The mission of Wayne County Community Foundation is to provide philanthropic leadership to our community.
Wayne County Community Foundation’s recent grants are built around broad community support in Wayne County, with general operating awards reaching schools, arts organizations, health providers, youth programs, and faith-based nonprofits. The largest recent gift in the record was $1,056,391 to Downtown Arts Theater Inc in Wooster for general support, followed by $459,838 to Wooster City Schools and $386,452 to People to People Ministries, also for general support. That pattern shows a funder using flexible dollars across sectors rather than concentrating on a single program area. Their grant history includes recurring support for local institutions that serve different parts of community life. Wooster Center for the Arts appears among the recent awards, as do healthcare and human services grantees such as Healthcare 2000 Dba the Viola Startzman Clinic and The Salvation Army. The foundation also funds youth-serving organizations, including the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club and Wooster Youth Baseball Little League Inc, alongside community infrastructure such as the Wayne County Regional Training Facility. The overall picture is of a community foundation channeling significant unrestricted support to organizations that shape daily life in Wayne County.
Arts and culture are a visible part of the foundation’s giving. It awarded $1,056,391 to Downtown Arts Theater Inc for general support and $271,700 to Wayne Center for the Arts for general support. Education also appears across multiple recipient types, including $459,838 to Wooster City Schools and $106,550 to Wooster Community Hospital Foundation, both for general support. In health and human services, the foundation backed organizations such as Healthcare 2000 Dba the Viola Startzman Clinic with $289,016 and The Salvation Army with $254,240, each for general support. Youth development is another recurring theme: the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club received $196,256, and Wooster Youth Baseball Little League Inc received $148,548. Civic and community-serving work is also present through grants to United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties Inc and Wayne County Regional Training Facility.
Typical grant size centers on mid-five-figure support: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $15,564, and the 75th percentile is $38,577. The recent-grants list also shows much larger flexible awards, including multiple six- and seven-figure general support grants. Recipients recur across years and sometimes within the same organization name, which points to sustained relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is a mixed community foundation, and the active programs page shows several ongoing, unsolicited grant opportunities and scholarship applications, including competitive community grants and donor-advised or affiliate funds.
$7.8M
$156.4M
$18.9M
$9.8M
Most grants fall between $10K and $39K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$39K
MELANIE GARCIA
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Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and centered in Ohio, with 85% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Wooster appears most often in the recent grants list, including awards to Downtown Arts Theater Inc, Wooster City Schools, People to People Ministries, and The Salvation Army. Orrville, Apple Creek, and Rittman also show up among Ohio recipients. Outside Ohio, a recent grant went to Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County in Vero Beach, Florida, but the broader recipient base is Ohio-focused.
The foundation funds a wide range of nonprofit organizations across arts, education, health, human services, youth services, faith-based organizations, housing, hunger, civic engagement, culture, environment, and workforce development. Recent general support grants went to Downtown Arts Theater Inc, Wooster City Schools, People to People Ministries, and the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club.
The typical grant size is modest but flexible: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $15,564, and the 75th percentile is $38,577. Recent grants also include much larger general support awards, showing that the foundation makes both smaller and substantial gifts.
Yes. Several active grant opportunities on the grants and scholarships page are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, including Laura B. Frick Charitable Trust Grants, George T. Dunlap Community Foundation Fund Grants, The Women’s Fund Grants, Wayne County Emergency Response Fund, and WCCF Competitive Community Grants.
The foundation serves Wayne County, Ohio. The active grant programs, scholarships, and emergency response funding are all listed for Wayne County, and 85% of grants go to recipients in Ohio.
Yes. Wayne County Community Foundation Scholarships use a Universal Scholarship Application and are open to graduating high school seniors, continuing college students, and non-traditional students in Wayne County, Ohio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Wayne County Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Grant recipients are nonprofits selected through the GIVE 365 member-driven annual grantmaking process. The fund is open to organizations demonstrating impact in Wayne County.
Deadline: March 1st
Who can apply: See fund-specific grant guidelines and application information linked from the grant opportunities page.
Deadline: Ongoing
Who can apply: Nonprofits with employment programs that increase the success of their students, clients or employees; adults with financial need participating in employment-related programs may apply for assistance through partner agencies.
Deadline: New initiative applications accepted any time; participant assistance is ongoing.
Who can apply: Tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and qualified government entities that support and provide services directly benefiting Wayne County, Ohio. The Foundation does not award grants to individuals except through scholarship funds.
Deadline: March 1st and September 1st; decisions notified by June 1 for the spring cycle.
Who can apply: Organizations and community agencies that support women and children in Wayne County, Ohio. Specific uses are determined by the Women's Fund Advisory Committee, which invites and reviews proposals and recommends grants for final approval.
Deadline: September 1st
Who can apply: See the fund's specific grant guidelines and application information; listed as a grant opportunity that does not use the online portal.
Deadline: March 1st and September 1st
Who can apply: See grant guidelines for details; listed as a grant opportunity on the foundation's grant page.
Deadline: September 1
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOWNTOWN ARTS THEATER INC | WOOSTER, OH | $1,056,391 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOOSTER CITY SCHOOLS | WOOSTER, OH | $459,838 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEOPLE TO PEOPLE MINISTRIES | WOOSTER, OH | $386,452 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAYNE COUNTY REGIONAL TRAINING FACILITY | APPLE CREEK, OH | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GRACE CHURCH | WOOSTER, OH | $290,915 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HEALTHCARE 2000 DBA THE VIOLA STARTZMAN CLINIC | WOOSTER, OH | $289,016 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAYNE CENTER FOR THE ARTS | WOOSTER, OH | $271,700 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | WOOSTER, OH | $254,240 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH SAILING FOUNDATION OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY | VERO BEACH, FL | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ORRVILLE AREA BOYS & GIRLS CLUB | ORRVILLE, OH | $196,256 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAYNE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | WOOSTER, OH | $194,492 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOOSTER YOUTH BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE INC | WOOSTER, OH | $148,548 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHREVE COMMUNITY CHURCH | SHREVE, OH | $135,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF WAYNE & HOLMES COUNTIES INC | WOOSTER, OH | $113,040 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOOSTER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | WOOSTER, OH | $106,550 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VIOLA STARTZMAN CLINIC | WOOSTER, OH | $104,272 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF WAYNE COUNTY | WOOSTER, OH | $104,037 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE VILLAGE NETWORK | WOOSTER, OH | $102,592 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RITTMAN APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH | RITTMAN, OH | $102,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRIWAY ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB | WOOSTER, OH | $96,179 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NAMI WAYNE AND HOLMES COUNTIES | WOOSTER, OH | $94,714 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER | WOOSTER, OH | $94,486 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $88,443 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY | WOOSTER, OH | $78,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN HOME INC | RITTMAN, OH | $76,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | WOOSTER, OH | $71,278 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONEEIGHTY INC | WOOSTER, OH | $70,750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOLMES COUNTY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MILLERSBURG, OH | $68,682 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COUNSELING CENTER OF WAYNE & HOLMES COUNTIES | WOOSTER, OH | $64,409 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KIDRON COMMUNITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | KIDRON, OH | $62,233 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OHUDDLE | WOOSTER, OH | $60,184 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OHIO'S HOSPICE LIFECARE | WOOSTER, OH | $55,003 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANIA ICE INC | WOOSTER, OH | $51,750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA WAYNE COUNTY CHAPTER | WEST SALEM, OH | $51,280 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO | CLEVELAND, OH | $51,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | WOOSTER, OH | $50,250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEDOM WATERS FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VILLAGE OF CRESTON | CRESTON, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VILLAGE OF SMITHVILLE | SMITHVILLE, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOHN'S CHURCH OF MILLERSBURG | MILLERSBURG, OH | $45,788 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO | WOOSTER, OH | $44,734 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF WAYNE AND HOLMES COUNTIES INC | WOOSTER, OH | $43,210 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SMITHVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH | SMITHVILLE, OH | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY OF WOOSTER | WOOSTER, OH | $37,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $35,800 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INCLUDEABILITY | WOOSTER, OH | $33,650 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY OF RITTMAN | RITTMAN, OH | $31,032 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH ELCA | WOOSTER, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM AT STOCKBRIDGE INC | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HEARTLAND EDUCATION COMMUNITY INC | ORRVILLE, OH | $29,353 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
WOOSTER CITY SCHOOLS
$459,838GENERAL SUPPORT
WAYNE COUNTY REGIONAL TRAINING FACILITY
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GRACE CHURCH
$290,915GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY
$254,240GENERAL SUPPORT
WAYNE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
$194,492GENERAL SUPPORT
WOOSTER YOUTH BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE INC
$148,548GENERAL SUPPORT
SHREVE COMMUNITY CHURCH
$135,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WOOSTER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$106,550GENERAL SUPPORT
YMCA OF WAYNE COUNTY
$104,037GENERAL SUPPORT
RITTMAN APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH
$102,500GENERAL SUPPORT
TRIWAY ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
$96,179GENERAL SUPPORT
NAMI WAYNE AND HOLMES COUNTIES
$94,714GENERAL SUPPORT
WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
$78,000GENERAL SUPPORT
APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN HOME INC
$76,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$71,278GENERAL SUPPORT
HOLMES COUNTY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$68,682GENERAL SUPPORT
COUNSELING CENTER OF WAYNE & HOLMES COUNTIES
$64,409GENERAL SUPPORT
KIDRON COMMUNITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$62,233GENERAL SUPPORT
OHUDDLE
$60,184GENERAL SUPPORT
ANIA ICE INC
$51,750GENERAL SUPPORT
IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA WAYNE COUNTY CHAPTER
$51,280GENERAL SUPPORT
TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
$50,250GENERAL SUPPORT
FREEDOM WATERS FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VILLAGE OF CRESTON
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VILLAGE OF SMITHVILLE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST JOHN'S CHURCH OF MILLERSBURG
$45,788GENERAL SUPPORT
WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO
$44,734GENERAL SUPPORT
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF WAYNE AND HOLMES COUNTIES INC
$43,210GENERAL SUPPORT
SMITHVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CITY OF WOOSTER
$37,500GENERAL SUPPORT
INCLUDEABILITY
$33,650GENERAL SUPPORT
CITY OF RITTMAN
$31,032GENERAL SUPPORT
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH ELCA
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HEARTLAND EDUCATION COMMUNITY INC
$29,353GENERAL SUPPORT
