MANSFIELD – The Richland County Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $3,468,689 during its February meeting.

Competitive, field of interest and donor-advised fund grants approved by the board:

The North End Community Improvement Collaborative Community Impact Center received a grant for its new multi-purpose facility to serve youth, adults, and seniors. The Impact Center will host NECIC’s housing and community development program, minority business assistance, supportive social services, youth and adult employment and workforce development, and a commercial kitchen.

NECIC impact center

Space will be leased to provide direct services such as healthcare, legal and financial services.

YMCA of North Central Ohio received a grant for its indoor/outdoor sports complex in Bellville. The complex will feature soccer and an all-purpose area for other sports such as basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. The building will feature a fitness area, sports medicine, coffee shop, food service, and a sports gear retail shop.

Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio received a grant for its Helping Hands Program.

Families with a seriously ill child hospitalized at National Children’s Hospital can stay at the Ronald McDonald House while their child receives treatment. This grant will help cover costs for Richland County families.

Four career technical education scholarships were approved for students to earn a certification at a technical institution. The Scholarship Committee implemented a rolling deadline for CTE scholarships to meet various enrollment opportunities.

In aligning with Ohio’s Attainment Goal, the Foundation wants to help fill the gap between job openings and certified employees as well as lead the way to support workforce development through CTE scholarships.

Graduating high school seniors and current college students from Richland County are eligible to apply for college and career technical education scholarships.

New applicants including high school seniors must have at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA), and returning applicants must have at least a 2.0 GPA, attend an accredited school and be a resident or high school graduate of Richland County. The deadline for college scholarship applications is April 1.

The Board of Trustees approved grants from donor-advised funds which allows individuals, families, and corporations the opportunity to make grant suggestions to their favorite charities.

Donor-advised funds are a flexible and convenient alternative to a private foundation. It is also 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, NW Ohio Chapter

American Red Cross

American Red Cross East Central Ohio

Area Agency on Aging

Buckeye Imagination Museum

Community Foundation of Otsego County, Inc.

Crawford County United Way

Domestic Violence Shelter

Family Planning of South-Central New York

Family Service Association

Fenimore Art Museum

Friends of the Richland County Park District

Galion Community Center – YMCA

Glimmerglass Festival

Habitat for Humanity – Richland County

Heartwood

Helios Care

Highlands Nature Center

Killbuck Water Shed Land Trust

Lucas Local Schools

Mansfield City Schools

Mansfield-Richland County Spelling Bee

Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring

Nature Conservancy

North Central Ohio Land Conservancy

North Central State College and Foundation

North End Community Improvement Collaborative

Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning

Ohio Bird Sanctuary

Ohio Environmental Council

OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital

Ohio Heartland Community Action Center

Pathfinder Village Foundation, Inc.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Rails to Trails of Wayne County

Renaissance Theatre

Richland County Agricultural Society

Richland Pregnancy Services

Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio

Rubies Women’s Group

Shelby Helpline Ministries

Sierra Club Foundation

Sierra Club Ohio

Soundwaters, Inc.

Springbrook Foundation

St. Peter’s Parish

The Ocean Conservancy

United Way of Ashland County

United Way of North Central Ohio

United Way of Richland County

Wayne Center for the Arts

Wooster Community Hospital Foundation

YMCA of North Central Ohio

The board allocated grants from donor-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 constituents.

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 that the donor’s original intent is met in seeking a new suitable organization.

The board approved grants from donor designated and agency funds to the following organizations:

AA/Mansfield Intergroup

American Guernsey Foundation

American Red Cross

Ashland University

Buckeye Council Boy Scouts of America

Catholic Charities

Catalyst Life Services

Center for Individual and Family Services

Children’s Dyslexia Center

Children’s Theatre Foundation

Clear Fork Valley Foundation

Community Action for Capable Youth

Discovery School

Domestic Violence Shelter

Downtown Mansfield Inc.

First Christian Church, Mansfield

First Congregational Church

Friendly House Association

Friends of Richland County Park District

Habitat for Humanity Richland County

Hospice of North Central Ohio

Kingwood Center Gardens

Lucas Local Schools

Malabar Farm Foundation

Mansfield Richland Public Library

Mansfield 1 st Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Mansfield Area Y

Mansfield Art Center

Mansfield Aviation Club

Mansfield Cancer Foundation

Mansfield Cancer Foundation – Pat Kracker

Mansfield Christian School

Mansfield City Schools

Mansfield Memorial Homes

Mansfield Playhouse

Mansfield Police Department

Mansfield Rotary Club Foundation, Inc.

Mansfield/Richland Public Library

Methodist Theological Seminary

North Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association

North Central Ohio Land Conservancy

North Central State College

North Central State College Foundation

North End Community Improvement Collaborative

Ohio Bird Sanctuary

Ohio Genealogical Society

OhioHealth Foundation

OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital

Ohio State College of Medicine

Ohio State University – Mansfield

Ontario Local Schools

Ontario Police Department

OSU/NCSC Photo Arts Programs

Pioneer Career and Technology Center

Plymouth Area Historical Museum

Renaissance Performing Arts Association

Renaissance Theatre

Richard David Gardner Fund

Richland Academy of the Arts

Richland Carrousel Park

Richland Community Development Group

Richland County Children Services

Richland County Historical Society

Richland County Museum

Richland County Sheriff’s Office

Richland Newhope Center

Richland Newhope Industries

Richland Pregnancy Services

Salvation Army

Shelby Helpline Ministries

St. John’s Church

The New Store

Third Street Family Health Services

Trapshooting Hall of Fame Inc.

United Way of Richland County

University Club

Volunteers of America

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 for charity 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.

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