Everyone Can be a Champion 

Reflecting on our recent Annual Meeting, I am reminded what a fantastic, hard-working, and giving community Lorain County is. Over the past year, we have been proud to work together as a community to serve all 34 municipalities in Lorain County. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors, who have allowed us to give back to the community in significant ways. This generosity has helped us award $6.2M in grants and scholarships in 2022 that supported organizations and individuals positively impacting Lorain County.  

We also shared our recently completed strategic plan. These goals included prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in all external and internal activities and relationships; continuing to cultivate a culture of giving in Lorain County; nurturing Lorain County through innovative and responsive grant making, scholarships, and collaboration; growing organizational capacity and leadership and ensuring our financial health and sustainability. If you share our vision of a thriving and resilient Lorain County, here are some of the ways you can join us in making a difference: 

• Support our Youth Fund – The Youth Fund comprises 8th through 12th graders from across Lorain County who gain valuable insights into philanthropy, community engagement, and the power of giving back. This fund was the vision of past Board Chair Benjamin Norton, and we recommend these gifts in honor of his wife, Jane Norton, who passed away earlier this year. 
• Support our Emergency Response Fund for Scholarship Recipients – This fund provides urgent emergency assistance to the Community Foundation of Lorain County scholarship recipients. Sometimes students have unforeseen challenges our typical scholarships cannot cover, like a broken-down car, housing emergencies, eyeglasses needing replacement, or other financial hardships. This fund allows urgent emergency assistance of up to $500 to be provided directly to the student with the submission of appropriate documentation. 
• Join our 25 current Business Champions in funding our Connect to a Cause match/bonus pool – While Connect to a Cause is not until September 21, 2023. Even if you are not a business, 100% of your contribution in June will empower ALL the 94 participating non-profits through Connect to Cause prorated donation bonuses. Historically, an additional 15% of the funding has been allocated to each Connect to a Cause participating organization’s fundraising total. 

Last month we discussed how charitable giving and philanthropy are often associated with the 5 T’s of engagement: time, treasure, talent, ties, and testimony. While the donor may view their T’s as how they are making an impact, to the recipients of that generosity from the donor is so much more. The donor is a Champion who has helped to create the resources that may be needed most to help that recipient. We hope you will consider being one of the Champions who will support these wonderful opportunities to connect people who care with causes that matter. 

Please visit our  Donor Learning Portal for more information about ways to give. You can also download a FREE copy of our Estate Planning Guide to help explain the estate planning process by breaking it into smaller, more manageable pieces.