Message from Toby Ann Weber, Interim Director
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff of the Foundation, I want to extend our best wishes for a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with our fundholders and local nonprofit organizations on improving the quality of life in Portage County through philanthropy.
Since January 2020, the Portage Foundation has made grants totaling more than $640,000 to nonprofit organizations in Portage County and more than $102,000 in scholarships to local high school and college students. The Foundation’s Rapid Response Fund, along with concerned fundholders, also provided support to local agencies to meet immediate needs related to the pandemic.
The Foundation also serves as a philanthropic partner for individuals and families who want to leave an enduring legacy and organizations that want to provide sustainable support for their missions. We have more than 50 fundholders who trust the Foundation to protect their assets and help them make meaningful impact on the causes they care about.
The Foundation’s Board of Trustees has identified six strategic priorities for the next few years:
- Engaging in effective grantmaking
- Increasing our public visibility and highlighting our impact
- Building financial strength and sustainability
- Strengthening our internal operations
- Developing and maintaining effective board and staff leadership
In early 2022 we will embark on a search for new executive leadership to help the foundation achieve these important goals. 2022 is also the Foundation’s 25th anniversary of service to the Portage County community and we are preparing to make an even greater positive impact in the coming years.