About Community Foundation of Shelby County
A $3,516,658 general-support grant to Russia Local Schools is the clearest signal of how the Community Foundation of Shelby County operates: large, place-based awards that move substantial resources into Shelby County institutions. The foundation’s recent grant history shows support for schools, civic organizations, medical and human-services providers, and cultural groups, with a strong emphasis on general support and community development. In 2025, Sidney Alive received $829,498 for general support, while other sizable awards went to the Sidney-Shelby Co YMCA, the Village of Russia, and the Sidney area’s nonprofit and public-service network.
The foundation also backs organizations serving specific local needs rather than a narrow single-issue agenda. Grants have supported emergency assistance, history programs, arts efforts, medical support, and community revitalization. That mix of recipients suggests a broad civic role: sustaining core institutions, funding local infrastructure, and helping community organizations respond to immediate needs. Alongside its discretionary grants, the foundation administers scholarships and named funds, adding a structured layer to its local philanthropy.
What Community Foundation of Shelby County Funds
Education is a major theme in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $3,516,658 to Russia Local Schools for general support, and awarded $119,849 and $107,204 to Lehman High School for equipment and educational support in 2024 and 2025. Scholarship programs also extend to high school seniors, skilled-trades students, and college/adult learners.
Basic-needs and human-services work appears through grants such as $165,093 to Mercy Mission House Emergency in 2023 and $88,426 to Compassionate Care-Shelby Co in 2025 for medical support. Community development is another clear thread: the Village of Russia received $224,075 in 2025 and $160,000 in 2024 for community development, while The City of Sidney received $131,787 in 2024 for the same purpose.
Arts and heritage also receive support, including $162,475 to Raise the Roof for Arts in 2024 and $152,650 to Shelby County Historical Society in 2023 for history programs.
How Community Foundation of Shelby County Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $24,812, with a lower quartile of $10,546 and an upper quartile of $57,919. That spread shows a mix of modest local awards and much larger institutional grants. The foundation’s recent list includes repeat recipients across multiple years, such as Sidney Alive, Sidney-Shelby Co YMCA, Raise the Roof for Arts, Rustic Hope, Mercy Mission House, and Shelby County Historical Society, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts.
It operates as a mixed community foundation with donor-advised, designated, field-of-interest, scholarship, and unrestricted funds. It also makes grants through competitive community programs and scholarship applications. Several giving channels accept unsolicited applications, including scholarships, Match Day, Community Grants, Keep Art in Your HeART, and Louise Sheets Grants.