The Fairfield County Foundation is a community foundation established in Lancaster, Ohio, as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation serving the entire community.
Donor Name: Fairfield County Foundation
State: Ohio
County: Fairfield County (OH)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/12/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Fairfield County Foundation is committed to providing effective and efficient management of the funds under our care through wise investment, careful consideration of the community’s needs and evaluation of the impact of each distribution.
The Fairfield County Foundation, a community foundation, was established in 1989 in Lancaster, Ohio as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation to serve the entire community. The Foundation was established in order to afford an opportunity for individuals and others to financially assist non-profit organizations within the community.
The Fairfield County Foundation is responsible for both restricted and unrestricted funds. Restricted funds have specific directions, which were given at the time the fund was established, and the Board of Trustees may only approve grants in accordance to the donors’ direction. In addition, there are unrestricted and field of interest funds, which may be used to respond to community grant applications.
Funding Priorities
- Arts and Culture
- To preserve and enhance arts and cultural heritage and institutions, expand access to arts and cultural offerings to new audiences, provide creative educational experiences for children and families, and encourage innovation and creativity. Areas of funding include: performances, exhibits, programs, projects, supplies, etc.
- Education
- To increase early education and care; language and reading readiness; keeping children in school; family literacy/adult education. Funds to enhance the experience of students directly, or to provide additional resources for educational programs.
- Civic and Community
- To support youth involvement in activities and for the basic needs of youth. To encourage more efficient use of community resources to coordinate, cooperate and share among organizations. To eliminate duplication of services and to build the capacity of organizations and communities to solve problems. Assistance in areas of economic development, public safety, civic improvement, justice and promoting the community.
- Environment
- To improve and preserve the quality of environmental conditions for current and future generations, preserve and beautify open spaces and gardens, conserve natural resources, and encourage citizen involvement in environmental protection activities. This area includes funding for parks, natural resources, and animals.
- Health
- To improve access to and quality of treatment services, promote health and wellness, and promote the efficient use of healthcare resources. Support for medical programs and facilities.
- Human Services
- To support those agencies that strengthen the quality of individual and family life by responding to personal and family emergencies, intervening early when individuals and families are at risk of serious problems, and providing for basic needs when individuals and families cannot provide for themselves. Addresses basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing and seeking solutions to social problems.
The Fairfield County Foundation’s grant-making program is comprised of the following component:
- Agency Endowments, Designated Grants (or, Restricted Grants), and Donor-Advised grants are distributed according to recommendations by donors and fund representatives. Applications are not accepted for grants from these Fund types.
- Discretionary Grants are distributed from funds that are unrestricted or directed to a broad area or Field of Interest. The Fairfield County Foundation’s Board of Trustees, following recommendations of the Grant Committee, awards funds to nonprofit organizations that enhance the quality of life for Fairfield County residents. Applications are accepted for Discretionary Grants. Discretionary funding is available through Unrestricted Funds, Field of Interest Funds or Donor-Advised Funds at the request of the donor.
Grant Period
The Fairfield County Foundation awards grants for a period of one year.
Eligibility Criteria
The Fairfield County Foundation makes grants to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations operating or proposing to operate programs/projects that benefit Fairfield County residents. While the Foundation would like to support all the important work that is carried out by Fairfield County’s organizations, its financial resources are limited. Therefore, decisions about funding projects that are submitted by grant applicants will be made with the following guidelines in mind:
The Fairfield County Foundation has a preference for proposals that:
- Come from nonprofits (501c3) that have been established for at least two years and have a track record of sustainability
- Address needs that are not met fully by existing organizational or community resources
- Provide for more efficient use of community resources, promote coordination, cooperation and sharing among organizations, and reduce the duplication of services in the community
- Test or demonstrate new approaches and techniques for solving important community problems
- Make a clear difference in the quality of life for a substantial number of people in Fairfield County
- Propose to generate matching funds, thus leveraging additional support
- Include a thoughtful, reasonable plan for obtaining continuing financial support once Foundation grant funds are expended.
For more information, visit Fairfield County Foundation.
