UAHS student Caitlyn Bates sold sidewalk chalk for the Good Neighbor Fund.
The Upper Arlington Community Foundation, always a pillar of the community, has been active for nearly two decades. Since 2003, the foundation has donated a whopping $2 million to the community. And, the foundation’s efforts have always been successful in part because of strong partnerships.
In light of the current events, it has refocused its aim to help UA recover and rebuild from the effects of the pandemic.
“The UA community is the UA Community Foundation. Everything we are able to do is a result of private dollars from individuals, service clubs and businesses,” says Tracy Harbold, executive director of the UACF. “Recently, we had an Upper Arlington High School junior sell sidewalk chalk and donate $300 to the Good Neighbor Fund. Our entire board is all volunteer, and our community partners help us with communicating our mission and collaborations to make the biggest impact. In short, the UACF doesn’t really do anything by itself.”
The role of the UACF is to bring people together and address the needs of the community. Included in its mission is bringing about a positive change to UA.
“When an emerging need arises in Upper Arlington, we want to help; we want to lead the charge to help and to fund innovative new projects to make this community as great as it can be,” says Harbold.
Addressing the pandemic
Small businesses are part of what makes Upper Arlington so unique. As it has been affected by the pandemic, the UACF has temporarily amended its criteria to include small businesses in the GNF.
As of June 5, the UACF has awarded more than $47,000 in grants to small businesses and residents. Grant applications are reviewed weekly, which means the staff has been working harder than ever to make sure they’re addressing the needs of the community.
In addition to the GNF, the foundation has partnered with Neighborhood Bridges to expand its giving capacity.
“While the GNF provides critical funding to pay for housing, utilities, medical bills, etc., we have worked with Neighborhood Bridges to ask for grocery gift cards to add to our grants so we can get more people involved and increase our collective impact,” says Harbold.
The UACF also established the Recreation Scholarship Fund, which helps offset the admission fee for the local pools. The pool schedule has been modified so it is now available only to residents at pre-selected time slots chosen up to a week in advance. Donors came together to establish this fund to make the difficult time easier for residents.
Additionally, the Upper Arlington City School District was awarded a $15,000 grant to support its summer meal program to continue providing meals to any child age 18 and under.
The UACF isn’t stopping there. It is continuing to award grants, and has rescheduled its annual fundraiser. The UACF is tentatively looking at dates in September.
“We will continue doing everything we can to help our community,” says Harbold. “We meet regularly with other community partners as well as city leaders to make sure we learn of emerging needs as soon as possible so we can help.”
Get Involved
If you are interested in giving back to your community, consider getting involved with the UACF:
- Donate to an existing fund or establish a fund of your own
- Give a charitable donation via cash, real estate, appreciated stock and more
- Check out volunteer opportunities on Facebook and the UACF website
- Advocate and spread the word about the UACF mission
“The Upper Arlington Community Foundation’s mission is to help the residents of our community through philanthropic activities to create a strong and enduring impact,” Harbold says. “Thanks to our many donors and partners, we are the heart of UA.”
Get Help
Everyone’s lives have been affected by the pandemic. The Good Neighbor Fund (GNF) can help you if you:
- Live in or have your small business within Upper Arlington city limits
- Are able to provide paperwork demonstrating your critical need
- Have exhausted all other avenues of aid
- Have never before received a grant from the GNF
“Grants from GNF are meant to help those people who are already on a path of recovery and who are committed to helping themselves so they can achieve changes in their lives,” says Harbold. “The donor hopes that grants made will assist the recipient(s) in a continuation of self help.”
For more information, visit www.uacommunityfoundation.com.
Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
