The Wayne County Foundation has announced $259,350 in grants to area organizations that strengthen the community and enhance the quality of life for residents.
According to a news release, eight organizations received a share of the funds in its Grant Cycle II:
- Birth to Five, $25,020 to provide staff training
- Bridges for Life, $25,000 to support weekly free community meals and related services
- Girls Inc. of Wayne County, $50,000 to make upgrades to facilities and technology
- Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Inc., $50,000 to support hunger relief efforts including mobile and school-based food pantries
- Hand-in-Hand Adult Day Care, $30,000 to provide transportation for program participants
- Historic Centerville Inc., $39,330 to update and repair its building and log cabin
- Junior Achievement of Eastern Indiana, $15,000 for curriculum access and program kits that improve career readiness and financial literacy
- Whitewater Valley Pro Bono Commission, $25,000 to fund a part-time staff attorney
“Our second cycle under the new guidelines brought in a high number of quality proposals for impactful local projects,” said Brian Schleeper, the foundation’s director of nonprofit engagement, in the release. “Together with Cycle I, we’ll award more than $550,000 in 2025, and we look forward to seeing the impact these organizations will have on our community.”
Wayne County Foundation also awarded a delayed grant of $17,000 to HELP The Animals Inc. for facility and electrical system upgrades, the release said. The foundation’s “rapid response” grant program, which supports unplanned or smaller projects that require immediate funding, awarded $4,400 to Richmond Friends School to conduct a feasibility study for their childcare expansion, and $5,600 to Nettle Creek School Corporation, funded by the Hagerstown Hometown Fund, to enhance reading comprehension for K-3 students.
The Wayne County Foundation, founded in 1979, fosters and encourages philanthropic giving in Wayne County. It uses donations to the funds it manages to facilitate grants to area organizations as well as student scholarships, and provides resources to nonprofits.
For more information, visit WayneCountyFoundation.org.
A version of this article appeared in the November 5 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.