The majority of grants are made to organizations in Lorain County or to organizations doing work that have direct outreach to or impact in Lorain County.
Grants are also made on a selective basis to organizations in areas where voting members of the Foundation reside. These currently include Boston, MA; Columbia, SC; Cuyahoga County, OH; Denver, CO; and Penn Yan, NY.
Foundation Areas of Interest
The Nord Family Foundation grants to non-profit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and to selected public sector activities. Grants are awarded in the fields of Arts and Culture, Civic Affairs, Education and Health and Social Services. Most grants are made for program related activities, with some grants to support capital improvements and capital campaigns when special criteria are met.
Projects that are directed at the root causes of social problems are of special interest.
In general, the Foundation does NOT award grants in support of
- Debt reduction
- Academic research projects
- Event sponsorships
- Individuals
- Fiscal Agents
- Endowments
Grants are occasionally made for capital purposes when specific criteria are met:
- The organization requesting support clearly serves a under-resourced population.
- In instances where the Foundation’s support is likely to leverage much greater giving from other community sources such as government, corporations, individuals and other foundations.
- Where it is clear that an effective local campaign, involving extensive citizen participation and grassroots leadership has been or will be mounted. Note: Program grants, which include requests for capital items such as furniture, computers, video recorders, etc., are not included within this general policy.