Troy, OH (December 9, 2014)—Nonprofit organizations supporting education, social services, community events and recreation, and youth received an economic boost from The Paul G. Duke Foundation. The foundation recently announced grants totaling more than $240,000 to benefit nonprofits in the Miami County area.
One grant will help create a safer, more positive learning environment for children in grades K-12 throughout Miami County. Joining with other area foundations, a Duke Foundation grant will also support a second year of Rachel’s Challenge, a program that helps school administrators, parents, and students work together to reduce bullying and school violence. The program affects more than 12,500 students in Miami County from nine public school districts and three independent faith-based schools.
Also, the Duke Foundation’s most recent grant for the Brukner Nature Center will help with the final phase of the upgrades to the Interpretive Building. A renovated main-floor educational exhibit space will house the new Wonders of Wildlife Exhibit, intended to engage visitors of all ages, stimulate curiosity and encourage an appreciation of the wildlife and wild places of the Miami County region.
The ten organizations receiving grants are:
Brukner Nature Center
To support renovation of the main-floor educational exhibit space to create the Wonders of Wildlife Exhibit, part of the final phase of the Interpretive Building upgrade.
City of Troy
To support improved landscaping in Duke Park, particularly around the park entrance, the pond, and the statue of Paul Duke.
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
To support the educational programs provided in Miami County schools during the 2014-2015 school year, enriching the schools’ music programs and expanding learning opportunities in other subjects.
Edison State Community College
Grants were awarded to support the 2014 Holiday Evening at Edison, to provide 2015 support for the Cooperating Collection, and to support the 2015 Community Leadership Conference.
Friends of the Piqua Parks Inc.
To support the effort to provide a statue of William Pitsenbarger, a Congressional Medal of Honor Awardee from Piqua, for Pitsenbarger Park.
New Path Inc.
To repair and enlarge the parking area at the GIVE Medical Ministry building and to purchase lift chairs, bariatric wheelchairs, or other equipment.
Partners In Hope Incorporated
To provide support for the Getting Ahead classes, Bridges Out of Poverty trainings, the Circles of Hope ministry, and the development and implemention of the new Staying Ahead program.
Pink Ribbon Girls, Inc.
To support the Simply Fight! and NO Age NO Stage programs in providing breast cancer patients with meals, house cleaning, education, and transportation to treatment programs.
Troy Recreation Association, Inc.
To support the Summer Lunch Buddy program to provide Troy students in grades K-6 with a free lunch and literacy program.
Upper Valley Medical Center
To support the continued implementation of Rachel’s Challenge, a program that helps school administrators, parents, and students reduce bullying and school violence, creating a safer and more positive learning environment for all schools in Miami County grades K-12.
About The Paul G. Duke Foundation
The Duke Foundation encourages nonprofit organizations in the Miami County area to apply for grants. Grants are awarded in spring and fall each year. Eligibility guidelines and information about submitting grant proposals to the Duke Foundation can be found at www.paulgdukefoundation.org. Deadlines for submission are the first working day in April and in August.
The Paul G. Duke Foundation, a Supporting Foundation of The Columbus Foundation, was established in 1983. It has a long history of philanthropic support for nonprofit organizations. Paul Duke, businessman and philanthropist, evolved his local Duke Garden Centers into a national lawn and garden service, Chem-Lawn. The proceeds from the sale of that business enabled Mr. Duke to generously support many community projects and charitable programs, all of which is done through the Duke Foundation.
The Duke Foundation’s grantmaking efforts focus on programs benefiting children, young adults, and families in the Miami County area. Grants are made in the areas of the arts, education, health, and social services for both general and specific project support, including seed money for innovative programs. The foundation has frequently made challenge grants for projects to encourage matching gifts or additional funding from other donors.
The Duke Foundation’s Board of Trustees includes Patricia Duke Robinson, President Emeritus; Ronald B. Scott, President; Linda A. Daniel; Paul A. Hanke, Esq.; B. Mark Hess, M.D.; and William J. McGraw, III.