Straker Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry for potential grants

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – One letter could be all it takes to receive a grant worth thousands of dollars from the J.W. and M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation. 

From now until Oct. 31, nonprofit organizations, government entities, or educational institutions in Muskingum County can send a letter of inquiry (LOI)to the Straker Foundation for requests between $25,000 to $250,000. Selected letters will have the chance to apply for a January grant. 

“Be as specific as possible and one of the things that people sometimes forget to add is the need that the project fills in the community. So we like to know how do we know there’s a need for this and how this project will fill it,” said Pam Kirst, the program director of the Straker Foundation. 

Kirst lays out how the money can and cannot be used while highlighting the types of projects they’d like to see. 

“We generally do not cover operating expenses in our grants. So no salary or utilities, that kind of thing. We like to look at new projects, we like bricks and mortar. We have a strong commitment to youth and education, to poverty abatement, to the culture and arts. And really if people have questions, we welcome their calls,” Kirst said. 

You can call the number on your screen to call the J.W. and M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation for more information and you can find the preferred format for an LOI on their website.