Washington County, OH — It takes a village to raise a child. That adage has never rang more true than it does today as three organizations and six individual donors combine funding to surprise Ely Chapman Education Foundation (ECEF) with $47,000 in support.

Since 1999, Ely Chapman Education Foundation has provided a safe and enriching environment for the youth of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Staple offerings of the center include; SUNSHINE Learning Station and afterschool tutoring program, Sensational Summer Camp, and Living Rivers Café. Most importantly, the center offers a safe haven where children are respected, encouraged, and protected.

Local resident and Bernard McDonough Foundation Board member, Dale Knight, with his wife Courtney Knight, approached The Bernard McDonough Foundation with the intent of donating $20,000 to ECEF, but the good-willed support didn’t stop there. The Bernard McDonough Foundation matched the Knights’ gift with $10,000 and then secured an additional $5,000 from Peoples Bank Foundation and $12,000 from Marietta Community Foundation.

“This is a prime example of shared philanthropy. The idea that working together, we can make a larger impact on community needs,” said Heather Allender, President & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation.

Through their Fall Grant Cycle, Marietta Community Foundation discovered ECEF’s need for funding to offer scholarships for at-risk students. “We don't want to lose the progress we've made with these at-risk students. At Ely Chapman, they thrive and make measurable steps towards their educational and personal goals,” said Lori Ullmann, ECEF’s Executive Director.

As a result, $30,000 of this donation will go directly to student support, providing scholarship assistance to at-risk students. The remaining portion may be used for general operating expenses, allowing the center to focus on what they do best, educating our future leaders.

Marietta Community Foundation supports philanthropy and efforts to improve natural, human and civic resources in Washington County through grants and initiatives. Founded in 1974, Marietta Community Foundation has grown to approximately $42.6 million in assets, oversees more than 300 funds and has distributed more than $22 million to charities while meeting rigorous national standards for operational quality, donor service, and accountability in the community foundation sector.