Westfield city officials have announced the establishment of the Advancing Westfield Foundation and has opened applications for grant funding. This foundation will serve as a conduit for Mayor Scott Willis’ initiatives, channeling funds raised from the net proceeds of the Mayor’s Grand Gala to nonprofit organizations within the community.
The mission statement of the Advancing Westfield Foundation is to support the efforts of the city’s nonprofit partnerships, ensuring sustainable support for a wide range of vital services for youth, adults, seniors, veterans, and disabled community members.
The foundation has nine community members with voting privileges and one non-voting city representative. These members represent various corporate, nonprofit, and community partners. The nine members are Pete Emigh, Carrie Cason, Michelle Leonard McConnell, Allison Van Natta, Eric Douthit, Mitch Frazier, Brian Tomamichel, Danyele Easterhaus, and Tonya Harvey. The non-voting city representative is Danielle Carey-Tolan, Chief of Staff for the Mayor.
Applications for grant funding are now available online and are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Grant applications can only be submitted by 501(c)(3)-accredited organizations that operate in and/or serve the Westfield community, and the maximum grant request per organization is $25,000. Grant recipients will be notified by Tuesday, Sept. 17. Applications can be found by clicking here.
The inaugural Mayor’s Grand Gala is set for Saturday, Oct. 5 at Grand Park Sports Campus. More information about the Gala, including sponsorship opportunities and tickets, is available at WestfieldGrandGala.com.
The Advancing Westfield Foundation has applied for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.