Grants now available through the McKean Co. Commissioner-Community Foundation Partnership

Grants to enhance the lives of the residents of McKean County and its surrounding communities are now available through the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) and the McKean County Board of Commissioners partnership. The Commissioners will provide funding from the dollars they received through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Grants will be administered through the McKean County Community Foundation. This grant cycle will offer more opportunities for our local nonprofits to support their programs and projects. The grant requests must seek to support projects that will impact McKean County residents by meeting the needs of the community rather than the needs of individuals. Projects can expand or enhance current programs or fund new programs. All programs and projects must have a solid plan for sustainability.

Applications are now available on the Community Foundation website at www.mckeancountyfoundation.org to any county-wide 501 (c) 3 nonprofits, as well as faith-based organizations that provide services to the public in McKean County and surrounding communities. The grant application deadline is September 15. The maximum grant award for each organization is $10,000. If you have questions, contact the Community Foundation.

The McKean County Community Foundation provides the administrative and investment management services that make it easy for donors to accomplish their charitable wishes, while improving the quality of life in our communities. The Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies is the parent company of the Elk County Community Foundation and the McKean County Community Foundation. For more information, please contact the Community Foundation at 844-238-2289.

MCCF launches new online scholarship application program

A new online portal will be utilized this year by students who apply for scholarships at the McKean County Community Foundation.

There will be something new in ’22 for students who apply for scholarships at the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF). MCCF is excited to announce that a new Foundant Technologies online application process will be launched on January 15 for the 2022 scholarship award cycle. This online process will streamline the process for students, school counselors, and the Foundation staff.

Students will create an account on the online portal where they will take an eligibility quiz that will automatically match them to all the scholarships that are available to them based on the criteria they enter.  Each student will then fill out their applications online. Students can easily upload letters of reference and transcripts to their applications. Applications can be saved and worked on at a later date, and students can track the status of each application. The new program will keep applicants on track with their scholarship reporting requirements with automated email reminders and online reporting forms.

Students are encouraged to explore the wide variety of scholarships available by going to the Foundation’s website at www.mckeancountyfoundation.org. Under “Information for Students” they can view detailed information on scholarships for both graduating seniors and non-traditional students. When they are ready to apply, they can click on any of the “Click here to apply” buttons to be directed to the Foundant application portal.

In 2021 the McKean County Community Foundation awarded $33,200 in scholarships to 48 high school seniors and non-traditional students. This new online program will enable the Foundation to continue to offer a streamlined, well-organized and efficient scholarship process as the program continues to grow. For more information, contact the Foundation at 844-238-2289.

MCCF is a non-profit grant-making organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in our geographic area by partnering with philanthropic donors to help them meet their charitable goals.

MCCF awards COVID-19 Assistance Fund Grants totaling $33,530

The second round of grants from the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) COVID-19 Assistance Fund was recently distributed.  Representatives from the MCCF visited all of the recipients in the past few weeks to distribute a total of $33,530 to sixteen local nonprofit agencies.

Recipients of the awards were diverse and had a variety of needs due to COVID related issues.  Some of the common requests included issues due to lack of fund raising ability, low enrollment, increase request for services and the need to purchase the personal protection supplies required to allow their agencies to safely provide their programs and services to the public. 

There were five public libraries, three preschools/learning centers, five human services programs along with the Smethport Volunteer Fire Department, the Bradford Township Community Club associated with the Local Lions Club and Eldred World War II Museum. The preschool/learning centers included Kane Day School, Wesley Preschool and Bradford YMCA Learning Lab & Child Care.  Those human Services programs included Beacon Light Residential Treatment Facility, Big Brothers Big Sister, Community Links, Beacon Light Behavioral Health, and CARE for Children. The Library that received awards grants were: Bradford Area Public Library, Hamlin Memorial Library, Friends Library of Kane, S.W. Smith Memorial Public Library and Mt Jewett Memorial Library.

In response to the ongoing pandemic, the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) established the COVID-19 Assistance Fund in the spring of 2020. The first round of grants was given last fall totaling $13,500. With this current grant cycle a total of $47,030 has been awarded and is helping our local community.  This outbreak has been impacting the community in many ways and with the uncertainty of where it ends, MCCF hopes to continue to provide help throughout the county but is in need of more funding.

The COVID-19 Assistance Fund has been made up of public donations. MCCF invites donors to join in this effort. By pooling funds, MCCF can collectively support our community nonprofits and make a bigger impact on their needs. The McKean County Community Foundation will waive administrative fees on all donations and will distribute 100% of all donations to those agencies in need by an open grant process.

Donations to this fund can be mailed to the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 708, Bradford, PA, 16701, with check made payable to the MCCF – COVID-19 Assistance Fund. Online donations will also be accepted through the website at www.mckeancountyfoundation.org, using the Donate Now link on the home page. When making your donation, please indicate the COVID-19 Assistance Fund as the fund name.

Women’s Giving Circle awards $7,000 in grants to area non-profits

Accepting grants from Women’s Giving Circle on behalf of their organizations were Susie Meyer-Page of CASA of McKean County, Ronda Skokin and Tonia Hartzell of Mattresses Across McKean County, and Vanessa Castano from YWCA. Unavailable for photo was Care for Children that also received a grant.

The Women’s Giving Circle (WGC), a project of the McKean County Community Foundation, held its first in-person annual granting meeting on November 10, awarding $7,000 in grants to four area non-profit organizations. WGC, a philanthropic giving circle, was founded in 2019 by a group of charitable-minded women who cared about improving the quality of life in McKean County for their families and friends

The 2021 annual meeting, held at the Eldred WW2 Museum, was attended by WGC members and their guests who greatly enjoyed an evening of socialization, refreshments from Eddie’s on Main and The Winery at Wilcox, and education, including a wonderful presentation by Steve Appleby of the WW2 museum.

The highlight of the evening was a presentation by each of the eight grant applicants with a brief description of the project their grant would be funding. WGC members then voted on their favorite projects and awarded a total of $7,000 in grants to four non-profit organizations. All eight grant applicants were seeking funding for exceptional programs. It is the goal of WGC to continue to increase their membership and grow their ability to assist more non-profit organizations in McKean County.

YWCA received a $2,000 grant for their housing and employment services program, Mattresses Across McKean County was awarded $2,000 to provide mattresses to those in need, CASA of McKean County received $2,000 for recruitment and training of additional volunteers, and Care for Children was awarded a $1,000 grant for their Cribs for Kids program and sleep education for parents.

WGC is open to all area women who are interested in addressing and supporting issues that are important to women. Each member makes an annual charitable donation of at least $100. The donations are pooled together to make an impact in McKean County by awarding grants to non-profits. WGC is both a philanthropic and a social organization that strengthens the concept of women working together to fund change and create a better way of living in their communities.

Women can learn more or join Women’s Giving Circle by visiting the McKean County Community Foundation website at www.mckeancountyfoundation.org, or calling the Foundation at 1-844-238-2289.