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Local nonprofits selected to apply for $150,000 in literacy grants

Feb. 14, 2017 By Rebecca McCarter

CINCINNATI— Fourteen local nonprofits are now in the running for a total of $150,000 in grants to support childhood literacy initiatives in impoverished neighborhoods in the Tristate.

Earlier this year, Scripps Howard Foundation, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation and WCPO 9 On Your Side invited local nonprofits to apply for a single $100,000 grant to promote family literacy. The organizations will announce three finalists on March 14 and the winner of the $100,000 grant on April 12.

Upon hearing of the funders’ support for childhood literacy, Duke Energy Foundation stepped forward to offer $50,000 to fund a $25,000 grant to each of the two runner-up organizations.

The top winning organization will be announced during the Scripps Howard Awards, the prestigious annual journalism recognition program presented by Scripps Howard Foundation, at The Aronoff Center for the Arts on April 12.

“Duke Energy is proud to partner with Scripps Howard Foundation and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation to ensure children’s literacy remains a top priority in Greater Cincinnati,” said Jim Henning, president, Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky. “Giving students the tools they need at a young age is critical to their academic success.”

Interested nonprofits submitted their letters of intent earlier this month. Representatives from each funding organization reviewed those forms and narrowed the field to 14. The selected nonprofits have until March 3 to submit a full grant application:

– 4-C for Children for Kaleidoscope® Play & Learn
– Beech Acres Parenting Center for Family Literacy Program
– Boone County Success-By-6 for Boone County FLIPs for Early Learning (FLIPs = Family Literacy Involvement Project)
– Children, Inc. for Rx for Success
– Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for Greater Cincinnati Reach Out and Read Coalition
– Clermont County Chamber of Commerce Foundation for KLiCWow
– Dayton Independent Schools for Readers are Leaders
– Learning Through Art, Inc. for Books Alive! For Kids® Family Literacy Program
– Middletown Community Foundation for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
– Northern Kentucky Education Council for One to One: Parents as Partners
– Princeton City School District for Princeton Book Mobile Center
– The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, Inc. for SPARK: Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids
– The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County Foundation for Library Family Literacy Outreach Program
– YWCA of Greater Cincinnati Inc. for HIPPY Expansion: Lifting Families out of Poverty

“Thanks to our friends at Duke Energy Foundation, we will be able to make an even greater impact on childhood literacy in our local communities,” said Liz Carter, president and CEO of Scripps Howard Foundation. “With the additional funds, we can reach more families. The organizations invited to apply are teaching parents how to work one-on-one with their children to encourage reading and bolster their vocabulary, both of which are fundamental in supporting their education.”

Studies show education is a key pathway out of poverty.

“The Duke Energy Foundation’s addition to this project is a great example of organizations working together to solve some of our community’s biggest challenges,” said Ellen M. Katz, president and CEO of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. “This will give us the opportunity to have a greater impact on childhood literacy rates and to create pathways to success for our city’s most vulnerable young people.”

By empowering children with reading skills, the grant recipients can help them to escape the cycle of poverty that can plague generations of families.

WCPO 9 On Your Side will live stream the Scripps Howard Awards show on its website April 12 from 7-8:30 p.m. Eastern time.

About the Scripps Howard Foundation

Dedicated to excellence in journalism, the Scripps Howard Foundation educates, empowers and honors extraordinary journalists who illuminate community issues, and partners with impactful organizations to drive change and improve lives. As the philanthropic arm of The E.W. Scripps Company, the Foundation is a leader in industry efforts in journalism education, scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development, literacy and First Amendment causes. With a special commitment to the regions where Scripps does business, the Foundation helps build thriving communities.

About The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

One of the nation’s leading community foundations, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation helps people make the most of their giving to build a better community. We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities. As a community foundation, GCF creates a prosperous Greater Cincinnati by investing in thriving people and vibrant places. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1963, the Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. At the end of 2015, GCF had net assets of $533 million.

About Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of the communities where its customers live and work. The foundation provides more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts. The foundation’s education focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce development. It also supports the environment and community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.
Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on its legacy of community service. For more information, visit its website.