ProtectingStark'sFuture

Stark Community Foundation’s Protecting Stark’s Future initiative supports collaborative community-based solutions to reduce child poverty at the neighborhood level.

Stark Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Stark County, in partnership with the Center for Community Solutions, released Protecting Stark’s Future: A Call to Coordinate Child Poverty Strategies in late 2020. Rooted in research, the report outlines why Stark County stakeholders need to intentionally work together to collaborate and coordinate efforts and target resources to reduce child poverty.

As we drilled down into our community’s data, it became apparent that every issue of concern was related to poverty. In particular, the high child poverty rates in our community demand our increased and continued attention.

Read and download Protecting Stark's Future

Apply

In partnership with United Way of Greater Stark County, the Foundation’s Protecting Stark’s Future initiative supports collaborative community-based solutions to reduce child poverty at the neighborhood level.

Through a request for proposals (RFP) process, we hope to continue to solicit the best ideas from organizations that partner together on imaginative solutions to address child poverty at the neighborhood level.

Eligibility Requirements

• Tax-exempt private agencies, 501(c)(3) organizations (that are recognized as public charities) and government entities located within Stark County or directly benefiting Stark County are eligible to apply.
• Proposals must consider at least one recommendation from the 2020 study, focus on one (or more) specific neighborhood and embrace multiple community partners.

Grant Amount

Up to $15,000 for one-year planning or pilot projects
Up to $100,000 for one-to-three-year implementation projects

View the 2025 Protecting Stark’s Future RFP

Important Dates

RFP Released: November 15, 2024
Application Opens: December 16, 2024
Application Deadline: January 17, 2025
Award Date: March 2025

Grant applicants will be notified by mail of the Board’s decision.

Application Instructions

Only online applications will be accepted. Apply online through Stark Community Foundation’s Grant Portal.

Evaluation Report

Organizations receiving grant funding from the Protecting Stark's Future initiative are required to complete an evaluative report at the end of the grant period, which includes a written narrative on the impact of the grant and financial details of how the grant funds were spent. Failure to submit a final report will impact the organization's ability to secure future funding from Stark Community Foundation.

Recent Grants

2023 Grants
2022 Grants
2021 Grants

Resources

2023 Stark County Community Assessment
2023 Community Assessment Webinar and Webinar Slides
Stark County 2022 Data Webinar and Webinar Slides
2022 Digital Whiteboard
Protecting Stark’s Future Report
Protecting Stark’s Future Webinar

Questions?

For more information, contact Amy Krebs, vice president of grants and community initiatives, at 234-458-2912 or akrebs@starkcf.org.

Give

Donate to Stark Community Foundation's Protecting Stark's Future initiative to fight childhood poverty in our community.