Grants In Action: Responding To Our First Responders

Photo Credit: Jake Heike, via unsplash.com

Washington County, OH – As volunteer fire departments throughout the county have lost revenue from in-person events and fundraisers, Marietta Community Foundation leveraged their 2020 Fall Grant Cycle to serve those who serve the community.

“This was an exciting development,” said Heather Allender, President & CEO of the Foundation. “We knew the need for our first responders was great, but we did not anticipate how much COVID-19 had affected their operations. Luckily, we were able to step in and assist them.”

Departments throughout Washington County responded, but this response was not to a scene of an accident, but rather an opportunity to allow the Foundation to serve their needs.

“We had requests for equipment, operational support, maintenance, and many other requests,” said Allender. “Needless to say, the needs our departments face are vast, but we were able to close the gap and help them stand on stable ground.”

Of the 27 applications the Foundation received, seven of them were from volunteer fire departments; the most the Foundation has ever received in a single grant cycle.

“With the cancellation of our Ice Cream Social and other fundraising events, our budget was not capable of such purchases at this time,” said Galen Cox, President of Barlow VFD. “Marietta Community Foundation is a great community support system that allows our community to fund needed projects, otherwise difficult or impossible.”

One volunteer fire department withdrew their application late in the cycle because their project would be fully-funded through the CARES Act. The others were fulfilled through a combination of the Foundation’s Community Impact Funds, COVID-19 Relief Funds, and individual donor support.

“Along with the financial struggles following the shutdown due to COVID-19, the Belpre VFD was cut off from our friends and family in our community,” said Shayla Greathouse, President of Belpre VFD, Inc. “With this grant, we have high hopes of not only getting back on our feet but also reconnecting with our community as a whole.”

“Each cycle we share the applications and any information we gather with our donors who have funds with us,” said Allender. “This is a great opportunity for our serious philanthropists to stay engaged with the current projects in the area… combined with our Community Impact Fund, we can normally grant over $100,000 each grant cycle.”

“Washington County first responders put their safety and lives on the line for individuals in our communities daily,” commented the Halliday family, donors who contributed to all 19 first responder departments in Washington County, through their Donor Advised Fund at the Foundation. “We believe that our support for them is a moral imperative and particularly so when the traditional fundraising methods of the various departments have been curtailed by the current Covid crisis.”

Although this was the highest amount of first responders the Foundation had in a single-cycle, it is not the first time they have supported local departments. Last year the Foundation granted Salem Township Volunteer Fire Department the funds to purchase an automatic CPR machine and helped the Marietta Fire Department update their training facility.

The Foundation wants all departments throughout Washington County to know that they are a resource for them and the communities they serve.

“Although our name is ‘Marietta Community Foundation,’ we serve all of Washington County,” said Allender. “We want to help support and establish relationships with all of our 501(c)3 nonprofits who serve our citizens!”

The Marietta Community Foundation meets National Standards for operational quality, donor service, and accountability in the community foundation sector. Founded in 1974, the Marietta Community Foundation has grown over the years thanks to a number of generous gifts.

If you feel inspired to engage in local philanthropy by establishing a fund of your own, please call Heather Allender at 740-373-3286 or contact her by email at heather@mcfohio.org.