For Immediate Release: Feb. 3, 2022
Contact: Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (740) 753-1111
Grants Offered to Strengthen Youth Resiliency in Appalachian Ohio
(Nelsonville, OH) – The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville (OHFN), in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), is announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) opportunity intended to address the social, economic, educational and health challenges faced by young people in Appalachian Ohio.
Given the critical role of childhood development on lifelong wellbeing, OHFN and FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund are inviting proposals that support nonprofit and public organizations that are building resilience and increasing protective factors for youth in our region.
“Through the I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund’s inaugural partnership with OHFN, we were able to fund 19 visionary projects that positively impacted the youth in our communities,” said Cara Dingus Brook, FAO president and CEO. “We are excited about supporting organizations again this year and the difference they will make in Appalachian Ohio.”
Funding available through the RFP will emphasize support for young people during out-of-school time to increase access to broader social support systems and resources. FAO and OHFN also will support capacity-building as part of the overall request to help organizations best meet the needs of those they serve by expanding services, enhancing program quality and/or improving operational efficiencies.
“Investing in the region’s young people and the skills that will help them now and far into the future is vital to the health of our communities,” said Megan Wanczyk, director of programs with OHFN. “We’re looking forward to partnering with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio again to support the work of youth-serving organizations that are working with such commitment in the region.”
As FAO and OHFN work to strengthen Appalachian Ohio’s communities, investing in the health, wellbeing and opportunities available to our region’s young people is a key priority.
Up to $380,000 is available through this funding opportunity, with grant awards anticipated to range from $5,000 to $30,000 per organization. Applications must be submitted by March 16, 2022, and are available at www.AppalachianOhio.org/ YouthResiliency. Proposals should reflect the resources needed to implement the project effectively and alignment with the intent of the RFP. Applicants are encouraged to include capacity building for their program or organization in their requests.
Nonprofit and public organizations in any of the 32 Appalachian Ohio counties are eligible to apply. The 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio include Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton and Washington counties. OHFN priority counties for this funding opportunity include Athens, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Morgan, Perry and Vinton.
Applications are due March 16, 2022, and funding decisions will be announced in April. More information is available at www.AppalachianOhio.org/YouthResiliency. For any questions, contact FAO at 740.753.1111.
Learn about the history of this partnership to support Appalachian Ohio’s young people through a recent Impact Story.
###
Foundation for Appalachian Ohio: The mission of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is to create opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy.
Osteopathic Heritage Foundations: The mission of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville is to improve the health and quality of life in the community through education, research and service consistent with our osteopathic heritage.