Licking County Foundation (LCF) was established to help channel donors’ compassion into action through the allocation of grants to charitable organizations that meet existing and emerging needs across our community. Our nonprofit grant partners make it possible for the Foundation to support a wide variety of activities benefiting local citizens of all ages in areas including health and human services, arts and culture, education, parks and recreation, the environment, economic development, public safety, and more.

In addition to grants made from our Field of Interest and Unrestricted Funds, donors also provide grant funding directly to organizations they care about through agency, designated agency, project, donor advised and community charitable funds. For more information about grants from those funds, click on the links to the right.

Thanks to the philanthropic vision of generations of Licking County donors, Licking County Foundation disbursed $1,002,827 in 2022 to over 100 Licking County organizations that are improving lives on behalf of our generous donors. 

Priorities and Partnerships: Advancing Toward Trust-Based Philanthropy
As a result of more intentional and frequent engagement with our nonprofit community that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, Licking County Foundation continuously gains new insights into how different organizations of many shapes and sizes are meeting a broad and complex array of needs across Licking County. As a result, our grantmaking continues to shift toward what is known in the field as "trust-based philanthropy," a model that provides a foundation centered on our relationships with our nonprofit organizations to foster continuous learning, systemic equity, mutual accountability, and partnership in service to our community.

LCF grants principally support projects or programs that

• Help launch new projects which represent a unique and unduplicated opportunity for the community
• Support established organizations for special purposes
• Support organizations which deliver effective existing programs to assist or empower underserved or disadvantaged populations
• Offer new approaches to solving problems, and stimulate others to participate in problem-solving
• Create opportunities for organizations to collaborate without duplicating services, and leverage additional resources
• Make a clear difference in the quality of life for a substantial number of people
• Propose innovative, creative, and practical solutions to both current and emerging community needs
• Strengthen an agency’s effectiveness or stability
• Generate matching funds   

If you know of emerging community needs and opportunities, please let us know! Organizations or individuals are encouraged to reach out to LCF with information about new or expanding programs, projects, or communities served by writing us at grants@thelcfoundation.org.

Questions? Contact:  
Bobby Persinger, Program Officer, Grants and Capacity Building, 740.349.3863, ext. 113