Reed Fund awards grant to Center

The Board of Trustees of Toledo Community Foundation approved a Reed Fund grant to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in the amount of $5,000. These funds are being used to bolster new development projects aimed an increasing the Center’s income to ensure its long-term continuation.

The Reed Fund grant has been used to support hiring an administrative assistant for six months. The assistant will help the Executive Director and Development Director concentrate their efforts on development projects. New income sources are critical to the Center, which has seen its annual income from the state decrease from $504,037 to $281,043.

The Hayes Presidential Center is a major attraction and a premier educational facility. Each year hundreds of school children take part in the Center’s satellite classroom program Curriculum Connections. Thousands of families and individuals attend lectures, historical exhibits, and make use of the vast resources of the Hayes Museum and Library. Tourists visiting the Hayes Presidential Center make a significant impact on the local economy. The Center’s year-round special events also add to the quality of life for area residents and are important in attracting new business to the area.

“The Toledo Community Foundation recognizes the historic importance of the Hayes Presidential Center and its key role in the community at large. Making this grant is a way to help the Center help itself. The Foundation has been impressed by efforts already taken by the Hayes Presidential Center to overcome its financial crisis and is pleased to offer assistance,” said Keith Burwell, President of Toledo Community Foundation.

“We recognize that the only way to significantly grow our income is through development,” said Hayes Presidential Center Executive Director Christie Weininger. “This grant provides us with the support staff we so desperately need as we seek to engage new financial support from around the country.”

Toledo Community Foundation, Inc. is a public charitable organization created by citizens of our community to enrich the quality of life for individuals and families in our area. In existence since 1973, the Foundation has more than 545 funds with assets of approximately $166.5 million. The Foundation provides philanthropic services for individuals, families, businesses and corporations to meet their charitable giving needs. For more information on the Foundation, visit the organization’s website at www.toledocf.org or follow it on Facebook.