by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 23, 2024 | CFFC News
Last year, nearly $20,000 was awarded in the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s (CFFC) fall grant cycle to support an aeroponics indoor garden, plant nursery, coding robot, items for a sensory room, a drone coding project, microscopes, hands-on learning, and more. The grants were made from three Donor Advised Funds held at CFFC – Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund, Idea Fund, and Patricia and Robert Metz Educational Fund. These funds are currently accepting grant requests to support local schools again for the 2024-2025 school year.
Submitted by Luke Rice, Laurel Highlands School District – Aeroponic Tower Garden. “Students gathered data by measuring growth, different ratios of nutrients, light schedules, and by testing pH.”
Submitted by Michelle Mowry, Connellsville Area School District – Hands-on Learning. “Over the years, I’ve learned that students learn best when they are having fun and completely involved and engaged in their learning.”
“Donor Advised Funds give donors flexibility with how grants are used to support charitable causes, and the donors have ongoing involvement,” explained Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director. “The fund holders partner with us to support projects that match their passions,” said Couser.
The Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund is accepting grant requests for reusable items that will enhance the classroom(s). Any teacher, school counselor, or administrator in the Laurel Highlands School District or Uniontown Area School District is encouraged to apply. Requests from $750 up to $10,000 will be considered.
The Idea Fund was created by a donor who is interested in helping teachers achieve a level of creativity in the classroom that allows students of all learning styles to thrive. All school districts in Fayette County are eligible to apply for an Idea Fund grant in the amount of $2,500.
The Patricia and Robert Metz Educational Fund is accepting grant requests to enhance STEM teaching and learning at the Uniontown Area School District’s middle schools or high school. An award in the amount of $500 is intended to support teacher or student activities or the purchase of classroom materials.
Applications are due by October 4 through CFFC’s online grant system, which can be found on the “Grant Seekers” page at www.cffayettepa.org. Further details are listed online for each fund’s criteria.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 5, 2024 | CFFC News
View CFFC’s mid-year letter below. Make sure to click to the second page to see the back of our flyer!
2024 Mid Year Flyer
The Community Foundation of Fayette County’s (CFFC) 25 years of philanthropy would not be possible without the generosity and support of donors. Thanks to many individuals and businesses over the years, CFFC stewards nearly 200 charitable funds and has grown to over $24 million in assets. Each year, a percentage of these charitable assets is used to support nonprofits and local students, in an effort to build a stronger Fayette County.
Throughout the past 25 years, CFFC has granted over $15 million to the community.
This spring, over $22,000 in grants were awarded to nine local nonprofits. Grants supported a pregnancy medical center, a garden that will be used for educational sessions and a culinary program, transportation for meal deliveries to senior citizens, and plants for a park. The Building a Stronger Fayette Fund awarded “capacity building” grants to strengthen nonprofits’ sustainability and their efficiency in serving the community. This included funding for equipment, board training, and technology updates.
Will you help us build a stronger Fayette?
Please join us, by making an anniversary gift to our Building a Stronger Fayette Fund.
This endowment awards grants to local nonprofits each year, addressing a variety of community needs. Your donation will benefit Fayette County today, tomorrow, and forever.
Donate Now! Make checks payable to CFFC with “BASF Fund” on the memo line. For other giving options i.e. stocks, donor advised funds, IRAs, and RMDs please call CFFC.
In honor of our 25th anniversary…
Please consider making a gift of: $25 $250 $2,500 $25,000
The third annual Gala of Giving ~ Catalyst for Change black-tie event was held on April 13, with over 300 guests attending at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Proceeds will provide funding for projects that spark change and growth in Fayette County.
The first $50,000 Catalyst for Change Grant was awarded to Main Street Theatre Company, State Theatre Center for the Arts, and Fayette County Cultural Trust last fall. Their program “Encore! A Showcase of Local Talent” on May 9 was the first of its kind in Fayette County.
CFFC has created a Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 with goals and actions for our growth!
The foundation is awarding over $200,000 in post-secondary scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year. Thanks to scholarship fund donors, we are able to support local students. This, in turn, supports the future of Fayette County and helps to strengthen our local workforce.
CFFC received re-accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Community Foundations National Standards® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
Save the date for Fayette Gives on November 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at www.fayettegives.org. The community has raised over $2 million in the first four years of this 12-hour fundraising marathon. Join us again for this community-wide “day of giving” and celebrate the power of giving back.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | May 10, 2024 | CFFC News
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) was founded on November 15, 1999… making this year our 25th anniversary year!
Founding Community Members: John Buchanon; Charles Cluss; Lee Frankhouse; Albert Skomra; Lynda Waggoner; Robert Eberly Sr.
Founding Private Foundations: Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation; Eberly Foundation; Richard King Mellon Foundation; McCune Foundation
With the generosity of many individuals and businesses over the years, CFFC has grown to over $24 million in assets and stewards nearly 200 charitable funds. Every year, a percentage of these charitable assets are used to support a number of nonprofits and local students.
We value each donor’s charitable giving goals and take pride in the trust and relationships we’ve built. Continuous accreditation since 2008 affirms the foundation’s commitment to meet and exceed the national standards for philanthropic services.
CFFC is here to help make an impact for today, tomorrow, and forever. Join us in building a stronger Fayette County through charitable giving.
Please consider making a 25th anniversary gift to support our Building a Stronger Fayette Fund. This endowment provides grants to Fayette County nonprofits every year, to address a variety of community needs.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Apr 4, 2024 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Pictured: Stephanie Crable, Aging Director, and Sr. James Ann Germuska, Executive Director
Crosskeys Human Services delivers meals to around 200 elderly community members, helping seniors to live as independently as possible in their own homes. Their service area of Brownsville and Republic is very rural and widespread, traversing rough roads and unpaved driveways. “Two of our vehicles had to have major work done due to the rocky roads that are traveled in the delivery of the meals,” said Sr. James Ann Germuska, Executive Director.
The Mary and John J. Depcrymski Memorial Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Fayette County, awarded funding to help with transportation costs. Crosskeys has three vans that are used for homebound meal deliveries, and Sr. James Ann explained that vehicle maintenance is presenting major expenses, in addition to gas costs.
Crosskeys also serves seniors by providing “grab n go” meals at their Brownsville and Republic senior centers (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), and frozen meals to homebound seniors (Tuesday and Thursday).
Beyond their work with the aging community, Crosskeys runs a live-in rehabilitation program and a site-based program for adults with mental and/or psychiatric disorders, and a new youth program offers support in community-based sessions. They also have a supportive housing program, which is “designed to assist behavioral health consumers locate and/or maintain affordable, quality housing in the community of their choice.”
The nonprofit will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, and they are continuing to develop new ideas for how to help the community and expand the reach of their programs. Through charitable giving, the Community Foundation of Fayette County is happy to support their impactful work in building a stronger Fayette. The Rendu Fund, held at the foundation, provides annual distributions to the organization – nearly $10,000 total since the fund’s creation in 2019.
“It is very uplifting to see how many foundations, like this one, who are willing to partner with nonprofits in providing service,” said Sr. James Ann.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Mar 12, 2024 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Pictured: Mark A. Smith, CEO; Annette Buffer, Board President; SueAnne Antonucci, Board Member
When Mon Valley Academy for the Arts (MVAA) learned that capacity building grants were available in spring 2023, it struck a chord. The organization had purchased the former American Legion in Brownsville to open a new location, called the Peter J. Daley Cultural Center, in addition to their space in Charleroi. The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) awarded a capacity building grant, from the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund, to support their purchases of office supplies and equipment.
As you enter the building, your eyes scan from late Brownsville band director Sammy Bill’s hand-written music and photos displayed on the wall, to the mural of black and white photos of entertainers who performed at the Twin Coaches in Rostraver. Their upstairs space has a renovated practice area and rooms for music lessons. Among the musical instruments, chairs, and music stands, MVAA’s appreciation of history and their passion for gathering the community around music is palpable.
The nonprofit aims to inform, entertain, and engage the community -and region- in lifelong learning and cultural experiences for all ages. MVAA offers musical instruction, art exhibits, a free summer concert series, various ensembles for musicians and singers, and more. With the expanded space available for instruction and performances, they anticipate 150-200 Fayette County students to participate in art and music programming each year.
CFFC’s capacity building grant helped MVAA set up the Peter J. Daley Cultural Center with office equipment essentials, including a phone, laptop, printer, dry-erase board, shelving unit, notepads, pencils, and binders.
“The CFFC grant award this year had a major impact on the record keeping and daily activities of the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts. Without the capacity grant and the office equipment purchased, MVAA’s track to self-sustainability would be a much longer and a more difficult objective,” said Mark A. Smith, CEO of MVAA. In April, they will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Peter J. Daley Cultural Center.