The Coweta Community Foundation held its first Grants Reception Jan. 22 at The Newnan Centre and distributed $26,500 in grants to local nonprofits as well as three Coweta County schools. Also at the reception, Newnan-Coweta Habitat for Humanity received the Foundation’s first award for Nonprofit of the Year.
The Foundation kicked off the awards portion of its program by presenting 2015-2016 Leadership Awards to Coweta Special Olympics, represented by Jay Jones and Renea Walton; the Coweta Organization for Riding, Rehabilitation and Learning (CORRAL), represented by Marie Powell and Charlotte Shelnutt; Coweta FERST Foundation, represented by Pat Tidwell, Donna Moore, Susan Goodroe, Nelda Boren and Janie Lore; and Rutledge Center, represented by Bobby Welch. These leaders were thanked for their leadership and commitment to CCF’s nonprofit partners and the Foundation itself.
Next came the announcement of the winners of the Coweta County Schools Classroom Educational Grants. In December, the Foundation opened a mini grant cycle for educators in the Coweta County School System. The Foundation announced it would be awarding three $500 grants in the areas of elementary, middle school and high school education. The schools chosen to receive the $500 classroom grants included:
• White Oak Elementary School — Educator, Sheila Bealing, Principal, Mr. Andrew Clarke. The grant will be used for the project “The Hour of Code – Computer Science: Basics of Coding.
• Eastside Elementary School — Educator, April Deleshaw, Principal, Mrs. Leigh Munson. The grant will be used for the school’s STEM Lab project and will provide lab tables for students to conduct experiments in a safe and proper environment.
• East Coweta Middle School — Educator, Blaine Booth, Principal, Dr. Schwanda Jackson. The grant will be used for the school’s STEM Sciences project “Engineering and Technology Class: Solar Cars for learning about Alternative Energy and Green Friendly Technology.”
The Foundation also announced at the Grants Reception that next year, $4,500 from a new Classroom Education Fund will be given in the form of six $750 grants.
This year, the Foundation chose to award 10 grants to local nonprofits, and the process began last summer with a mandatory grant session that applicants had to attend to be able to apply. In the fall, a team of eight grant committee members met to review the applications as well as supporting documents such as budgets, audits, tax returns, bylaws, and lists of board members. Site visits were also conducted. The recipients were:
• Southern Conservation Trust, Executive Director Pam Young. The grant will fund supplies for a summer environmental and conservation camp for Coweta children.
• Coweta Master Gardeners, Board Member Dale Senko. The grant will benefit the group’s restoration of the James McGuffey Nature Trail.
• Continental Societies, Board Member Dr. Marva Slade-Jennings. The grant will be used for the group’s At-Risk Youth Leadership program.
• Newnan-Coweta Habitat for Humanity, Executive Director Christina Bowerman. The grant will be used for the organization’s Hands Up Handyman Program.
• Real Life Center, Executive Director Cathy Berggren. This grant will benefit the organization’s Coweta Residents Financial Assistance Program.
• Certified Literate is Coweta’s Key (CLICK), Executive Director Dianne McConnell. The grant will benefit the Adult Education Volunteer Training project.
• Meals on Wheels Coweta, Board Member Lizbeth Andrew. This grant will be used for operational expenses for three part-time staff.
• Coweta STEM Institute, Board Member Mike Barber. This grant will benefit the Mobile Maker STEM Program.
• Coweta CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Executive Director Mindy Smith. This grant will benefit CASA Volunteer Training to support Coweta youth in foster care.
• Community Welcome House, Executive Director Maureen Coates. This grant will benefit the operational expenses for the domestic violence shelter.
The Coweta Community Foundation is a publicly supported 501(c)3 organization that helps focus local philanthropy on the community’s changing needs. The Foundation manages individual gifts and bequests as an endowed pool of assets, distributing grants to a wide variety of organizations that enhance and support the quality of life in Coweta County, while maintaining the charitable intent of the donors. For more information, call the Foundation at 770-253-1833.
