Eleven Marion nonprofits just got equity grants

The Marion Community Foundation has awarded $50,000 in Racial Equity & Justice grants to 11 programs.

The grants aim to address critical needs in education, community affirmation, healthcare and organizational development, according to an announcement.

“The goal of Marion Community Foundation’s Racial Equity and Justice grants is to foster innovative programs to help people overcome challenges and continually build a better community,” said Jody Demo-Hodgins, co-chair of the Racial Equity and Justice grants committee at Marion Community Foundation. “Moving forward takes small, continuous steps and is essential for a community, like Marion, that values all people.”

The grant recipients are:

• Avanzar Juntos, a program of St. Mary Church’s Hispanic Ministry, received $5,200 for its Latino Health Fair. The event aims to raise awareness of common health issues and provide health assessments for Spanish-speaking families in the Marion area.
• Grace Clinic Marion was awarded $5,000 for its Safety Net Free Clinic, which delivers quality medical care to underserved local populations and improves health outcomes.
• St. Mary Catholic Church Hispanic Ministry received $4,500 for its Confidence Builder Summer Camp, which provides academic reinforcement in math, reading and religion for underserved children.
• Logos Christian Ministries was granted $10,470 for its Bridging Gaps, Breaking Barriers program, a student-led leadership summit for African American male students in grades K-12.
• Marion Public Library received $2,840 for its Cultural Kaleidoscope program, which aims to serve the library’s increasingly diverse patron population.
• Marion Voices Folklife + Oral History was awarded $3,000 for its Marion Black Joy Summerfest 2025, an annual celebration of Marion County’s Black culture, heritage and folklife.
• Palace Cultural Arts Association received $1,215 for its Black History Celebration, which will feature a performance by the Toledo-based soul band, Nikki D and the Sisters of Thunder.
• Peace and Freedom Committee was granted $2,475 for its Marion Looks Like Me Book Event, a one-day event allowing BIPOC children to see themselves in storybooks and meet the authors.
• Tri-Rivers Career Center received $2,300 for its Exploration of Beauty and Color program, a day of instruction and learning between Tri-Rivers Career Center students and girls of color at Tri-Rivers’ nine associate middle schools.
• Black Heritage Council of Marion was awarded $5,000 for its Black Heritage Council Legacy project, which aims to restore and strengthen the legacy of the Black Heritage Council in Marion.
• Peace and Freedom Committee also received $8,000 for its Celebrating and Affirming Marion’s Community of Color project, which aims to preserve the Peace and Freedom Committee’s 18-year history and create a sense of belonging for Marion’s community of color.

The Racial Equity & Justice Grant Program is open to charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations or the equivalent, including educational, governmental and religious programs, looking to improve issues of equity and justice in Marion County.

Funding for the program comes from Marion Community Foundation’s Health Care Fund and the Robert M. & Dorothy C. Wopat Community Fund.

The application process is competitive and is held annually in February-March.

This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.