Community members fund their passions by granting $23,000 through the Giving Circle
Centre Foundation’s Giving Circle is made up of local philanthropists who pool their resources and decide which projects they would like to support in the community each year. Giving Circle members first read proposals submitted by nonprofits, vote on their favorites, and ultimately award grants to bring those projects to life.
This year, Giving Circle members made an impact by awarding $23,000 to three local nonprofits: Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Out of the Cold: Centre County, and the State College Food Bank. Each of these nonprofit’s projects focus on health and human services and will make a significant impact on Centre County’s community members.
Out of the Cold is a low-barrier shelter that provides guests with hot meals, warm blankets, a place to sleep, and basic needs case management. They are in the process of renovating their current daytime shelter and converting it into a permanent 24/7 shelter for more people to have access to basic needs. Giving Circle members awarded Out of the Cold $13,000 to help fund these necessary renovations.
While the basic need for shelter was on the mind of many members this year, another popular need that was addressed was hunger.
State College Food Bank offers programs that enhance food security, with the goal of eliminating hunger. Since 2021, they have offered No Cost Produce Markets for Centre County residents to have access to free, local produce. Our Giving Circle members were inspired by the idea of helping feed the community, so they granted $6,000 to continue these markets in 2023.
The last finalist is known for providing medical services to uninsured and low-income residents of Centre County and their Giving Circle project is no exception to their mission. As a part of their Breast Health Program, Centre Volunteers in Medicine is providing free early detection testing for breast cancer, such as mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies and more. They were granted $4,000 to continue serving the community through these free services.
The Giving Circle is a unique way for individuals to help fund what they are passionate about and support local nonprofits in a new way. It allows them to have direct input about what they want to fund and how to improve the community. Since it was established in 2006, our members have distributed over $220,000 in grants to support nonprofit organizations across Centre County.
Learn more about how you can become a Giving Circle member and make a positive impact at Centre-Foundation.org or call us at 814-237-6229.