Trustees of The Burton D. Morgan Foundation awarded grants of nearly $660,000 in January to promote entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education in the Northeast Ohio region, as well as to support programs in Hudson and at charitable organizations serving the region.
Foundation president Deborah D. Hoover noted, “The grants made at our winter Board meeting emphasized programs that support student interns working in entrepreneurial settings. We believe strongly that these entrepreneurship experiences are critical building blocks for students considering a career in entrepreneurship.” She added, “We are gratified to see a wellspring of support from organizations and businesses in the region willing to play a role in creating these opportunities for young people.”
Grants approved by Foundation Trustees in January include:
Akron SCORE – Up to $20,000 for administrative expenses.
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education – $15,000 for annual conference planning and promotion and for scholarships for Northeast Ohio teachers to attend the 2012 conference.
Emmanuel Christian Academy – $13,130 for a summer 2012 entrepreneurship camp for 4th-8th graders.
Entrepreneurs EDGE – $50,000 for the 2012 EDGE Fellows summer internship program.
Entrepreneurship Education Consortium – $80,000 for support of 2012 Entrepreneurship Immersion Week and the 2012 ideaLabs business concept competition for undergraduates.
Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) – $40,000 for the Entrepreneurial Internship Program.
Purdue University – Up to $150,000 over two years for the Burton D. Morgan Interns program at Northeast Ohio start-ups in summer 2012 and summer 2013.
In addition to supporting entrepreneurship initiatives, the Foundation’s Trustees made three grants to Hudson, Ohio, institutions. The Trustees made a proactive grant of $50,000 to the Hudson City Schools Foundation for the district’s new stadium. The funds are for a concession stand to be named in honor of Burt Morgan and used for experiential learning about business. “The Foundation is pleased to bring the Hudson Memorial Stadium campaign closer to its fundraising goal,” Mrs. Hoover said. “We believe that this community project will create valuable learning and leadership opportunities for students, including the chance to gain business experience through the operation of the stadium concession stands.”
Also in Hudson, the First Congregational Church of Hudson received $30,000 for 2012 operating support. And Western Reserve Academy was awarded a grant of $116,000 over two years for the Burton D. Morgan Leadership Program in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The grant will enable the independent school to infuse leadership learning and experiences in academic and co-curricular programs reaching all students.
In recognition of community needs that fall outside the Foundation’s primary mission, the Trustees periodically make one-time grants on a proactive basis to deserving charitable organizations that serve the local area. The following proactive grants were awarded for 2011:
American Red Cross of Summit & Portage Counties – $25,000 for local disaster relief.
Business Volunteers Unlimited – $20,000 toward technology-related costs associated with the merger of BVU with the Akron-based Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park – $5,000 toward capital costs to renovate the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s new retail space in Peninsula.
Family and Community Services Inc. – $7,000 to build and equip the Concierge Office in Valor Home, a transitional housing facility for homeless veterans in Summit County.
Flashes of Hope – $1,500 for photo sessions of pediatric cancer patients at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Magical Theatre Company – $5,000 to upgrade the lighting system.
Mobile Meals Inc. – $28,500 toward the purchase of a specially outfitted meal delivery vehicle.
Since last September, the Foundation also approved several small grants to advance youth, collegiate, and adult entrepreneurship initiatives, as well as programs in the Foundation’s home community of Hudson. Among the recipients were: Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron for the 2012 BEST Medicine Engineering Fair for youth ($5,000); Canton Regional SCORE to strengthen the chapter’s marketing and outreach program ($5,000); Gilmour Academy for entrepreneurship programs in 2011-12 ($5,000); Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network for the Resource Room at the Incubator at MAGNET ($10,000 challenge grant); North Union Farmers Market for the 2012 business development conference “A Time to Grow” ($5,000); Prepared 4 Life to support the participation of Northeast Ohio in Lemonade Day 2012 ($5,000); Hudson City Schools to bring the Earth Balloon to Ellsworth Hill Elementary School ($1,500); Hudson Community Foundation for the Destination Hudson Visitor Center ($4,650); and Newborns in Need for the purchase of new sewing machines and material for the Hudson chapter ($3,000).
About The Burton D. Morgan Foundation
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation is a private foundation established in 1967, whose mission is to strengthen the free enterprise system by investing in organizations and institutions that foster the entrepreneurial spirit. To advance the mission, the Foundation supports entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education programs and initiatives at the youth, collegiate, and adult levels. A legacy of founder and entrepreneur Burton D. Morgan (1916-2003), the Foundation leverages its grant and staff resources to connect the people, ideas, organizations, and opportunities that comprise the vibrant and growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northeast Ohio.