FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gordon Wean – 330-394-5600
March 2, 2011
The Raymond John Wean Foundation Continues Capacity Building Campaign
Education, youth service organizations and community organizing initiatives earn funding
The board of the Raymond John Wean Foundation Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to help build the capacity of important service and educational organizations in the Mahoning Valley with a new round of grants totaling $795,000.
At its quarterly meeting, directors of the Warren-based foundation awarded its single largest grant, $500,000, to The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative – a three-year-old organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for people in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
MVOC has already achieved significant results, including groundbreaking work with vacant properties, improvements with the availability of fresh food in certain neighborhoods and the development of leaders who can advocate for change.
Gordon Wean, board chair of The Raymond John Wean Foundation, said MVOC has been a positive force for the Mahoning Valley. “In its three short years of existence, MVOC has already become a key agent of positive change in our community, and The Raymond John Wean Foundation is honored to have been able to help create it and to continue to support it,” Wean said.
The Raymond John Wean Foundation, funded by the family which operated the former Wean United Inc., is deeply committed to supporting organizations which help improve the quality of life for residents of the Mahoning Valley. Wean said he believes it is appropriate that funds stay in the community.
“The family members of the people living in the Mahoning Valley are those who helped build Wean United, and their hard work was an important reason the Wean Foundation exists today,” Wean said. “Therefore, we believe in the importance of giving back to the local community.”
Wean said the foundation, in the final stages of its search for a new president, has identified key priorities, including neighborhood quality of life and early childhood education.
The board of the organization distributes funds four times per year based on a competitive grant evaluation process where organizations submit proposals for consideration.
The Raymond John Wean Foundation has awarded $150,000 to the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership for its vacant property and citywide beautification and land reutilization programs. The Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, launched in 2009, collaborates with the City of Warren and MVOC to increase neighborhood reinvestment throughout Warren.
The Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership will work with numerous existing residential associations, the City of Warren, the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department, the Warren City Schools and others to help clean up vacant properties. The group’s goal is to address 100 vacant properties and enlist the support of 500 volunteers.
Its beautification project seeks to create or revitalize three to five community gardens and to sponsor a mural competition that will result in the creation and public display of three large pieces of artwork throughout Warren.
Wean said the work of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership represents a key goal for The Raymond John Wean Foundation. “We believe that successful organizations must involve residents, government officials, decision-makers and all stakeholders working together for a common goal – improved quality of life,” he said. “The Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has already been able to create enthusiasm and optimism about new possibilities for Warren.”
In addition to its grants which seek to improve quality of life for Mahoning Valley residents, The Raymond John Wean Foundation is also interested in improved educational outcomes and has been supporting key educational initiatives, including a $50,000 grant to the Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership for Education.
The Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership, a group of educators, business executives and civic and non-profit leaders, seeks to improve the quality of area education and to increase area students’ performances on college-board tests.
The new funding from The Raymond John Wean Foundation will allow the Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership to continue strategic planning, to track results of its various initiatives and to expand ACT courses in schools.
The board of The Raymond John Wean Foundation also awarded grants to the YWCA of Warren, the Center for Community Solutions, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio and the Organizaction Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana. A full list of grants and descriptions can be found on The Raymond John Wean Foundation’s website, www.rjweanfdn.org.
In addition to its larger grants, The Raymond John Wean Foundation also supports neighborhood-based groups with grants of up to $5,000. The Neighborhood SUCCESS program is interested in helping the work of residents who are seeking to make meaningful improvements in the quality of life for their neighbors. Neighborhood SUCCESS grants have been used for such purposes as to buy lawn equipment to care for abandoned properties, to plant trees and to operate food or clothing giveaways for those in need. The deadline for application submission is March 15. The application may be obtained from the Foundation’s website.