YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Mahoning Valley residents donate annually to foundations that support education, job training, community investment and racial equity.
Leaders of the Youngstown State University Foundation, Youngstown Foundation, Community Foundation of Western PA & Eastern Ohio and the Raymond John Wean Foundation report strong community support.
“I think we have a wonderful philanthropic community in the Mahoning Valley,” says Paul McFadden, YSU Foundation president. “So many caring people – we’re so grateful not only for support for the YSU Foundation, but all the nonprofits that are supporting our community. It really raises the boat for everybody, raises the level for quality of our life here in the Mahoning Valley.”
YSU FOUNDATION
The YSU Foundation’s 2024 endowment was $368 million, the sixth largest public university endowment in Ohio. It gave out $11.5 million in scholarships to more than 5,100 students last year.
Heather Chunn, vice president of operations in human resources at the foundation, says when donors establish their endowments, they give guidelines and the foundation has the challenge of distributing money to sometimes multiple recipients who meet the requirements.
The majority are scholarships, but some are for endowed chairs, professors or programs, such as supporting the planetarium or civil engineering competition teams.
The foundation’s efforts also have helped raise money for the Kilcawley Center renovation project.
“Scott Schulick, who is our campaign chair, just did a great job of rallying the troops,” McFadden says. “So, we’re very pleased with the progress on the Kilcawley effort and we had another robust year in scholarship acquisition. Our donors see it as a win-win. It’s a way of supporting students and then they pay their tuition, so it supports the university.”
McFadden calls YSU an access institution. It’s affordable and provides the opportunity for local students to live at home while still earning their college education.
McFadden says the history of the foundation is unique and he credits Howard Jones, who served as the president of first Youngstown College and then Youngstown University for a combined 35 years.
As Youngstown University was transitioning into a state college, McFadden said Jones sought to protect the private endowment money he had worked to raise. A separate nonprofit foundation was created known at the time as the Youngstown Educational Foundation. Jones served as its president from 1966-1975.
McFadden says things have changed during his foundation president tenure, but the foundation and its board of trustees has continued to grow endowment resources and stewarded it well.
YOUNGSTOWN FOUNDATION
The Youngstown Foundation continues to distribute the investment returns of gifts from 100 years ago with more than $7 million in grants awarded across Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Lynnette Forde, foundation president, says it was started by five men during the Spanish flu of 1918. They were connected through Dollar Bank and their gift aimed to protect the city of Youngstown in perpetuity. Other donors joined and the money has grown through the years.
“Those funds have been invested,” Forde says. “For young people, it’s important to know about compound interest and how that helps money grow. We’ve been very, very fortunate to continue to have those dollars available and to have them continue to grow so that we can support the community.”
Forde says the mission established more than 100 years ago remains. The Youngstown Foundation’s committees, especially its distribution committee, continue to “provide financial assistance to charitable, scientific, educational organizations that are trying to impact the needs of the community,” Forde says. “That mission has been written in stone and in many ways… I consider myself just one of the protectors of the
legacy.”
The Youngstown Foundation has four deadlines a year and the volunteer committee reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Forde says the committee pores over multipage applications and reviews the credentials of those seeking funding. In some cases, there is also emergency grant money available.
It’s work Forde believes in.
“I would be lying if I said to you, I don’t have the best job, because I really do,” she says. “This is a wonderful place to be. This community is incredibly generous… I couldn’t be happier or prouder to be a part of an organization that looks first to help others.”
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN PA & EASTERN OHIO
Kyle English, executive director of the Community Foundation of Western PA & Eastern Ohio, said the foundation received more than $14 million in donations and distributed more than $15 million in grants so far this year.
The average size of the donation is around $2,000 and the average size of a grant is $4,500, as English says the foundation strives to make sure that anyone can make a difference and give back regardless of donation amount. Anyone can set up a fund through the foundation – even with a small amount – and help others who need
assistance.
“Every dollar makes a difference, and our board firmly believes that,” English says.
This past year, the foundation helped with efforts to maintain Coalburg Lake as a community asset instead of draining it. The foundation also has been working with Penn State, as the Penn State Shenango campus is on the list of satellite campus closures. English says it is important the community be a part of what happens moving forward.
“I think our big hope is that we can continue the momentum that’s been happening in downtown Sharon from an economic development perspective and the campus, it’s really in the center of everything,” says English. “Penn State has been great in terms of working with them.”
The Community Foundation also was part of the effort to keep the hospital in Sharon open, while Meadville Medical Center considered taking over and Tenor Health Systems eventually did, which he says has been a good thing.
Through the LIFT Program, more than 100 individuals have been retrained in the trades for in-demand careers like welding and health care. The program benefits both employers and employees.
“That’s something we’re really proud of too,” English says. “We always work to fill those gaps and make sure that every dollar we deploy makes a difference.”
When it comes to fundraising, the foundation held its 44th annual clam bake in October. When the foundation was formed, the O’Brien Children Memorial Fund Clam Bake was its initial fundraiser, raising $54,000 in 1981, English says. Now the foundation has more than 850 funds and has granted more than $150 million in the community over 44 years. Overall, the Community Foundation has about $200 million in various funds.
“So, it just goes to show, when you give a generous community a chance to give back, they’re going to step up,” English says.
RAYMOND JOHN WEAN FOUNDATION
The focus of the Wean Foundation over the past year has been centered on deepening racial equity, according to Jennifer Roller, its president. The foundation’s work emphasizes community revitalization, economic and educational opportunities and public and civic sector leadership.
Roller says that during the past year the Wean Foundation has supported efforts of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., by making multiyear investments. Additionally, the Wean Foundation has worked at expanding workforce and entrepreneurship programs, backed youth-focused quality education programs and supported grassroots leadership development through programs like Freedom Righteous Organizing Collaborative and United Returning Citizens.
So far this year, nearly $120,000 has gone to small, resident-led projects that center on race equity, empowerment and neighborhood connection.
“This initiative embodies the foundation’s belief that those closest to the issues are also closest to the solutions,” says Roller, who started as a program officer hired to get the program running several years ago. “I’m incredibly thankful that resources like this continue to exist. It’s inspiring to see residents’ ideas not just funded and celebrated – reinforcing that community voice is a vital force for change.”
Roller says she sees philanthropy, not as charity, but as investment in the Mahoning Valley. In places like Warren and Youngstown where there has not been a lot of reinvestments, foundations and grantmaking fill crucial roles and allow people to make a difference.
“Through partnerships with organizations like the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, the Youngstown Foundation and the Mercy Health Foundation, we work to ensure that resources reach residents and nonprofits leading change where it matters most,” Roller says. “Together, these efforts strengthen local leadership, advance equity and build a stronger, more connected community.”
Pictured at top: Paul McFadden, president of the YSU Foundation.