All Community Foundation grants have a definite impact on the organizations that receive them. However, it is the Community Service Grants that provide the most support to area non-profits, whether funding operations, programs, facility maintenance, or equipment, to name a few items. The Community Foundation Board of Directors recently approved the 2007 Community Service Grants, which have now awarded over $4,250,000 through the Foundation’s 28-year history. 

 

It is important to note that of the Foundation’s four grant processes, Community Service Grants is the only unrestricted process. This means that the Foundation Board of Directors has complete discretion over the monies used to award Community Service Grant projects, which provides flexibility to address many different needs. These unrestricted funds are the backbone of support for the Foundation’s grantmaking, as they enable the CRCF Board to address current and rising needs within the community, while continually adjusting to these needs as they change over time. Additionally, Community Service Grants are the largest grants that CRCF awards; therefore, they can have a much larger impact in terms of dollar value for those organizations or projects in need.

 

This year, the Community Foundation awarded 59 Community Service Grants to area organizations totaling $275,000. The programs that were awarded address the fields of arts and culture, civic enrichment, education, and social welfare, demonstrating the diversity of this grants program. A few of the unique programs that were awarded grants this year include: Centaur Stride’s Obstacle Course and Life Skills Pony Express Village; Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association’s First Annual Head of the Chautauqua Lake Regatta; Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Chautauqua School to Farm Field Day 2007; The Arts Council for Chautauqua County’s In-School Media Programs; and Falconer Rotary Club’s Falconer Park Restoration Project. While these are only five programs of many, all grant recipients demonstrated that their projects were truly worthwhile and would be of benefit to the greater community.   

 

As a final note, the Community Foundation Board and staff thank the Community Service Grants Committee for their work through this process. Every year, this Committee meets four times over the course of a month to discuss the grant applications and make award recommendations. Prior to the meetings, these 15 Committee members do research, site visits, and field work on the grant applications they are reviewing, so they know exactly what the grant is about and how it will benefit the community. Needless to say, this is a very time-intensive process. However, it is a process that could not be completed without the assistance of these 15 volunteers, and their work has not been overlooked.  

 

The Community Foundation Board and staff also thank the organizations in this community that are seeking to build a better community. Through the Community Service Grants process, the Foundation is able to see the great ideas held by many area organizations, as well as the dedication that goes along to seeing these ideas through. The Foundation will continue doing its part to help these ideas grow and flourish, and the Community Service Grants process will continue to serve as the seed.