Little Swiss Fund Nonprofit Recipients Announced

The nonprofit organization recipients from the inaugural distribution of the Little Swiss Fund in Highland County have been announced.

According to a press release dated November 13, 2018, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced this week that its Little Swiss Fund Grants Committee met to review ten applications for the first annual grant award process.  The Little Swiss Fund is a permanently endowed fund, whose monies are invested and provide an annual distribution to benefit the Highland County nonprofit community.  The distribution is 4% of a five-year average of the fund’s balance.  This year’s grants will provide $53,213 to five charitable organizations.

Money will be distributed as follows:

• $19,150 to the Highland Medical Center, Inc. for a special project titled “A Prescription for Exercise” to update old equipment
• $12,775 to the Highland County Fair Association, Inc. for general operating support
• $11,700 to Allegheny Mountain Institute for Phase I Fellows
• $6,915 to the Highland County Volunteer Fire Department for general operating support
• $2,673 to the Highland County Humane Society, Inc. for community pet retention and foster care

The Community Foundation was the beneficiary of a gift of over $10 million from an anonymous donor earlier this year.  In the future, The Community Foundation will distribute grants annually from the Little Swiss Fund to 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organizations in Highland County.  Nonprofits with broad active volunteer support and annual revenues exceeding $25,000 are encouraged to apply for grant funding through a competitive application process.  Organizations must receive less than half their income from government entities to be eligible. Religious organizations may apply.

To submit an application for funding, people can visit The Community Foundation’s website, http://www.tcfhr.org/nonprofit-organizations/grants-available/ .

The 2019 Little Swiss Fund Grants application will be available in August, with a deadline of November 1. The review committee will begin reviewing applications in October, and grants will be distributed by November 30. The 2019 distribution is estimated to be $144,000.

For more information, Ann Siciliano, the Director of Program Services with the Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, can be contacted at 540-432-3863 or at ann@tcfhr.org.