Carbon foundation offering grants
The Carbon County Community Foundation is seeking local nonprofits that provide programs and services that enhance the quality of life for county residents.
The newly formed community foundation will award $10,000 during its inaugural grant cycle this fall. Interested nonprofits must submit a grant application before Sept. 1 to Carbon County Community Foundation, 400 Interchange Road, Lehighton.The board of trustees is seeking projects that have the potential to positively affect broad segments of Carbon County's population. Grants will be made to duly organized 501(c)(3) charities that improve the community in a variety of ways including: social services, education and scholarships, arts and culture and more."Many of the counties around us already have community foundations to support local initiatives," Tina Dowd said. "The nonprofits that operate in Carbon County were at a disadvantage because they don't fit neatly into the Lehigh Valley or the Wyoming Valley service areas. We're in a "no man's" land where many of the big foundations that operate out of those areas don't want to stretch to include Carbon County. The creation of the foundation will enable us to serve the local nonprofits that benefit our communities specifically."In addition to the founders' endowment, the foundation enables people of all income levels to participate in organized philanthropy by establishing their own permanent endowment fund (donor advised funds) or by making a gift of any size to an already existing fund. The community foundation lowers the bar for philanthropic giving because smaller donors do not need to understand how to establish and run a private foundation.The community foundation assists donors by managing funds, overseeing investments, maintaining tax records, filing tax returns, facilitating grant reviews and making grants within the areas of interest identified by the donor.Donor advised funds can be established to benefit one or more specific charities.The Carbon County Community Foundation is still seeking community leaders and philanthropists who are interested in making a difference and leaving a lasting legacy in our community. Interested donors can contact the foundation at