Foundation Funds COVID-19 Emerging Needs

MANSFIELD – The Richland County Foundation Board of Trustees approved $863,328 in grants to area nonprofit agencies during its October meeting.

The Foundation expanded its COVID-19 Rapid Relief efforts to help protect local nonprofits. The operating revenue for many charities has been decimated by the effects of the pandemic. A Community Engagement Team made up of people working in the health and human services sectors meets every two weeks to make grant recommendations.

Catholic Charities has experienced an increase in applications for rental assistance. The board approved a grant for to help meet the need.

The Little Buckeye Children’s Museum which has remained closed since mid-march received a grant for emergency operational support.

The Mansfield Art Center reduced staff, rentals, cancelled special events and limited access to the building during the pandemic and received a grant for emergency operational support.

Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center reduced staff and the number of horses during the pandemic and received a grant for emergency operational support.

To date, a total of $714,032 has been awarded for COVID-19 Relief in the community. That total includes the funding from the Foundation’s Community Fund, Donoradvised Funds, $100,000 from Richland County Job and Family Services, and $37,742 raised online via a special COVID-19 Relief edition of Richland Gives in early May.

Nine career technical education scholarships were approved during the meeting. The Foundation has experienced a 75% increase for CTE scholarships this year. The increase is attributed to better communication with the schools and changes made to the criteria last year. Those changes included elimination of the full-time student requirement and adjusted due dates for career technical school scholarships. For more details on scholarships go to richlandcountyfoundation.org.

The Board of Trustees approved additional grants from donor advised funds to meet emerging needs to the following organizations:

Bruce Museum

Citizens Against Government Waste Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Crawford County Partnership for Education and Economic Development

Freedom Ridge Church

Friends of Gorman Nature Center

Humane Society of Richland County

Knox Technical Center

Lucas Community Center

Madison Adult Education

Mansfield Art Center

Mansfield Playhouse

Mansfield Rotary Club Foundation

Media Research Center

NAMI Mansfield

Naples Community Hospital – Center for Philanthropy

North End Community Improvement Collaborative

North Central Ohio Industrial Museum Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning Ohio Bird Sanctuary

Ohio Environmental Council

Plymouth Area Historical Society Plymouth-shiloh Local Schools

Rails to Trails of Wayne County

Reinhardt University

Resurrection Parish

Richland Academy of the Arts

Richland Public Health

Shelby YMCA

United Way of Richland County

About the Richland County Foundation

The Richland County Foundation, a notfor-profit 501(c) (3) organization, 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. Working together with donors, the Foundation meets important needs today and plans for a strong future.

CONTACT: Maura Teynor, chief advancement officer

Phone: 419-525-3020 mteynor@rcfoundation.org