A letter from our co-chairs: Adjusting to the new normal

We all are experiencing and coping with the new normal related to living with COVID-19 in our lives and communities. COVID-19 continues to impact the work of the Medina County Community Fund and those service providers we fund annually.  

Earlier this year, our grants committee reviewed over 100 funding requests from Medina County nonprofits service providers for funding various on-going support services and operations.  The Medina County Community Fund 2020 grant process awarded $45,700 to 15 Medina County nonprofit organizations.  This year’s round of grants represents the largest amount awarded in a single year by the fund, bringing its cumulative grant making total to more than $600,000. 

This funding included an impact grant of $13,060 to the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits of  Akron Community Foundation to rapidly provide flexible resources to area nonprofit organizations that are working on the front lines of educating, engaging and supporting individuals impacted by COVID-19, including Medina County service providers.  The Community Response Fund for Nonprofits has rapidly granted more than $450,000 to community-based organizations, including $33,000 to Medina-specific nonprofits such as Cathy’s House, the Lodi Family Center, Medina Creative Housing, Operation Homes, Project: LEARN of Medina County, and Recovery Center of Medina County.

Due to recommendations to limit the spread of COVID-19, we cancelled our 2020 Spring into Summer event. During this annual meeting, our grantees are presented with their grant request checks and we learn about their vital services and programs. We look forward to holding this annual event in the future along with many opportunities for in-person events.    

What is next for Medina County Community Fund?  With your consideration to make individual, family or legacy gift donations to the Medina County Community Fund, we can grow our permanent fund balance. Our current permanent fund balance is nearly $900,000 which creates investment income for annual grant making. Your donations can be structured to reflect your special interest areas of need or go towards our annual grant review of the most needed funding in Medina County.  Your donations and gifts can come from many sources – cash, stock, life insurance, deferred taxes and many others.  We would like to speak with you and review how you can create lasting impact in improving the lives of Medina County residents forever.

We will come out of this health crisis by working together and taking care of each other.  It is what the Medina County Community Fund has done for the past 26 years and will continue to provide funding to  Medina County service providers annually who support our most in need across our county.  Your gifts can make a difference in growing our fund and our annual grant awards which is serving the greatness of our county and all who live here.  

We look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have regarding how you can create your legacy of supporting Medina County residents.

Sincerely,

Brian Gale & Bill Heck
Co-Chairs
Medina County Community Fund