MANSFIELD – The Richland County Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $2,067,053 during its February meeting.
Competitive, field of interest and donor-advised fund grants approved by the board included the following grants:
Wayfinders Ohio, the local homeless shelter, received a grant to renovate a building at 661 Park Avenue East to create a larger shelter. The current shelter at 124 West Third Street accommodates 58 people daily, while the new shelter will house 75 people daily. Last year, Wayfinders assisted approximately 700 individuals. A larger shelter would not only serve more people but also enhance their quality of life.
Catholic Charities received a grant to provide community emergency and adult advocacy services. Nearly one in four households in Mansfield and over 13.5% in Richland County live at or below the poverty level. More than 21% of Richland County renters are severely cost-burdened paying over 50% of their income for rent and utilities.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio received a grant for its Helping Hands program. The grant will offset the cost to house Richland County families at the Ronald McDonald House while their severely ill children are receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The cost to house one family per night is $100 per room and families are asked to donate $20 per night to help cover costs. However, the average donation in 2023 was $4.70 per night.
The City of Mansfield received a grant to renovate the historic 1937 Works Progress Administration (WPA) bath house at Liberty Park. The goal is to transform the bathhouse into a pavilion that will serve as a multi-functional community space. The renovated bath house will feature ADA-compliant restrooms, accessible parking, a catering kitchen, outdoor grills, picnic tables, and a small club room for rental and storage.
The Board of Trustees approved grants from donor-advised funds which allow 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:
Altrusa International Mansfield
Alzheimer’s Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter
Buckeye Imagination Museum
Catholic Charities
Community Foundation of Otsego County, Inc.
Crawford County United Way
Discovery School
Domestic Violence Shelter
Family Planning of South-Central New York
Family Service Association
Fenimore Art Museum
Friendly House Association
Galion Community Center YMCA
Glimmerglass Festival
Grace Episcopal Church
Hartwick College
Heartwood
Helios Care
Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church
Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary Inc.
Killbuck Water Shed Land Trust
Lucas Local Schools
Make A Wish Foundation
Mansfield Art Center
Marietta College
Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory & Education Foundation
Music Academy of Karate & Empowerment
Nature Conservancy
North Central Ohio Land Conservancy
North Central State College Foundation
North End Community Improvement Collaboration
Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning
Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Heartland Community Action Center
Ocean Conservancy
Pathfinder Village Foundation, Inc.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio
Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center
Red Clay Ranch Equine Rescue & Sanctuary
Red Cross East Central Ohio
Renaissance Performing Arts
Richland Community Development Group
Rubies Women’s Group
Salvation Army
Sierra Club Ohio
Springbrook Foundation
St. Paul Outreach
St. Peter’s Parish
The Accomplis Collective, Inc.
The New Store
Third Street Family Health Services
United Way of Ashland County
United Way of North Central Ohio
United Way of Richland County
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:
American Red Cross
Ashland University
Buckeye Council Boy Scouts of America
Catalyst Life Services
Catholic Charities - Mansfield
Children’s Dyslexia Center
Children’s Theatre Foundation
Clear Fork Valley Foundation
Domestic Violence Shelter
First Christian Church, Mansfield
First Congregational Church of Mansfield Ohio
Friendly House Association
Friends of Richland County Park District
Habitat for Humanity Richland County
Kingwood Center Gardens
Mansfield Richland Public Library
Mansfield 1st Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Mansfield Art Center
Mansfield Cancer Foundation
Mansfield City Schools
Mansfield Playhouse
Mansfield Rotary Club Foundation, Inc.
Mansfield/Richland Public Library
Methodist Theological Seminary
North Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association
North Central State College
North Central State College Foundation
Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Ohio Genealogical Society
OhioHealth Foundation
OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital
Ohio State University – Mansfield
Ontario Local Schools
Renaissance Performing Arts Association
Richland Academy of the Arts
Richland County Children Services
Richland County Children Services – The New Store
Richland County Historical Society
Richland Pregnancy Services
Salvation Army
Shelby Helpline Ministries
St. John’s Church
Third Street Family Health Services
Trapshooting Hall of Fame Inc.
United Way of Richland County
Volunteers of America
Wayfinders Ohio
YMCA of North Central Ohio
Career Technical Education Scholarships
The Board of Trustees awarded 18 scholarships to students attending a career technical education school. The Scholarship Committee implemented a rolling deadline for CTE scholarships to meet various enrollment deadlines. 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.
Special Grants:
YWCA Childcare Resource & Referral
Report for 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 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.
CONTACT: Maura Teynor, chief advancement officer, 419-525-3020 mteynor@rcfoundation.org