At its October 2025 meeting, Erie County Community Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded $134,074 in charitable grants to numerous Erie County nonprofits, schools and municipalities, according to a news release.

In total, Erie County Community Foundation distributed funds to 32 separate projects in this grant cycle, the release said.

Erie County Community Foundation’s Grants Committee, Board of Directors, and staff are proud to grant funds for these and other diverse projects intended to build community and address Erie County’s most pressing needs, according to the release.

Notable among these grants are several exciting projects intended to further Erie County’s social and economic impact, including: Main Street Vermilion; Kids Play Place at the Annual Vermilion Ice A Fair; Erie County Health Department, Erie County Age Well; The Salvation Army, Emergency Social Services and Homeless Prevention; Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, Erie County Food Distribution; Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sandusky, 43rd annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner; Sandusky Central Catholic Schools, Sandusky Central Catholic School K-5 Elementary STEM Exploration Day; among many others.

Erie County Community Foundation focuses its efforts on several priority areas, including: addressing workforce gaps and creating employment opportunities; removing barriers to transportation; addressing hunger and homelessness; providing high quality food for all; ensuring a healthy and vibrant Lake Erie, and improving public accessibility to it and its waterways; broadening access to mental health and addiction services; supporting seniors and their caregivers; and creating neighborhoods that thrive supporting Erie County’s children — from improving access to childcare to providing creative and experiential education opportunities.

Erie County Community Foundation offers two community grants rounds each year, with deadlines typically in February and August.

For organizations and individuals wishing to create a lasting impact in Erie County through charitable giving, Erie County Community Foundation will offer another round of grants next spring, with an application deadline of Feb. 1.

For complete application process information, visit https://www.eriefoundation.org/nonprofits or call 419-621-9690.

Round 2 grants cycle recipients

• American Red Cross North Central Ohio, Supporting Red Cross Blood Services in Erie County, including expanded health insights, $5,000

• Bayshore Counseling Services, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Training, $5,000

• Campbell Christian Community Center, Thrive: Mentorship, Meals, and Meaning for Teens, $5,000

• Care and Share Inc. of Erie County, Community Champions, $5,000

• Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo, Sandusky Furniture Ministry, $2,000

• Edison Birthplace Association, Sustained Growth through Fundraising Tools, $4,800

• Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Art in the Park, $5,000

• Erie County Economic Development Corp., Amended Housing Symposium Request, $10,000

• Erie County Health Department, Erie County Age Well, $3,541

• Erie County Historical Society, Jabez Wright/Huron Urban Renewal Ohio Historic Marker Replacement Project, $3,570

• Erie Residential Living Inc., ERLI Transportation Services, $5,000

• Erie Shore Network Inc., Health & Wellness Program, $2,000

• Erie Soil and Water Conservation District, Backyard Conservation Mini-Grant, $3,000

• Firelands Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Expense for the 2025-26 season, $4,000

• Hospice of the Western Reserve, Stein Hospice, Hospice of the Western Reserve Navigator Program, $8,000

• Kidney Foundation of Ohio, Transportation Assistance Program, $2,500

• Kiwanis Club of Sandusky, Imagination Library of Erie County, $2,000

• Lake Erie Council, Scouting America, Recruitment, $4,000

• Law Enforcement Foundation, LEF Police Training Programs, $2,500

• LifeAct, 2025-2026 Suicide Prevention Classroom Programs for Erie County Youth, $5,000

• Main Street Vermilion, Kids Play Place at the annual Vermilion Ice A Fair, $2,500

• Merry Go Round Museum, Gas Heating Boiler Replacement, $10,000

• OHgo, Project Happy, $5,000

• OhioGuidestone, Erie County Mobile Crisis & Stabilization First Year Support, $10,000

• Perkins Local School District, Perkins Youth Theater, $4,000

• Ritter Public Library, Read for 20 Literacy Initiative, $5,000

• Road to Hope Inc., General Operations, $7,000

• The Salvation Army, Emergency Social Services and Homeless Prevention, $10,000

• Sandusky Central Catholic Schools, Sandusky Central Catholic School K-5 Elementary STEM Exploration Day, $1,200

• Sandusky Christmas Market Foundation, Additional Kiosk for Vendor Participation, $5,000

• Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, Erie County Food Distribution, $10,000

• Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sandusky, 43rd Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, $2,000