Foundation Announces Fourth Quarter Grants
Charleston, WV- At its December 9, 2015 meeting, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s Board of Trustees approved for funding seven grants in the 4th Quarter of 2015. There are 69 collaborative partners involved in the approved projects and the Foundation sees these collaborative efforts as the key to achieving TGKVF’s strategic goals.
Appalachian Reading Center- $55,541 (Education)
As a coalition, the Appalachian Reading Center and The Bridge of Mission WV will partner with Clay County Schools to provide outreach in Clay County. The coalition will identify and tutor dyslexic and reading deficient students within foster or kinship care; services will be provided at no charge to participants. Funds will help support training and stipends for tutors, materials for students and families, and scholarships for regional youth to attend the Appalachian Reading Center.
CADCO Foundation/ Charleston Area Alliance- $11,705 (Civic Engagement & Leadership)
Funds will support Leadership Kanawha Valley (LKV), a multi-disciplinary leadership identification, enrichment, and networking program in the Kanawha Valley dedicated to developing a robust pipeline of diverse civic leaders to serve the region.
Coalfield Development Corporation- $74,200 (Health)
Refresh Appalachia, a regional economic and workforce development initiative, will establish a sustainable training and development program to increase the success of beginning farmers in Lincoln County. By working with Step by Step, Unlimited Future, and Lincoln County Schools, the project will strengthen local food systems, increase access to healthy food, and aggregate and distribute produce to meet regional markets. Funding will support staffing, training, and building materials.
KEYS for Healthy Kids- $53,954 (Health)
This project will increase exposure of WV children in child care centers to edible gardens and outdoor natural learning environments. KEYS will work with 8 childcare centers to train them in the KEY 2 a Healthy Start program (a primary obesity prevention strategy in early care and education) and provide them with edible gardens. They will also provide 3 centers that are previous graduates of KEY 2 a Healthy Start with natural learning environments that will be open to the community. Funding will support staffing and materials as well as construction of the gardens and natural learning environments.
Regional Family Resource Network- $71,728 (Special Initiative)
This project partners with organizations in each of TGKVF’s six counties to meet the basic needs of families with babies. The assistance will be offered through a range of services, such as an intake process at each pantry that will assist families with unmet needs, provision of diapers and formula as needed, the obtainment of an official birth certificate as needed, and a family education component at each visit.
River City Youth Ballet- $39,750 (Special Initiative)
The partners for this collaborative project are the River City Youth Ballet, Appalachian Children’s Chorus, and the West Virginia Youth Symphony. Funding will assist with the production of “A World of Imagination” at the Clay Center which will showcase all three groups and serve student audiences from Boone, Clay, Fayette, Lincoln, Kanawha and Putnam counties. River City Youth Ballet and the West Virginia Youth Symphony will also offer classes at the Clendenin Middle School to children in the northern section of Kanawha and Clay counties who would like to take classes in ballet and violin.
Organizations Serving Those Experiencing Homelessness-$50,000 (Special Initiative)
Field of Interest funds designated to help those experiencing homelessness will be split between five organizations that service the homeless within TGKVF’s area. The organizations that will receive funding are YWCA Sojourners Shelter, Roark Sullivan Lifeway Center, Manna Meal, Daymark and Covenant House.
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s mission is to make thoughtful and proactive investments that grow the multiple forms of wealth necessary for our community to thrive. It serves a six county region that includes Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln and Putnam counties. The Foundation’s vision is a forward-thinking and closely connected community that fearlessly works together to promote the prosperity of all.
Total funding for the 4th Quarter of 2015 is: $356,878
