With every grant awarded by the Community Foundation comes a great sense of satisfaction. Satisfaction due to the fact that good projects and programs are being awarded and because the community as a whole will benefit from these projects. Perhaps an even greater sense of satisfaction is gained by those organizations that actually received CRCF grants. Now is the time for such organizations to capitalize on grant funding as the Community Foundation is accepting applications for the 2007 Community Service Grants process. The deadline for application is October 31^st.   

Awarding grants is nothing new to the Community Foundation. Last year alone, nearly $2,000,000 was awarded in CRCF grant funding, and since the Foundation was established in 1978, over $22,000,000 has been given back to the community in grant funding. While this 22 million is comprised of various forms of funding, such as Scholarships, Field of Interest Grants, and Karl Peterson Grants, the Community Service Grants process continues to be CRCF’s greatest level of support for the community. 

The impact and scale of the Community Service Grants is due to the nature of the process. Community Service Grants are awarded from CRCF’s unrestricted funds known as Community Service Funds. While most other funds have specific purposes, Community Service Funds are simply for the benefit of the greater community, period. As such, these funds are at the discretion of the CRCF Board of Directors, to use on the most vital needs of the community, no matter what they might be. This provides the Foundation with great flexibility in putting resources where they need to be, without restriction.

In 2006, 52 projects, organizations, and programs received Community Service Grant funding for a total of $250,000 awarded. Every organization that received a grant demonstrated that their projects provided a distinct benefit to the Chautauqua Region. A few such organizations and their subsequent projects include; the Ellington Food Pantry’s “Feed the Hungry Project”; the Center for Family Unity’s “Strengthening Families Project”; Adult Day Care Center’s “Elderly and Handicap Transportation Program”; and Chautauqua Striders “School-Based Mentoring Program”.  

For your organization to be eligible for a Community Service Grant, it simply needs to be able to demonstrate that the community will be better off if your project comes to fruition. The Community Service Grants process is all about building a stronger community, and many of the grants that are awarded through this process go a long way in doing so.

If your organization has a project in need of some larger funding that will truly serve the greater good of the community, take the time to apply for a Community Service Grant. As previously mentioned, applications will be accepted until the October 31^st, 2006 deadline. Applications can be picked up at the Foundation office at 418 Spring Street, Jamestown, or downloaded from the CRCF website at www.crcfonline.org. As always, if you have any questions about the process, call 661-3390. The Community Foundation looks forward to assisting the next group of projects what will help build a better community!