RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Community Foundation of Greene County
For the past seven years, the Community Foundation of Greene County has been generously assisting the needs of its county in the areas of arts and culture, economic development, education, the environment, health, human services, recreation and religion.
And greater things are yet to come.
It all started in 2000 when the residents of Greene County made a commitment to invest in their community and their future when they formed the Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC), which was initially supported by seed grants from R.K. Mellon Foundation, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and a third foundation which wished to remain anonymous.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
The Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of life in Greene County by attracting, managing and distributing charitable resources. The Foundation is the central philanthropic vehicle in the country, accepting donations of various types and sizes.
Bettie Stammerjohn, executive director of CFGC, said one of the most exciting recent projects that is a direct outcome of the Community Foundation is the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Project.
"As an approved EITC Pre-K Scholarship organization, CFGC receives contributions from local corporations to provide scholarships so that children ages 3-5 can attend qualified pre-kindergarten programs. The scholarships help pay for tuition costs, so even middle income families can afford to send their children to preschool," said Stammerjohn.
The income eligibility for the program is $60,000 for a family with one child, and that eligibility increases by $10,000 for each dependent child in the family.
"This is the first year we have been able to award the Pre-K scholarships," said Stammerjohn. "We have awarded more than $30,000 to 45 families."
Scholarships have been awarded to families whose children attend All Saints, Building Blocks, Calvary Chapel Christian School Pre-K, Christian Sandbox, Growing Up Greene, LaLa's, Nanny's Creative Learning Center, Open Door Christian Pre-Kindergarten, and Rainbow's End .
"The Pre-K program has helped parents offset the cost of sending their child to a pre-kindergarten program and it helps encourage families who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford early childhood education, opportunities to help their child be ready for school," said Stammerjohn. "Studies show that children attending pre-kindergarten programs make a better transition to kindergarten and first grade."
On average, CFCG receives about $280,000 donations per year, but Stammerjohn hopes that amount will increase in order to continue adding new, permanently endowed funds. In 2007, CFCG's assets grew to more than $2 million dollars, allowing the Foundation to distribute nearly $200,000 in grants and scholarships to local organizations.
