The Community Foundation of Shelby County recently awarded more than $143,000 to local organizations during its Spring Community Grants cycle.

Several Community Foundation charitable funds participate in the grant program, including the Community Impact Fund, Kermit and Ella Kuck Fund, Roscoe Beanblossom Fund, and Shelby County Medical Services Fund. Gifts to the annual Community Foundation Partners program and earnings from the Foundation’s Operations Reserve are also awarded as grants.

Fifteen organizations received grants from the above listed discretionary funds and some of the donor advised funds established at the Foundation by local individuals and families:

• Anna Rescue, $20,000 to purchase five radios compatible with the county’s new communication system.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby and Darke County, $2,000 to support the Guys in Ties and Girls in Pearls program for Sidney Middle School students. Two donor advised funds provided $850 of the award.
• Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, $10,000 for the ECHO Counseling program in three county schools for next school year.
• Elizabeth’s New Life Center, $4,000 for furnishings and technology for a men’s mentoring room. $1,000 of the grant came from a donor advised fund.
• Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, $15,000 for Shelby County home repair materials through its Critical Home Repair Program.
• Hickory Trail Farm Education Center, $2,000 for riding helmets and tack used in the equestrian therapy program.
• Mercy Mission House, $10,000 to support the cost of a grant writer to seek funding for the shelter and its programs.
• Raise the Roof for the Arts, $15,000 for security upgrades at the Historic Sidney Theatre.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton, $2,500 to support Shelby County families staying at the facility near Dayton Children’s Hospital.
• Shelby County Agricultural Society, $3,100 for a cooler to be used during the Shelby County Fair and many public and private events at the Fairgrounds.
• Shelby County CASA/GAL, $3,500 to send volunteers to required training and $4,957 for a cyber security upgrade.
• Shelby County Pickleball Association, $20,000 for construction of two community pickleball courts.
• Shelby County United Way, $15,000 for the IMPACT program, a preventative mental health program providing services and counseling to Shelby County K-12 students and their families.
• St. Philomena Montessori School, $14,000 for laptops for their grades 1-3 classrooms.
• Wilma Valentine Childcare, $3,800 for summer field trip expenses for children in their program.

The Foundation’s Fall Community Grant cycle will accept proposals from July 1 to Aug. 15. Final grant awards announced in October. Organizations in or serving Shelby County may apply for more than $134,000 in grant amounts of up to $20,000. Some funding is open to all types of requests, while others are limited to needs specified by a fund’s establishing donor.

Applicant organizations should have a 501(c)(3) tax status, be a governmental entity or collaborate with a fiscal agent. A fiscal agent is a 501(c)(3) or governmental entity that is willing to receive grant dollars on behalf of another organization and oversee its appropriate use.

Those interested in applying should first contact Juli Smith, Scholarships and Grants Manager at the Community Foundation at [email protected] or call (937) 497-7800 to request permission to apply. Applicants should be ready to briefly explain the intended grant request and dollar amount. Community Grants information is available on the Foundation’s website at commfoun.com.