Ohio County Community Foundation Awards Grants

More than $60,000 in grants have been awarded.

(Ohio County, Ind.) - The Ohio County Community Foundation awarded fourteen Community Grants during the second grant cycle of 2018. The grants were awarded to local non-profit organizations whose projects and programs benefit Ohio County on Thursday, December 13, 2018 during a small reception held in the Foundation office.  Each applicant was permitted to request up to $5,000. A total of $60,099.40 in Community Grants were awarded during Grant Cycle II.

The grants for were funded from the distributions of endowment funds established within the Ohio County Community Foundation by donors wishing to provide lasting, charitable grants that benefit the residents of Ohio County. The grants were funded from the following endowment funds: Ohio County Today & Tomorrow Endowment Fund established by the City of Rising Sun and Ohio County; the Gene Siekman Memorial Endowment Fund established in memory of former Rising Sun City Councilman, Gene Siekman, by Lane Siekman and Angel Siekman Clements; the Todd Burgess Memorial Fund, established by Bill and Linda Powell in memory of their son, Todd, graduate of Rising Sun High School; the Dennis & Angie Elliott Community Endowment Fund, established by the Rising Sun Regional Foundation to honor Dennis Elliott for his years of service on the Rising Sun Regional Foundation Board of Directors; the Eunice Kittle Performing Arts Endowment Fund, established by the Ohio County Community Foundation to honor Eunice Kittle for her years of service on the Ohio County Community Foundation Board of Directors.

The following non-profit organizations were awarded a Community Grant:

• GinnFarms was awarded $1,050 to purchase a Tower Garden for students at Rising Sun Schools to learn about hands-on gardening and grow produce.
• Rising Sun Main Street was awarded $5,000 toward the publishing of the 2019 Rising Sun Newsletter.
• Ohio County Convention Tourism & Visitors Commission was awarded $5,000 to purchase a multi-seat golf cart for transportation of visitors and for use during events.
• Ohio County Public Library was awarded $5,000 to purchase new books and DVD’s for circulation.
• Oak Heritage Conservancy was awarded $4,997.18 to provided signage and a parking area for visitors to the Monarch Meadows Nature Preserve located in Ohio County.
• American Red Cross was awarded $3,000 towards funding an Ohio County Community Preparedness Program (Home Fire Campaign) and Disaster Relief for Ohio Count residents.
• Rising Sun Volunteer Fire Department was awarded $5,000 to upgrade rescue equipment to extricate victims who are trapped during a vehicle accident or emergency situation and to purchase extra portable lighting for emergencies taking place after dark.
• Rising Sun Ohio County Emergency Services Board was awarded $3,800 to purchase new equipment to upgrade the surveillance system for the entrance to the Emergency Services Building.
• Rising Sun SAY Soccer was awarded $5,000 to purchase soccer equipment and field paint and to provide training workshops for youth soccer players.
• Noah O’Banion Post No. 59 Inc. for the Boy Scouts of American Troop 3605 was awarded $4,944.22 to allow the Boy Scout Troop to paint the Boy Scout Cabin and install an HVAC system as a merit badge project, to purchase an American flag for ceremonies and meetings and to provide upgrades the troop’s hauling trailer.
• Ohio County Historical Society was awarded $5,000 to restore the Union Cemetery Civil War Memorial monument and marker stones and to install seating at the memorial.
• City of Rising Sun/City Council was awarded $5,000 towards a collaborative community project to modify a youth ballfield, located at Rising Sun Ohio County Schools, to be able to host ball tournaments.
• Rising Sun Church of Christ was awarded $3,000 toward the purchase of food, supplies, and activities for the 2019 After Prom Event held for Rising Sun High School students and guests.
• Rising Sun Ohio County Community School Corporation was awarded $4,308 to purchase supplies and food for needy students, to provide disaster relief (as needed) for families with children attending the school corporation and towards the purchase of a Tigerhawk Floor Cleaner.

Since 1998, the mission of the Ohio County Community Foundation (OCCF) has been to build, manage and distribute a lasting source of charitable funds for Ohio County.  OCCF fulfills this mission by assisting donors to establish endowments that provide charitable funds for Ohio County. Only the interests from the funds are distributed in the form of grants. This allows the funds to grow indefinitely to increase the capacity for the funds to further impact the community through future grant distributions.

Anyone can make a contribution to any endowment fund established within the Foundation by submitting their donation to the: Ohio County Community Foundation, 330 Industrial Access Drive, PO Box 170, Rising Sun, IN 47040. Gifts may be made in memory or in honor of a friend or loved one. Donations to OCCF-administered funds are tax deductible in most cases. To receive information concerning the Grants Program administered by the Ohio County Community Foundation, please call Stephanie Scott, Program Coordinator 812-438-9401 or visit the Foundation website at occfrisingsun.com.  A list of the Endowment Funds administered by the Ohio County Community Foundation can also be found on the Foundation website.