$426,322.46 was raised on May 5 during the Amazing Raise Ohio Valley for participating area nonprofits. The successful event was hosted by CFOV for the second year. There were 98 participating organizations that benefited from the event. CFOV wishes to thank our sponsors, donors and participating nonprofit organizations for helping to make this day a success.

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Organizations raising funds in excess of $10,000 are:

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Sponsors for the Amazing Raise helped to amplify each donation given by contributing to a bonus pool of funds which is proportionately divided among the participating organizations. Sponsors for the Amazing were:

The Women's Giving Circle held their quarterly meeting on April 23 at the YWCA in Wheeling. Approximately 50 women attended the meeting and heard about the history of the Giving Circle, grants previously made, the Giving Circle's participation in the Amazing Raise and took a tour of the YWCA to see the recent renovations. The Women's Giving Circle also held a meeting on May 15 for nonprofit organizations who serve women and girls to learn about previous projects funded and what has made several of the grant applications successful. The mission of the Women's Giving Circle is "To build a community of philanthropists and create a permanent legacy to address the unmet needs of women and girls in the Upper Ohio Valley of West Virginia and Ohio". The WGC will meet again on July 16. For more information on the July 16 meeting, please contact CFOV at 304-242-3144. 

The Distribution Committee for CFOV met in April to vote on grants submitted for the Community Impact Fund grant cycle for 2015-2016. The following grants were approved:

Augusta Levy Learning Center-$4,423 for equipment for a snoezelen room project to give the children of Augusta Levy Learning Center a place where they can learn to regulate their senses in an either soothing or stimulating environment, in order to reach their maximum potential.

Belco Works -$1,830 for development technology to be used for public relations focusing on the area of job creation and addressing barriers to employment, specifically employment for those with developmental disabilities.

Blue & Gold Christian Center -$3,652 for the purchase of two gas ranges to continue preparing meals for children attending free afterschool care.

Change, Inc -$5,000 to expand its facility to accommodate additional providers to meet the needs of an increase in patients.

City of Steubenville -$500 for an edible schoolyard project at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center. Local students will learn how to garden, where their food comes from, how to use worms for composting and use the items grown in the gardens to prepare healthy snacks and meals as part of the program.

City of Wheeling/Arts Commission -$3,000 towards the expenses of offering free art classes during The Wheeling Arts Fest. These free hands-on children's and adult art classes promote children's art and music education and exploration of the arts within the community. The workshops this year will include activities by Grow Ohio Valley to demonstrate sustainable lifestyles and art through gardening activities, creating art from recyclables, painting, clay work, and music & movement.

Crittenton Foundation -$6,000 for staff training in the Teen Matrix Substance Abuse treatment curriculum. The training will be utilized by therapeutic staff in Crittenton residential program and the Wellspring Family Services out-patient, community-based program.

Gabriel Project -$4,133 towards Project Safe Nest in the Northern Panhandle. Project Safe Nest is a concentrated effort to provide the basic necessities of cribs and car seats to low-income families with young children in Brooke, Ohio and Wetzel Counties. Project Safe Nest will also increase parenting skills to help infants thrive and flourish.

House of the Carpenter -$1,500 towards Relatives as Parents Program. Relatives as Parents program assists grandparents and other relatives who find themselves as primary caregivers for children. The program provides support and information to help both the relatives and the children adjust to the situation. Adult participants will learn about available local resources, legal issues and other topics.

Junior League of Wheeling, Inc. -$7,500 towards the revitalization of The Janie S. Altmeyer Playground at Heritage Port.

Labelle Neighbors Who Care, Inc. -$3,700 for Historic Black College and University Tour and a Summer Youth Program. The college tours will enable "at-risk" students a chance to visit nine college campuses at an affordable cost. The Summer Youth Program is a quality summer program for lower income children to attend at no cost and it promotes education, community awareness and cultural consciousness.

Marshall County Girl Scouts -$500 towards the summer day camp program. The summer camp is open to all area young girls in grades K-12. The girls get opportunities that they normally wouldn't get to do such as camping out in tents for two nights, hiking, swimming, earning badges, speakers, campfires and sing-a-longs.

Marshall County Family Resource Network -$2,500 towards expenses for the Carolyn Dalzell Closet of Hope. The Carolyn Dalzell Closet of Hope is an initiative that utilizes partnerships to make necessities accessible to individuals and organizations having difficulty obtaining them.

Oglebay Institute -$3,040 for a Dance Movement for Fitness Program for residents of Crittenton Services, Inc. This is a beginner-level dance class developed for the resident girls at Crittenton Services, Inc. The program encourages the girls to express themselves creatively through the arts to develop confidence and self-worth, along with a sense of responsibility and discipline.

St. Clairsville Public Library -$1,380 towards expenses for Job Seekers Program Series. Attendees of the Job Seekers Program Series will benefit from a combination of experts in the field and immersive training to gain such skills as creating cover letters and resumes, interview preparation practice, using email accounts and applying for jobs online.

West Liberty University Foundation / College of Education -$3,500 towards project costs of The Center for Autism Support and Research. CASR is a new initiative at West Liberty University within the College of Education. CASR is a multi-faceted resource center available for all who work with individuals with autism within West Liberty's surrounding counties. Emphasis is placed on college support for individuals with autism, parent training, professional development for local teachers, a lending library of resources, and community awareness events to better the lives of people living with autism in the Ohio Valley.

Wheeling Jesuit University Department of Physical Therapy -$5,000 for new equipment in the Pro-Bono Care Clinic of the Department of Physical Therapy at Wheeling Jesuit University. The Pro-Bono Care Clinic offers a free physical therapy community care clinic for patients that do not have health insurance or who have exhausted their insurance benefits but still require physical therapy services to maintain and/or improve their functional abilities.

Youth Services System -$6,000 for High-Risk Pregnancy Referral Services. The High-Risk Pregnancy Referral Services project, a new collaborative endeavor of Wheeling Hospital and the Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium of Youth Services System, Inc., will establish referral protocols and provide services and supports for expectant women who test positive on urine drug screens during prenatal visits in order to reduce the number of positive urine drug screens upon delivery and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome births at Wheeling Hospital.

While grants from the Community Impact Fund are unrestricted, the Trustees of the CFOV have identified the following areas of interest:  Economic Development, Children and Youth in Need, The Arts, and Healthy Communities.  For more information about applying for Community Impact Fund grants, visit our website or contact Debbie at [email protected]