Barberton Community Foundation Grant Program

Barberton Community Foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents of Barberton, Ohio. The Foundation supports the City of Barberton, Barberton City Schools, and qualifying nonprofit organizations that serve the Barberton community. The organization’s stated vision is to improve the quality of life for Barberton residents both now and in the future. Beginning in 2026, the Foundation transitioned to a structured two-cycle grantmaking process for nonprofit applicants, allowing organizations to seek funding through designated focus areas during specific annual deadlines. The Foundation reviews requests from nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in addition to projects connected to Barberton City Schools and the City of Barberton. The Foundation provides grant funding primarily for projects and programs that directly benefit Barberton residents. Typical funding requests are generally $20,000 or less for individual nonprofit applications. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt nonprofit organizations operating in alignment with the Foundation’s mission, Barberton City Schools, and the City of Barberton. The Foundation specifically notes that third-party organizations applying on behalf of Barberton City Schools must first secure review and approval from the Superintendent before submission. Grant funding is intended to support community-focused initiatives and projects within the Foundation’s designated priority areas. Beginning in 2026, the Foundation established two annual grant cycles with separate focus areas. The February 1 cycle supports Community and Downtown Development projects, while the May 15 cycle supports Education, Workforce, Leadership, and Basic Needs initiatives. The Foundation encourages applicants to contact staff if they are uncertain which focus area best aligns with their project or if the proposal spans multiple categories. If a published deadline falls on a weekend, applications are due the following Monday. The Foundation also requires nonprofits considering an application to first submit a Letter of Inquiry outlining the proposed project before a full application may be invited. The Letter of Inquiry process functions as an important preliminary review stage. Applicants are encouraged to submit an LOI as early as possible and no later than three weeks prior to the applicable grant deadline. The LOI must include a concise description of the proposed program or project and explain why the effort is needed. Applicants must also identify the funding amount requested, explain how grant funds would be used, describe the population to be served and the estimated number of beneficiaries, and provide the anticipated project timeline including beginning and ending dates. Following review of the LOI, Foundation staff will contact applicants within approximately one week to discuss the proposal. Based on these conversations, selected applicants may be invited to submit a full application through the GOapply system. The Foundation identifies several categories of projects and expenses that are not eligible for funding. The organization does not fund projects that do not exclusively benefit Barberton residents. The Foundation also excludes requests for ongoing operating expenses such as salaries, debt reduction or repayment of prior obligations, annual fundraising campaigns, political activities, sabbatical leaves, scholarly research, venture capital for for-profit ventures, and religious organizations seeking support for religious purposes. In addition, the Foundation will not support endowments housed outside of Barberton Community Foundation. These restrictions indicate a preference for direct-impact community projects with measurable local benefits rather than organizational overhead or unrelated activities. Applications undergo a multi-stage review and approval process. All grant applications are initially submitted to Carrie Herman, Director of Community Impact, who works with the grants committee for initial review and consideration. Applications are then reviewed by the executive committee before receiving final approval from the full Board of Directors. The Foundation encourages direct communication with applicants throughout the process. Questions regarding eligibility, focus areas, or submission procedures may be directed to Carrie Herman by phone at 330-745-5995 or by email at gro.fcnotrebrab@namrehc. The Foundation’s office is located at 460 W. Paige Ave., Barberton, Ohio 44203. The recurring nature of the two annual grant cycles indicates an ongoing annual opportunity for Barberton-serving organizations to seek project support.

Focus proposals on direct measurable benefits to Barberton residents and align projects clearly with one of the two annual focus areas. Avoid requests involving operating expenses fundraising debt reduction political activity or religious programming.