Nord Family Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Nord Family Foundation broadly funds education, community development, civic engagement and the arts in Ohio, as well as in Boston, Massachusetts; Columbia, South Carolina; Denver, Colorado; and Penn Yan, New York.
IP TAKE: This is a highly accessible and approachable funder that is primarily interested in helping organizations located and operating in Ohio, particularly in Lorain County. It restricts grants to specific geographic areas, so take note in order to confirm if your organization is eligible. It gives more selectively to groups working in other communities where the Nord Foundation’s board members reside.
PROFILE: The Nord Family Foundation was established in 1952 by industrialist W.G. Nord, founder of Nordson Corporation, and his wife Virginia. to “build community through support of projects that bring opportunity to the disadvantaged, strengthen the bond of families, and improve the quality of people’s lives.” Nord Family Foundation grant programs include Arts & Culture, Civic Affairs, Education and Health and Social Services.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Nord Family Foundation’s grantmaking for Education primarily consists of support for public school systems, charter schools, and faith-based schools in its giving area. Nord has supported schools of various Christian and Jewish denominations in the past. It also supports in-school and out-of-school programs that “are innovative and have the potential to be replicated in other regions we serve,” such as outdoor education, camps, after-school reading programs, scholarships, and vocational training. Grantees include Cleveland’s Breakthrough Schools, the Oberlin City School District, Denver’s Arrupe Jesuit High School and the Epiphany School in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Grants for Community Development, Civic Engagement and Democracy
The Nord Family Foundation’s grantmaking for Civic Affairs supports a wide range of programs and organizations dedicated to “the strengthening of communities and the economic empowerment of individuals.” It provides both general operating support and project-specific funding for efforts like neighborhood revitalization, economic development, workforce development, and civic engagement in its giving areas. Grantees include Lorain County Urban League, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Amherst Downtown and Betterment Association, Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization, Philanthropy Ohio, Greater Ohio Policy Center, and Coalition for Hispanic Issues and Progress.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Nord Family Foundation’s grants for Arts & Culture broadly fund performing arts, visual arts, and music in the foundation’s giving areas. It especially prioritizes “[engaging] children and youth, particularly those who may otherwise have limited access and exposure to the arts.” The foundation also owns and operates the New Union Center for the Arts in Oberlin, Ohio. Other grantees include the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, North Pointe Ballet, Littleton Town Hall Arts Center, Mirror Image Arts, and Oberlin College
Grants for Public Health and Mental Health
The foundation’s Health and Social Services program awards grants to “organizations and programs that address a wide range of human needs and aspirations, serving people of all ages.” These grants primarily provide general operating support to Areas of focus include access to basic services with an emphasis on the well-being of children, youth and family, early care and education, child welfare, youth services and access to healthcare. Grantees include the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County, Catholic Charities of Cleveland, Family Planning Services of Lorain county, Harm Reduction Ohio and the Latina Safe House of Denver.
Although Nord does not specifically address mental health programs and services, but its tax filings indicate broad interest in this field. The foundation does not name the particulars of its mental health strategies and priorities preferring to leave grantmaking more open. Past mental health grantees include Life Act, which received funding for its Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide program; and Mental Illness Recovery Center, which received a grant for its Homeless, Supportive Housing and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services.
Grants for Violence Prevention
The foundation’s Health and Social Services program awards grants to “[o]rganizations and programs that address a wide range of human needs and aspirations, serving people of all ages.” Areas of focus include access to basic services with an emphasis on the well-being of children, youth and family, early care and education, child welfare, youth services and access to healthcare. Although Nord does not specifically address violence prevention, its tax filings indicate interest in this field. Past crime and violence grantees include Blessing House, which received funding for its Children’s Residential Crisis Care Center; and Sistercare, which received a grant for its domestic violence early intervention program.
Important Grant Details:
Grant amounts typically range from $10,000 to $50,000. To learn more about the types of organizations NORD supports, examine its grantees list.
The Nord Family Foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications and requests for funding. Grantseekers must submit their applications by April 1 to meet the June decision deadline; August 1 for the October decision deadline; and December 1 for the February deadline.
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