Six Island Organizations Receive Ottawa County Community Foundation Grants

Six island organizations were among the recipients of community grants recently awarded by the Ottawa County Community Foundation during its annual awards presentation.

The foundation announced that it awarded more than $138,000 in grants and special awards to 37 nonprofit organizations throughout Ottawa County. Among the recipients were six organizations serving Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass Island, Gibraltar Island, and the Lake Erie Islands region.

Island organizations receiving funding included:

• Friends of Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial (The Perry Group), which received funding to sustain and strengthen educational and commemorative efforts.
• Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory, which received funding to support field trips for Ottawa County schools.
• Lake Erie Islands Conservancy, which received funding for agricultural building rehabilitation and historic signage projects at the Duff Homestead and Bayfront Preserve.
• Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center, which received funding to help cover the cost of a student intern assisting with environmental education programs.
• Middle Bass Island Historical Society, which received funding to purchase software and equipment to better manage and preserve historical artifacts and local history collections.
• Put-in-Bay Community Swim & Sail, which received funding to purchase a youth safety boat and trailer to support water safety programming.

Representatives from the island organizations attended the Ottawa County Community Foundation’s annual grant awards breakfast in June.

“A good morning for the islands at the recent Ottawa County Community Foundation grant breakfast,” the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy wrote in a social media post following the event. “We are grateful for the support.”

According to the Ottawa County Community Foundation, the Community Grants Program is funded through earnings from several unrestricted community funds, donor-advised funds, and private donations. The program supports nonprofit organizations working to improve quality of life throughout Ottawa County.

The Ottawa County Community Foundation was established in 1999 and currently administers more than 100 donor-established funds totaling approximately $13 million in assets. Since its founding, the foundation has distributed more than $8.5 million in grants and scholarships across Ottawa County.

Photo courtesy of the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy.