CFFC Opens Fall Grant Applications

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) is now accepting applications for the fall grant cycle. All grant applications have a deadline of September 30, 2021. Please visit the “Grants” tab at www.cffayettepa.org to learn more and apply.

The Arthur and Millicent Gabriel Legacy Fund awards funding to schools for reusable items that will enhance the classrooms. Any teacher, school counselor, or administrator in the Laurel Highlands School District or Uniontown Area School District is encouraged to apply.

The Burchinal Family Endowment Fund supports charities that provide health and medical care for Fayette County residents.

The Idea Fund makes awards to enhance traditional classroom learning in any subject, to show creativity in teaching, and to expand the horizons of the students. Teachers at St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School, Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School, Laurel Highlands School District, and Albert Gallatin School District are eligible to apply.

The Patricia and Robert Metz Educational Fund aims to enhance STEM teaching and learning at Uniontown Area High School. Requests will be accepted for support of teacher or student activities or for the purchase of classroom materials.

Additionally, CFFC is accepting Letters of Inquiry for Innovative Educational Programs on a rolling basis.

Thank you to the generous donors who make these CFFC funding opportunities possible. Learn more and apply on the “Grants” tab at www.cffayettepa.org, and call 724-437-8600 x203 with any questions.

CFFC Awards Over $22,000 in Spring 2021 Grants

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) awarded over $22,000 in Spring 2021 grants to nonprofits that address a variety of causes in Fayette County.

Building a Stronger Fayette General Grantmaking awards support Arts and Culture, Education, Community and Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and other areas of interest. The following nonprofits received grant awards:  Alternatives.Yes Pregnancy Support Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, Christian Layman Corps., East End United Community Center, German-Masontown Public Library, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Historic Church of St. Peter, Jacobs Creek Watershed Association, and Uniontown Public Library.

The Burchinal Family Endowment Fund supports nonprofits that provide health and medical care for Fayette County residents. Fayette Emergency Medical Service and Redstone Foundation, on behalf of McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Company, were awarded funding.

The Jack and Diane Hughes Family Fund supports projects/programs related to community gardens and/or science/environmental education. Albert Gallatin Human Services/Masontown Senior Center, City Mission- Living Stones, Inc., and Fayette County Community Action Agency, Inc. were awarded funding.

The Mary and John J. Depcrymski Memorial Fund supports nonprofits that provide transportation for Fayette County senior citizens. LaFayette Manor Inc. was awarded funding.

CFFC will also award $5,000 in Emergency Relief Fund grants to local health and human service organizations.

“As a community foundation, CFFC has a unique ability to address multiple categories of community need. We were happy to travel around the county to hand-deliver grant checks to nonprofits for this Spring 2021 grant cycle and hear about their projects and programs that impact Fayette County in a variety of ways,” said Renee Couser, CFFC Executive Director.

Grant Applications Available for the CFFC’s Emergency Relief Fund

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) is accepting grant applications for the Emergency Relief Fund. This fund was created in 2020 to provide grants to nonprofit organizations serving Fayette County, PA that were responding to the immediate needs of the community, due to COVID-19.

“Many nonprofits were in survival mode during the height of the pandemic, and there are still lasting effects and challenges. Thanks to the generosity of the Eberly Foundation, CFFC is offering another round of funding from the Emergency Relief Fund,” said Renee Couser, CFFC Executive Director.

To be eligible to apply, organizations must be classified as a 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1), 509(a)(2), 509(a)(3), or Unit of Government and either be located in Fayette County or provide services to Fayette County residents. Requests for funding must be due to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations may request up to $1,000. The application deadline is Monday, May 17, 2021.

Click here to apply!

In addition to the Emergency Relief Fund, the foundation also launched the CFFC Mask Initiative in 2020 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide disposable masks for organizations serving local communities. Organizations can submit masks requests online.

#BuildingAStrongerFayette: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region

Many people are familiar with the one-to-one mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Laurel Region branch provides those programs right here in Fayette County to help youth achieve their full potential. To support their local work, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region (BBBSLR) participated in Fayette Gives 2020 and placed in the top five charities for amount fundraised.

Click here to read their #BuildingAStrongerFayette feature to learn more!

BBBSLR Fayette Gives

EQT Foundation Donates to CFFC’s Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) received a $15,000 gift from the EQT Foundation for the Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment. This endowment was created in 2020 to support CFFC’s general grantmaking program.

The Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment is an important part of the CFFC’s annual competitive grantmaking, accepting grant requests from nonprofits for the following funding priorities: arts and culture; education; community and economic development; health and human services.

Left to right:  Renee Couser – CFFC Executive Director; Joy G. Huston – CFFC Grantmaking Committee Chair; Ellen Rossi – EQT Foundation President

The EQT Foundation’s generous donation to the Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment will have a direct impact on local nonprofits and, in turn, the Fayette County residents they serve. Established in 2003, the EQT Foundation is a dedicated resource for financial, in-kind, and volunteer support for communities touched by EQT’s business. They prioritize the following categories for their funding: community enrichment; education and workforce; environment.

“We value meaningful engagement with the communities where EQT operates. Fayette County is one of those important communities, so the EQT Foundation is happy to support the CFFC’s Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment,” said Ellen Rossi, President of the EQT Foundation.

The Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment will help Fayette County in a variety of ways for years to come. “This endowment was created to support our nonprofit community in perpetuity, and will award grants each year. The promise of lasting impact, and the CFFC’s ability to support a variety of causes, makes this a unique opportunity to continue ‘building a stronger Fayette’,” said Renee Couser, Executive Director of CFFC.

The entire community can help ‘build a stronger Fayette’ by making a donation to the Building a Stronger Fayette Endowment. Checks can be made payable to CFFC and mailed to 5 South Mt. Vernon Avenue, Uniontown, PA  15401. Please write BASF on the memo line. Online donations can also be made at www.cffayettepa.org. If you have any questions on how CFFC can assist you with your charitable giving, please call 724-437-8000 x1.

Meet the Grantmakers on March 31

The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC), in collaboration with Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania (GWPA), is presenting “Meet the Grantmakers” on Wednesday, March 31 from 11:00 a.m. to noon via Zoom. This panel discussion will feature foundation leaders with a demonstrated interest in funding Fayette County.
 
  • Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
    • Jim Denova, Vice President
  • EQT Corporation
    • Ellen Rossi, President EQT Foundation
  • The PNC Charitable Trusts
    • Emily Lewis, Officer and Project Manager
  • Staunton Farm Foundation
    • Joni S. Schwager, Executive Director
 
Attend this program to hear their reflections on their organizations’ funding priorities, guidelines, decision-making processes and how they go about partnering with nonprofits.
 
This event is free and open to any nonprofit organization. Register online here.