CFFC Awards $35,000+ in Fall Grants

CFFC has awarded $35,302 in fall grants. Awards range from $500 to over $7,000. “These funding opportunities were created by generous donors who want to give back to the community, and we’re happy to support such diverse projects,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.

To support health and medical care for Fayette County residents, CFFC awarded two grants from the Burchinal Family Endowment Fund. Alternatives.Yes Pregnancy Support Center received a grant for their conversion to a medical model pregnancy center – specifically for a medical exam room and staff training materials. New Haven Hose Company also received a grant, which they will use to purchase two new AEDs. These devices will be utilized for medical service on the bike trail, at the fire department, and at the social hall which serves as Connellsville’s emergency shelter.

The Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund supports the purchase of reusable items to enhance classrooms. Laurel Highlands School District was awarded three grants for autistic support educational and sensory room items, a book vending machine at an elementary school, and STEM activities for elementary media centers. Uniontown Area School District was awarded two grants for cooking supplies in middle and high school family & consumer science classes and graphing calculators for high school algebra classes.

Albert Gallatin Area School District was awarded a grant from the Idea Fund to enhance traditional classroom learning with the purchase of an audio booth for the high school’s AGTV studio. It will be used for all media classes and for the speech and presentation course.

To learn more about grant opportunities and how you can make an impact in our community through philanthropy, contact our office at 724-437-8600.

Fayette Gives Preliminary Results

The Community Foundation of Fayette County hosted the third annual Fayette Gives on Thursday, November 10, 2022. The preliminary total is $575,541, and we thank everyone who helped make this “day of giving” such a success! Your generosity will make an impact for Fayette County charities and the community as a whole. Preliminary results are displayed at www.fayettegives.org, but the summary and leaderboards do not include bonus pool dollars. Stay tuned for final numbers in the coming weeks, and thank you for joining us in building a stronger Fayette!

Over $575,000 Raised

 

CFFC Receives $15,000 from EQT Foundation

EQT Foundation awarded the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) a $15,000 grant for the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund. This fund is an endowment to support CFFC’s general grantmaking program in perpetuity. CFFC accepts applications for this fund in the spring grant cycle, evaluating requests from local nonprofits and strategically selecting grant awards.

The Building a Stronger Fayette Fund supports arts and culture; education; community and economic development; health and human services; and other areas of interest. In CFFC’s spring 2022 cycle, grants were awarded for a library program, household and hygiene items, musical productions, a junior firefighter boot camp, a program to provide beds to families, a free community lunch program, software, and a program to support grandparents as caretakers.

CFFC Receives $15,000 from EQT Foundation

Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation President; Renee Couser, CFFC Executive Director; Kaitlyn Magyar, EQT Corporation Public Relations Intern

EQT Foundation’s $15,000 grant will be added to the fund and will help strengthen CFFC’s general grantmaking program. “Working with local community foundations has been an essential part of our strategy to be engaged corporate citizens in the areas where EQT operates,” said Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation President. “We are thankful for the partnership we have created through the CFFC’s Building a Stronger Fayette Fund to help nonprofits in the community thrive,” said Rossi.

“CFFC thanks EQT Foundation for their support. This fund has been a focus for our fundraising, since supporting local nonprofits is such a big part of what we do,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director. To raise additional money for the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund, CFFC is participating in Fayette Gives on November 10 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at www.fayettegives.org.

2021 Annual Report

The Community Foundation of Fayette County’s 2021 Annual Report is here!

“In 2021, many of us repositioned ourselves as the domino effect of the pandemic continued to change our everyday lives. At the Community Foundaiton of Fayette County (CFFC) we were busy in our efforts to address the ongoing, heightened needs of the community, and we’re happy to share with you how CFFC is building a stronger Fayette.” – J.D. Ewing, CFFC Chair

Click here to view

Fayette Gives Check Contribution Form Now Available

This year, 88 Fayette County charities are fundraising in the third annual Fayette Gives on November 10, 2022 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at www.fayettegives.org. During this 12-hour “day of giving”, the public is encouraged to donate to participating local charities in a joint effort to build a stronger Fayette. The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) hosts Fayette Gives to support local charities and engage the community in philanthropy.

Fayette Gives has raised $734,303 for Fayette County charities the past two years, with 43 participating charities in 2020 and 64 participating charities in 2021. This year’s 88 charities include many returning charities and 25 first-time participants. Learn more about the services they provide by viewing their profiles on the “Charity Search” page at www.fayettegives.org.

To donate during Fayette Gives, donors will visit www.fayettegives.org on November 10, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to select one or more charities for a credit or debit card donation. The minimum donation is $25 per charity. Donations received at the CFFC office by 8 p.m. on November 10 will be boosted by a prorated percentage of the bonus pool, thanks to the Fayette Gives sponsors.

To donate to one or more charities by check, please write one check for your total contribution amount and complete one Check Contribution Form to designate your individual donation amounts. Make your check payable to “CFFC” and mail it with your completed Check Contribution Form to CFFC, 5 South Mt. Vernon Ave., Uniontown, PA 15401. The official Check Contribution Form is available at www.fayettegives.org and checks are now being accepted.

On Fayette Gives day, the website will show live results and leaderboards. Once all donations are verified, charities will receive their grant check. Visit www.fayettegives.org to learn more.

 

2022 Check Contribution Form

CFFC Donated Nearly 300,000 Masks through the Mask Initiative

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) launched the Mask Initiative in April of 2020 to provide disposable masks to local organizations during the covid-19 pandemic. The initiative wrapped up in July 2022, donating nearly 300,000 masks to over 140 organizations. Online mask requests were open to first response organizations, healthcare organizations, human service agencies, churches, and other nonprofits serving Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.

Thanks to a $30,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments and a $25,000 grant from the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation, CFFC purchased masks from local manufacturer DCG Supplies.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we would review requests and have them picked up at our office every week. There were times when over thirty organizations would be picking up masks in one cycle,” explained CFFC Executive Director Renee Couser.

Fayette EMS

The Mask Initiative provided masks at no cost to organizations and became a reliable resource to help protect staff, clients, and residents as organizations continued to serve the community. Some of the organizations that received multiple mask donations include: Brownsville Ambulance Service, Centerville Clinics, Fayette County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Fayette EMS, German-Masontown Public Library, Greensburg YMCA, John Wesley A M E Zion Church, Mt. Macrina Manor, Salvation Army Uniontown, St. Florian Church, Verland, and Washington Christian Outreach.

“The Mask Initiative is a great example of our flexibility as a community foundation,” said CFFC Chair J.D. Ewing. “CFFC was able to create a new initiative to address the urgent needs of the community at the outset of the pandemic, all through philanthropy and while staying true to our mission,” explained Ewing.

To learn more about the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s mission, visit www.cffayettepa.org.

Uniontown Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

“Everyone at our Fayette County home really appreciates receiving these masks from the Community Foundation of Fayette County!” said Verland’s Kathy Kacvinsky.

“We are grateful for the donation of these much-needed supplies. Your gift makes it possible for us to safely provide essential programs such as child care to the many families who rely on us,” said Greensburg YMCA’s Suzanne Printz.