By Jared Lindell
While Community Service Grants are known as the Community Foundation’s “big” awards, there is another grant process that is just as vital to those organizations that receive its assistance. With that said, the Community Foundation’s 2007 Karl Peterson Grants were recently approved by the Board of Directors, totaling over $200,000 that has been awarded by this grant process over a 14-year stretch.
In comparison to Community Service Grants, the Karl Peterson Grants are far more specific in their focus. Community Service Grants offer the Foundation’s Board of Directors the discretion to direct monies where needed, no matter what the project or cause, without restriction. Conversely, the Karl Peterson Grants are awarded to projects that are intended for “the benefit of such religious, educational, charitable, and scientific purposes as, in the judgment of the (committee) shall be in furtherance of the public welfare and tend to assist, encourage and promote the well-doing or well-being of mankind or of the inhabitants of any community," as noted by the specific criteria on the grant application. Historically speaking, these grants have gone to churches or religious organizations and those organizations with education or overall community benefit.
The criteria for Karl Peterson Grants were originally set by the founder of this process, Karl Peterson. Peterson, who was a Swedish immigrant to Jamestown, was a prominent businessman in the community and used his wealth for charitable means when he established the Karl Peterson Foundation in 1952. In 1992, the Karl Peterson Foundation merged with the Community Foundation, and the purpose for which the Karl Peterson Foundation was created has remained intact ever since. It was Karl Peterson’s intent to serve religious, scientific, educational, or any cause that furthers the well-being of mankind, and the Community Foundation continues to follow through with that philosophy today.
For the 2007 Karl Peterson Grant process, 40 grant awards were made, totaling over $19,000. These 40 awards were divided equally, with 20 religious organizations receiving funding and 20 other non-profits receiving the funding as well. Some of the religious organizations’ projects that were funded include: Cherry Creek Leon United Methodist Church’s Handicapped Ramp Hand Rail Project; First Covenant Church’s Pipe Organ Restoration Project; New Covenant Assembly’s Glory Youth Group Program; Bethel Lutheran Church’s Preschool Scholarship Program; and the Trinity Relief Zone’s Training Youth Minister Work Project. Other area, non-religious organizations’ projects to receive funding include: the Jamestown Audubon Society’s After School Program; Jamestown High School’s Special Education Work Study Program; Chautauqua Lake Child Care Center’s Scholarship Program; and Chautauqua Striders Scholarship for Summer Track and Field Club Program, to name a few.
Furthering the well-being of mankind is the overlying goal of the Karl Peterson Grant process, and the Community Foundation will continue to see this purpose through every year these grants are made. The 40 good organizations and projects that received funding this year will help to further the legacy of Karl Peterson, while benefiting the well-being of the community at the same time. This is a growing legacy that Karl Peterson would be very proud of.
Published in the March 25th edition of The Post-Journal