genealogical Society
OhioHealth Foundation
OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital
Ohio State College of Medicine
Ontario Local Schools
Pioneer Career and Technology Center
Plymouth Area Historical Museum
Renaissance Performing Arts
Richland Academy of the Arts
Richland Carrousel Park
Richland Co. Children Services Auxiliary / The New Store
Richland Community Development Group (RCDG)
Richland County Children Services
Richland County Habitat For Humanity
Richland County Historical Society
Richland County Sheriff's Office
Richland Newhope Industries
Richland Pregnancy Services
Salvation Army
Shelby HelpLine Ministries
St. John's Church
St. Peter's Parish
The Ohio State University - Mansfield
The Ohio State University Foundation
Third Street Family Health Services
Trapshooting Hall of Fame, Inc.
United Way of Richland County
Visual Bucket List
Volunteers of America
Wayfinders Ohio
Wayne County Agricultural Society
YMCA of North Central Ohio
Career Technical Education Scholarships: The Foundation Board of Trustees awarded 16 scholarships to students attending a career technical education school. The Scholarship Committee implemented a rolling deadline for CTE scholarships to meet various enrollment deadlines. Aligning with Ohio’s Attainment Goal, the Foundation helps to fill the gap between job openings and certified employees as well as lead the way to support workforce development through CTE scholarships.
Special Grants: Richland Community Development Group (RCDG)
About the Richland County Foundation The Richland County Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3, was established in 1945 as a way for individuals to pool and invest their gifts for the long-term good of Richland County and its residents.
The Foundation helps people in Richland County give back to their community by investing their gifts wisely so that grants can be made to improve the quality of life for all the county’s citizens. Collaborating with donors, the Foundation meets important needs today and plans for a strong future.