Elk County Scholarship Applications Are Now Available

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Elk County Scholarship Applications Are Now Available

St. Marys, PA: Attention All those attending Colleges, Universities or Vocational schools! The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies added twenty new scholarships this year.  This has increased the total scholarship awards by the Foundation to nearly $250,000 available for students across seven counties. The Community Foundation has distributed all post-secondary or vocational school scholarship applications to the high school guidance departments throughout the area and also have information on our website.   Please visit: www.elkcountyfoundation.org, look for the Scholarship page and the “Information for Students” tab!

Each scholarship that is available has a different focus, so check each one out and see if it is right for you. Some of the new scholarships are the Joseph & Delores Frey Family Scholarship, Lisa Lepovetsky Memorial Scholarship, VanVranken Scholarship, Jordan Adams Memorial Award, Abagail Veronica Dobson Memorial Scholarship, McGrady Family Fund Scholarship and James “Wes” Jones Memorial Scholarship.

Post-secondary music students and high school seniors are also eligible to apply for the Inez Bull Piano or the Ole Bull Violin Scholarships as long as they graduated from a high school in Potter, Tioga, Elk, McKean, Cameron or Clinton County.

The Community Foundation is one of 40 state wide partners with PATH (Partners for Access to Higher Education). Students who receive a scholarship award from the Community Foundation may qualify for matching dollars through PHEAA and the PATH program. In 2019 over $50,000 was matched to our local students.

Additional graduate level and non-traditional scholarships are also available for music, law, medical, vocational nursing and many more. Visit the website to see what is available! For further details and deadlines, contact your guidance counselor or the Community Foundation at 814 834-2125.

Pictured are the recipients of the Elk County Foundation Scholarships from 2019.

 

Executive Director of Elk County Community Foundation speaks to Johnsonburg Rotary

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Executive Director of Elk County Community Foundation speaks to Johnsonburg Rotary

On Monday, February 17th, the Johnsonburg Rotary’s program chairperson, Dr. Pamela Allegretto-Diiulio, introduced Paula Fritz Eddy, the Executive
Director of the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF).  Paula updated Rotarians on the status of the Alva K. Gregory Scholarship. This fund has
provided in the last 15 years, scholarships to 29 different students from Johnsonburg Area High School and Elk County Catholic High School.  Over
$20,500 has been given out in scholarships.
In the past twenty years, ECCF has given over $650,000 in the Elk County area in grants and scholarships.  They oversee 205 funds of which 110 are
scholarship funds.  Mrs. Eddy wrapped it up with “we are about connecting people who care with causes that matter.”  She distributed the annual report to Rotarians, which is testimony to the many philanthropists and charitable acts that make the Foundation a vital part of the community in providing assistance to students and non-profitable organizations.

Winners of WWC Membership Drive Award Grants to St. Leo School

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Winners of  WWC Membership Drive Award Grants to St. Leo School

St. Marys, PA, January 28, 2020:  Women Who Care, a project of the Elk County Community Foundation, held its annual membership drive in December. All women who renewed their membership or became a new member by December 27 were eligible to win the opportunity to give their favorite charity a special $500 grant. The lucky winners this year were Molly Cerrone and Irene Smith. Both Molly and Irene chose St. Leo School as the recipient of their grant money. Women Who Care invites all area women to join their caring group of 246 area women. This women’s philanthropic organization continues to grow and make an impact throughout our communities.  Women interested in joining this giving circle of Women Who Care about their community can pay their membership dues until June 1 and have voting privileges for the fall granting meeting. For more information visit their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or call the Community Foundation at 834-2125.

Pictured left to right: First Grade Students, Luca Aiello, Haddie Beimel, Molly Cerrone, Lynne Kucenski, St. Leo School Principal, Irene Smith, and  First Grade Students Lynn Julia Gilmore, and Nicholas Tutton.

Community Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary in 2020

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Community Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary in 2020

ECCF: 20 Years: celebrating our past ~ inspiring our future

This is the 1st in a series of articles on the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) during its 20th anniversary year, highlighting its history and impact in the community

St. Marys, PA, January 28, 2020:  The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) is pleased to announce that the year 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of their non-profit organization. ECCF is a public grantmaking organization that partners with individuals, organizations and businesses to support innovative solutions and programs that address the pressing needs of our area.

Though you may not be very familiar with your local community foundation, you have certainly felt their impact. That’s because over 20 years the Elk County Community Foundation has invested over 5 million dollars across a wide range of issues and projects throughout Elk County. Included in this, are over $3.6 million in grants for social services, health and wellness, community development, and education projects, and $1.78 million in scholarships.

ECCF has become a vibrant community foundation through generous charitable giving by ordinary people who have set up funds to support the causes they care about. The Foundation now administers 24 donor advised funds, 2 unrestricted funds, 21 agency endowment funds, 3 designated funds, and 102 scholarship funds with assets totaling $13.5 million.

The impact of dollars granted to community organizations through the foundation has certainly added up over the years to a substantial investment. But more importantly, the social impact to better the lives of area residents is beyond measurement, reaching far into the future.

“During this anniversary year, we look forward to sharing stories of groups and individuals who have benefited from grants and scholarships through the years, and we celebrate and thank the many donors who have worked to make lives better in Elk County and made our success possible”, stated Paula Fritz Eddy, Executive Director. ECCF is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals. For more information, visit their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or call the office at 834-2125.

Esch named new president of Community Foundation parent company

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Esch named new president of Community Foundation parent company

At the December meeting of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies (CFNA), Bob Esch, on left, was named the new president of the board of directors, taking over the reins from past president, Bill Conrad. CFNA is the parent company of the Elk County Community Foundation and the McKean County Community Foundation. The common mission of the two foundations is to enhance the quality of life in the local area as they strengthen their region through development, stewardship, and grant making. With a shared vision to inspire philanthropy and strengthen their unique communities, these affiliate foundations are making an impact in the Northern Allegheny region. For more information on donor opportunities, scholarships, and grants visit their websites at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or www.mckeancountyfoundation.org.