St. Boniface Receives grant for New SmartBoard

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Recently the St. Boniface School showed off their new equipment to representatives of the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund. The donor advised fund is held and administered by the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF). This past spring a grant was received and approved by the Stackpole Family Fund for $2600. This grant was added to an addition $1000 from a generous donor of St. Boniface School in order to purchase a Smart Board for the newly renovated Computer Room.

The new Smart Board will be used by students in preschool through fifth grades for interactive education, reviews, educational games, and enhanced digital streaming purchased through IU9. In addition to this new larger Smart Board in the Computer room, every classroom from grades one through five now has this improved technology to enhance the learning at each child’s grade level.

The representative from the Foundation and the Stackpole Family Fund were very impressed with the technology advances the school has made. They were equally impressed by the dedications of their school community, donors, staff and teachers to provide the most up to date technology for every student’s at St. Boniface Elementary.

The Advisors for the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund are made up of the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole’s family and friends. Their goal is to ensure that the Fund continues the good works that both Mr. & Mrs. Stackpole had done in our community during their lifetime and to support the philanthropic causes that were important to both of them.

Applications for the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund are accepted and reviewed quarterly. Please contact the Elk County Community Foundation for specific deadline dates or check out the website at www.elkcountyfoundation.com.

ECCF is a non- profit organization that manages endowed funds established by donors for area non profit organizations as wells as administers a number of scholarships for individuals and groups. Donor gifts to the Foundations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Pictured are left to right

Paula Fritz Eddy, Executive Director of the Foundation, Ted Snyder, advisor to the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund . Marie Giazzoni, St. Boniface School principle and Mrs Stacey Adamski,Technology teacher at the school.

Women Who Care Now Accepting Applications

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WOMEN WHO CARE GRANT APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Women Who Care (WWC), a project of the Elk County Community Foundation, announced that their grant applications are now available with a deadline for submission by Aug 15th, 2011. WWC is a women’s giving circle and is in its’ second year of granting. Last year awards totaling $12,000 went to CAPSEA, Salvation Army, and Elk Regional Medical Center. Women Who Care has a membership of 106 women from Elk County.

The purpose of the Women Who Care organization is to strengthen the local communities by engaging and educating women in philanthropy and issues that are important to families. The membership dues and fundraising effort for this year grants will be distributed to various local charitable organizations through a grant application process. Eighty-five percent of the funds collected will be awarded each year. The granting dollars available for this granting cycle will be $15,000. In addition to this years’ membership dues, the group held a rummage sale this past spring that also helped increase the amount of available funds.

Eligible awards will be limited to nonprofit organizations with current 501 (c) (3) status, schools or municipalities who serve the residents of Elk County. Requests must not duplicate the work of other local organizations, and must reflect sustainability and/or other ongoing support. Awards will be given up to $6,000. The awards may be less than the amount requested, and may consider providing matching or challenge grants.

Top grant applications will be presented to the full members at its annual meeting on October 26. At that time each Women Who Care member will have the opportunity to vote for the project(s) to be funded. A short presentation by the agency will be required at that meeting.

Inquiries/questions and requests for applications can be directed to Paula Fritz Eddy of the Elk County Community Foundation at 814-834-2125 or by email at eccf@windstream.net. The Women Who Care organization was established last year as a project of the Elk County Community Foundation.

Pheasants Forever Youth Applications Available Now

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The Elk County Community Foundation administers the Pheasants Forever Youth Outdoor Fund. Chapter 630 of Pheasants Forever is accepting applications for its Youth Outdoor Adventure, which allows local children who are terminally ill or permanently disabled to go on outdoor adventures, such as various hunting, fishing, or other suitable and available outdoor events or activities. This year will be the very first year that Chapter 630 will make children’s dreams come true. Applicants must be under 21 years old with a terminal illness or permanent disability. Applications must be accompanied by a letter from a physician on letterhead or prescription pad, stating the youngsters name is a patient, type of life-threatening illness and that it is life-threatening or severely disabling. Applications can be obtained by contacting Paula Fritz Eddy at the Elk County Community Foundation by calling 814-834-2125, email eccf@windstream.net, or by mail at 111 Erie Avenue, St. Marys, PA 15857. Applications will be accepted until July 15, 2011.

2011 Scholarship Winners

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By Amy Cherry, Daily Press

As part of its ongoing scholarship program, the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) awarded a total of 83 scholarships to local students this year totaling $77,225. Of those scholarships, 20 were awarded to seniors from St. Marys Area High School, 19 from Ridgway Area High School, 17 from Elk County Catholic High School, 12 from Johnsonburg Area High School, six from DuBois Area High School, four from Brockway Area High School and two from Kane Area High School. Also awarded were five postgraduate scholarships to students already attending a postsecondary institution. These winners were: Blake Housler, Julia Pfaff, Joseph Sorg and Timothy Vollmer, who were awarded the Joseph A. Williams Memorial Medical Scholarship; and Leah Tamburlin, who won the Michele A. Campbell Memorial Nursing Scholarship.”The dollars given to these students will impact generations to come as these young adults shape our communities. Donors who have established these scholarships are contributing to our future leaders,” said Paula Fritz Eddy, ECCF executive director. “The Elk County Community Foundation Board extends their gratitude to those who have seen the need and believe in the youth of today.” Eddy invited anyone interested in establishing a scholarship to contact the Foundation at 814-834-2125.

In addition to those students receiving postgraduate scholarships, the following students were awarded scholarships through ECCF:

ECCF Elects New Board Officers

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Elk County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the election of the new Board Officers. Serving the Foundation as President, Mr. Daniel Straub, with Vice President being Don Valone. J. Hamlin Johnson will continue as Treasurer and Richard Smith will serve as Secretary. Every two years a new president is elected and is appointed the task of overseeing board meetings and chairing the Executive Committee. Dan has been involved with the foundation since it inception. He has also served on the Scholarship Committee and many other task groups as needed. He, along with the other new officers, look forward to leading the Foundation into it second decade of existence.

The Elk County Community Foundation is known for giving scholarships and grants to other non-profits in Elk County and surrounding communities but that is not their true business. The real business of the Foundation is helping people, families, groups, and businesses be philanthropic or charitable. We provide the administrative and investment management services that make it easy for donors to accomplish their charitable wishes. These tax deductible donations will improve the quality of life in our communities.

Behind each gift and each charitable fund is a story: a story of vision, generosity, hope, commitment, family history and legacy. The Elk County Community Foundation is a collection of as many as 75 charitable funds-many stories-each reflecting the diverse ways that people choose to help their community and support the causes that matter to them.

At the Elk County Community Foundation, the vision is to connect our donors’ passions to the needs and causes that matter in our community. As an organization, they are consumed with the implications of the current federal and state budget cuts and the economic down turns: for ourselves, for our families and for our community. The Foundation feels that it is even more important for us to be ready and able to help our community in these wavering times. If you are interested in finding out more about how to become involved with the Foundation please call 814-834-2125 or check out their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.com.

Picture includes at right Judith Manno Steger, outgoing President of the Elk County Community Foundation congratulating Daniel Straub, new Board President.