Marion Community Foundation

For you. For Marion. Forever.

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2025 Field of Interest Grants

Field of Interest Funds are sort of like matchmaking. At Marion Community Foundation, Field of Interest funds are for the donor who wish to support a specific cause or area of interest that is near to their heart. The Foundation’s Grants Committee researches and provides guidance to match funds with local nonprofits and charities that are doing good work in that specific area.

2025 AWARDS

The Field of Interest Grant Program provides vital support to local organizations, thanks to the generosity of specific charitable funds established by donors.

2025 TOTAL GRANTED: $135,285

Animal Care: Supporting animal welfare and rescue organizations

Arts, History & Culture: Investing in cultural enrichment and performing arts.

  • Kathleen E. O’Shea Fund
    • Palace Cultural Arts Association: support live theaterElgin Local School District: support the production of their high school musical for the 2025-2026 academic year.Marion City Schools: support the production of their high school musical and junior high musical for the 2025-2026 academic year.Pleasant Local School: support the production of their high school musical for the 2025-2026 academic year.Ridgedale Booster Club: support the production of their high school musical for the 2025-2026 academic year.
    • River Valley Local School District: support the production of their high school musical and junior high musical for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Marion’s Kids: Helping local youth thrive through specialized opportunities.

  • Thurman & Rose Mathews Fund
    • Presidents Band Club: assist with the travel cost for students in the Harding Presidents Marching Band to perform on a national stage at the ReliaQuest Bowl in Florida in December 2025.

Economic Security: Supporting programs that provide financial stability.

  • Childcare Choices Fund: Support and fund qualified childcare providers, Certified Family Child Care Homes, Licensed Family Child Care Homes, and Licensed Child Care Programs recognized by ODJFS.
    • Emanuel Lutheran Preschool & Daycare: To improve programming and staff development

Senior Citizens: Addressing the essential needs of Marion’s senior community.

Education: Promoting literacy and educational programs.

  • Imagination Library Fund
    • Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio: In partnership with Marion Public Library, this fund helps pay for the books distributed every month to kids in Marion County age 0-5 who are signed up for the Imagination Library as a way to promote early childhood literacy. 73% of kids age 0-5 are signed up and receiving one book every month directly to their house through this program.
  • Janis & Greg Swepston Family Fund
    • Marion Public Library: support programs that support literature or elementary education

Basic Needs: Focusing on safe, affordable housing solutions, food access, and basic human needs.

  • Marion Board of Realtors Fund
    • Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter: support programming about housing assistance, housing safety, housing education, affordable housing, and stable housing.
    • Marion Matters: support programming about affordable housing, stable housing, housing education, housing assistance, and housing safety.

Health & Wellness: Providing assistance for physical, mental, and developmental health needs.

  • Dave & Anne Brown Family Fund
    • Marion Family YMCA: support programming offered at the Marion Family YMCA for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their families
  • Francis & Thelma Wise Fund
    • Marion Family YMCA: support the arthritis programming offered at the Marion Family YMCA to individuals with arthritis
  • James & Margaret Coulson Charitable Fund
    • Marion Family YMCA: support programming offered at the Marion Family YMCA for individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • Jane Ann Caton Dean Fund
    • Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities: support MCBDD’s family and sibling support groups
  • Jerry Grubaugh Memorial Fund
    • Voluntariado Jesus con los Ninos via Charities Aid Foundation America: support and fund programs, projects, and organizations that address the general health needs of people living in the Dominican Republic, and, especially, if possible, those programs, projects, and organizations whose principal purpose is the treatment and care of persons suffering from AIDS.
  • Marion Noon Lions Club Fund
    • Prevent Blindness Ohio: Support sight conservation including research, treatment, and training, or helping sight-impaired residents, or support treatment, training, and research programs in the field of sight conservation.
  • Marion Speech and Hearing Fund
    • Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities: provide habilitative & rehabilitative services for individuals w/speech, language, & hearing impairments, including hearing aid sales & service
  • Smith-Brown Family Fund
    • Marion Family YMCA: support programming offered at the Marion Family YMCA for individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • Helen Cunningham Handicapped Fund
    • Center Street Community Health Center: provide needed assistance for individual requests for health services.
    • Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities: support and fund programs and organizations that promote the general welfare and recreation of persons with disabilities and that provide assistance for handicapped individuals/families of Marion County, Ohio, to become “handicapable”

Parks & Environment: investing in local nature spaces and environmental education.

  • Prospect Park Fund
    • Prospect Community Park to replace swings damaged beyond repair by a storm.
  • Virgil Jerome Nature Education Fund
    • Prairie Parks Foundation: To promote introducing, connecting and engaging all people, but especially and primarily youth, to nature and the outdoors, through traditional and non-traditional means

100 Women Who Care Fund

A collective giving initiative managed by the Foundation.

Facilitation: The Foundation is making participation easier by setting up an ACH option so the giving circle leaders do not have to chase down cash every time.

This Giving Circle meets quarterly to determine its quarterly grant. MCF serves as the host for their donations.

The Concept: Each woman contributes $100 every quarter, with a goal of 100 women participating each quarter.

Learn more: 100+ Women Who Care Fund

In addition to field of interest funds, Marion Community Foundation offers donor advised, designated, unrestricted, scholarship, and agency endowments and opportunities to meet the needs and goals of donors in the Marion area. The Foundation’s offices are located at 504 S. State St. in Marion and office hours are weekdays 9a-5p. Staff may be reached by calling 740-387-9704.

If any of these causes appeal to you, click on the fund name to learn more and donate to these Field of Interest Funds.