For example:
- Beech Acres has developed “Beyond the Classroom” programs in more than 20 local schools. These programs target children’s behavioral, emotional and mental health and parental support.
- The Countryside YMCA has established or expanded classes and activities for veterans, outreach programs for those in need, and support groups for cancer survivors.
- Hospice of Cincinnati provided free service for 500 uninsured or underinsured families in Warren County.
- Efforts to improve literacy and encourage reading have received a boost as Warren County Community Services teach parents to read with their children in the Adult New Readers program, and the Imagination Library provides free books for kids. To date, 12,000 area children have been given 200,000 books.
- One-hundred-twenty organizations were targeted by a grant to provide support and services for at-risk youth.
Other impact grants have provided beds and bedding for 56 area children, helped recruit and train new foster families, provided recycling education to 1,500 youth, trained 100 teachers to better integrate economics and personal finance education in their classes, and helped fund programs for child advocacy, abuse and rape victims, children of color, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and more.
Smaller discretionary grants support other programs in the community. For instance, a small grant allowed Melodic Connections to purchase Drums Alive equipment for summer camps in Mason, and another grant provided financial assistance for underserved children to attend a local Camp Invention session.
Some support comes through donations made or funds created for specific purposes. For example, area small businesses were supported through a $25,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation Small Business Assistance/Hometown Revitalization Grants program in 2022, with an additional $15,000 provided by the Duke Energy Foundation in 2023.
Two new special-purpose funds have been created to have a more dedicated focus. The Women’s Fund supports projects that benefit women and children’s needs, and The Warren County Environmental Forum will provide grants for conservation and ecological activities, such as recycling programs, water preservation, and other projects.
The Child Advocacy Center of Warren County has benefited from both an Impact Award and grants from the Women’s Fund.
“As a small non-profit that relies on a patchwork of funding to support our services in the community, the Warren County Foundation grants have been instrumental in supporting the Child Advocacy Center of Warren County’s team response to child abuse and neglect through intervention and education,” said Manager Amy Fornshell. “As a recipient of several funding opportunities, we have been able to provide specialized services to over 3,500 children and their nonoffending caregivers, trained nearly 2,000 adults in child abuse prevention, and increased our outreach awareness about child abuse throughout all of Warren County.”
That work is possible only because of the widespread community support that the Foundation enjoys. Donations are given by companies and individuals, some of whom have been involved since the Foundation’s beginning. Dick and Jane Yost of Mason have been long-time supporters.
“The Yost family has been able to enhance our charitable giving locally in the Mason and Deerfield Township area and in other areas with the support of the Warren County Foundation for 25 years. We believe in the strength of having a strong local community foundation to impact our region and we encourage donors to utilize this valuable resource.”
To ensure that the work continues, the Warren County Foundation has launched the Warren County Forever Endowment to support the Warren County Foundation’s mission and grant programs. This is a permanent unrestricted fund in which only the earnings will be used, in order to maintain a steady source of grant funds.
“The earnings from the Warren County Forever Endowment will be used to support discretionary and impact grants to nonprofits across the county,” said Tom Seddon, Foundation President & CEO. “The endowment definitely supports our mission.”
For more information or to donate, go to www.warrencountyfoundation.org.
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