PCCF announces fall grant recipients

Friday, December 27, 2013

While wintry weather kept the Putnam County Community Foundation from holding its Fall Grant Awards Breakfast earlier this month, that did not mean that grants were not awarded.

A total of $72,730.68 is being distributed to worthy projects around Putnam County from the Foundation's Unrestricted Funds.

"This is the first time that we've had to cancel a Grant Awards Breakfast but our grantees are still receiving their grants. Instead of them being presented at the breakfast, they will get them by mail," Dean Gambill, Foundation director of community development, said.

Each year the Community Foundation awards grants in the spring and fall for charitable projects that improve the lives of Putnam County citizens.

Three different types of grants are awarded -- Community Grants, Endowment Builder Grants and Youth Philanthropy Grants. Each has its own application and requirements.

Community Grants awarded in the fall cycle totaled $61,259.54. Several grants were funded through Field of Interest and Donor Advised Funds.

The fall 2013 Community Grants recipients are:

-- Asbury Towers, $12,800 to construct a hospice suite.

-- Russellville Community Center, $10,000 to repair building boiler.

-- Greencastle Housing Authority, $8,000 to supplement housing assistance vouchers.

-- Child Adult Resources Services (CARS), $6,699 to construct climbing structure at Area 30 child care.

-- Greencastle Civic League, $6,000 to create splash park at Robe-Ann Park.

-- Putnam County Giving Tree, $5,000 to provide Christmas gifts for low-income families.

-- VFW Post 1550, Greencastle, $3,240 to replace roof.

-- Hope Haven Horse Farm, $3,000 for Rose-Christy project.

-- Roachdale Park, $2,000 to upgrade park facilities.

-- Return-a-Gift, $2,000 to provide Christmas for low-income families.

-- Heritage Preservation Society, $1,625 to fund Forest Hill Cemetery historic district application.

-- New Providence Baptist Church Food Pantry, $895.54, to provide food support for needy families.

Endowment Builder Grants awarded this spring totaled $9,971.14.

To qualify for an Endowment Builder Grant an organization must establish or have an existing endowment with the Community Foundation and submit a plan for increasing the endowment.

The Community Foundation matches $1 for every $2 the organization raises. The four Endowment Builder Grants approved this fall are:

-- Putnam County Public Library, $3,335.57, Imagination Library project.

-- Cloverdale Dollars for Scholars, $3,335.57.

-- Greencastle Civic League, $2,000.

-- Putnam County Soil and Water District, $1,300.

Youth Philanthropy Grants awarded totaled $1,500 in grants for youth-led community service projects.

The Putnam County Youth Philanthropy Committee receives grant applications, interviews the youth leaders about their project and evaluates each Youth Philanthropy grant application before making a recommendation to the Foundation Board of Directors.

The fall 2013 Youth Philanthropy Grant recipients are:

-- Cloverdale High School Student Council, $500 for Christmas Toy Drive (with South Putnam Student Council and Cloverdale and North Putnam FFA groups).

-- Cloverdale High School FFA, $500 for support for Project Pig 2, providing 1,000 pounds of pork to New Providence Food Pantry.

-- Camp Friend Whitney Weinschenk Girl Scout Silver Award project, $500 for installing a new boulder sign at Camp Friend.

All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply for grants from the Community Foundation. For more information, persons may contact Dean Gambill at 653-4978.

The Putnam County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1985 to administer funds, award grants and provide leadership, enriching the quality of life and strengthening community in Putnam County. The Foundation administers more than 240 funds for donors supporting a variety of charitable causes.

For more information about the Foundation persons may visit www.pcfoundation.org.

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