At Community West, we are always looking for innovative ways to meet the needs of the community in addition to our quarterly grantmaking. That is why we established the Schindler Assistance Fund which is specifically earmarked to support church-based programs in our community. These programs are typically volunteer-driven and rely on parishioner donations to stay active which is why we refer to them as “hidden helpers”.

  

Programs could include things like food pantries, free clothing, community meals and more. In fact, the first grant awarded from this fund went to Link-Up Bike Ministry, an initiative of Rocky River United Methodist Church. The program collects donated used bicycles and refurbishes them to like-new conditions. The group then distributes them to families in need.

Churches in Western Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties can visit our website here  to learn more about the application process. Grants range between $250 and $2,500 and requesting entities must hold a 501c3 tax exemption status to be awarded. The fund is named in honor of retired Senior Grantmaker, Peter Schindler, in recognition of his decades-long service to Community West Foundation.