In keeping step with our vision of being the catalyst for a thriving community, the Wayne County Foundation is proud to announce that $2,611,374 was granted to enhance the quality of life in Wayne County in 2021.
Grantmaking
As in past years, the Foundation facilitated its annual Spring Grant Cycle in 2021, which serves as an opportunity for local nonprofit organizations to receive funding for projects, programs and initiatives that help improve community vitality. In all, thirty-five local organizations received $240,398 from the Foundation.
In addition, the Challenge Match was facilitated for a tenth consecutive year in 2021. Forty local nonprofit organizations raised a collective amount of $1.86 million during the nine-day match period in November. The Foundation offered $275,000 in matching funds to the selected organizations.
“We are so fortunate to live in a community that values education, the work of our nonprofit organizations, and giving back.” said Rebecca Gilliam, executive director of the Wayne County Foundation. “I am excited to see the full impact of our grantmaking over the past year.”
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Additionally, the Foundation manages fifty donor advised funds. Donor advisors recommended $488,422 in grants this year.
Scholarships
Thanks to our generous donors, the Foundation offers a variety of scholarships to area students seeking educational opportunities beyond high school. Scholarships are unique and support students with a variety of backgrounds, educational attainment goals, and economic statuses. While a number of scholarships are available for all the students across the county, each high school also has school-specific scholarships at their student’s disposal. Between the approximately 150 scholarship funds housed at the Foundation, $576,160 was awarded to rising or returning college students in 2021.
All of the Foundation’s community grantmaking is made possible by income from unrestricted and endowed field-of-interest funds. The Foundation is also pleased to announce that twenty-two new funds were established in 2021.
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The Wayne County Foundation exists to foster and encourage private philanthropic giving, to enhance the spirit of community and to improve the quality of life in the Wayne County, Indiana, area now and for future generations.