The Pittsburgh Foundation

Dietrich Foundation Greenville Fund invites grant applications

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Jan. 5, 2017 -- The Pittsburgh Foundation is accepting grant applications for The Dietrich Foundation Greenville, Pa. Fund. Selection of grantees will be made by the nine-member committee of The Dietrich Foundation and grant awards will be announced in May.

The grants will be used to support cultural, educational and other charitable organizations and projects in the Borough of Greenville, Pa. Grant proposals must be submitted online by noon on Feb. 13. You may apply online here: http://pittsburghfoundation.org/dietrichgreenville.

The fund awarded $10,133 in 2016. Eligible grantees must be 501(c)3 organizations that are not classified as private foundations under Section 509(a). The Borough of Greenville, Pa., is eligible. Annual amounts available for distribution are expected to increase in future years.

Last year, the Greenville Area Community Theater was awarded $3,000 to help produce six summer performances of “The Wizard of Oz.” The cast, musicians and production crew were comprised of Greenville residents who continue the rich tradition of community theater in the Greenville area and the fund’s history of supporting the arts.

Downtown Ministries was awarded $2,500 for its West Side Outreach Program. The program aids at-risk children by providing faith-based mentorship from Grove City College and Theil College interns. The program uses sports, crafts, Bible studies, field trips and life skills to connect 6- to 14-year-olds with their families and neighbors in the Greenville area.

Christian Family Ministries was awarded $1,500 for the Backpack Program to provide elementary students with nutritious and easy to prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are unavailable to them. A nationwide program from Feeding America, the Backpack Program is coordinated locally by the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County and, with the help of the Christian Family Ministries and the Greenville Area School District, the program serves approximately 127 students. In addition, the proceeds from the award will expand the program to serve 43 additional students at East Elementary School in Greenville.

The Greenville Area Public Library was awarded $1,500 to update technology for its newly expanded library. Computers and audio/visual equipment will enhance programs, including popular family movie days, as well as expanded programming for adults. The upgrades also enable the library to host meetings for other community organizations.

Good Shepherd, which serves more than 8,000 individuals facing food insecurity, was awarded $1,000 to provide families with food and other basic needs such as rent or utility payments to prevent shut-off or eviction. An estimated 30 percent of the area’s residents regularly experience food deficits, when they do not have enough to feed their families.

Keystone Adolescent Center was awarded $633 to create a computer lab for its youth groups. Students ages 8 to 21 will have internet access to educational materials that provide and reinforce coping and behavioral skills. The computer lab will also be used by the training coordinator to provide staff training.

The fund was established as part of an estate bequest from former steel industry executive William S. Dietrich II, who died in 2011. The fund is managed at The Pittsburgh Foundation and is advised by board members of The Dietrich Foundation.

For additional information, please visit http://pittsburghfoundation.org/dietrich.