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.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Feb 6, 2024 | Building a Stronger Fayette
“Our mission is to best serve our community. To do that, we need to pay attention to detail, refine what we’re currently doing, and plan for the future. This grant helped us do those things,” said Steve Strange, Executive Director at East End United Community Center (EEUCC). The nonprofit hosted a Board Retreat in 2023 with funding from the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC).
Steve Strange, EEUCC Executive Director, at the CFFC spring 2023 grant presentation
EEUCC’s mission is to advance the growth and well-being of our community by providing individuals with educational, social, cultural, and economic opportunities. The center has recently seen an increase in their daycare program and out-of-school time programming. With the addition of multiple new board members in recent years and planning for a building expansion, Strange explained that the Board Retreat was an opportunity to “become more intentional in refining long-term planning”.
The funds were awarded through CFFC’s capacity building grant cycle of the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund. “This CFFC grant allowed us to work with Nonprofit SideKick to strengthen our board,” said Strange, referencing a consulting company that works with nonprofits.
CFFC is happy to support the work of nonprofits like EEUCC. Through philanthropy, the foundation is able to aid their efforts in building a stronger Fayette.
Group photo submitted by East End United Community Center.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jan 15, 2024 | CFFC News
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) awards grants throughout the entire year, through the generosity of individuals and business who create charitable funds at the foundation. CFFC’s spring grant cycle is an opportunity for nonprofits to request funding from five charitable funds held at CFFC. Review criteria and apply through CFFC’s online grant system. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2024.
“CFFC is happy to offer grants for nonprofit capacity building, for the second year in a row, through the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund. The four additional funds focus on a specific ‘field of interest’ that was determined by the donors who created the funds,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.
- Building a Stronger Fayette Fund: supporting capacity building – an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of a nonprofit (e.g. office equipment, software, training). These awards are made with the combined funding from the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund; Fayette County Charities Endowment; Franklin K. and Jean Smith Family Fund; Levi Komarinski Memorial Fund; Thompson Fund.
- Burchinal Family Endowment Fund: supports charities that provide health and medical care for Fayette County residents.
- Jack and Diane Hughes Family Fund: supports projects and programs in the areas of community gardens and/or science/environmental education.
- Mary and John J. Depcrymski Memorial Fund: supports organizations that provide transportation for Fayette County senior citizens.
- Community Beautification Fund: supports landscape improvements (including but not limited to planting of trees, shrubs, and flowers) for community beautification projects.
For questions about grant applications, contact Rebecca Wardle, Communications & Grantmaking Coordinator, at rebecca@cffayettepa.org or 724-437-8600 x203.