Page 5 - Dresden Buzz 07/11/25

JULY 11 - 24, 2025 LOCAL NEWS | PAGE 5
J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation announces changes

to help streamline grant process by Lynette Dotson

or a field trip for a science class, that
kind of thing. And those funds are avail-
able until they’re gone. So people can
apply anytime from January to Decem-
ber 15th for the small school grant pro-
gram.”
Grants through the Straker Founda-
tion should be pursued after raising
funds through other means first, looking
at the potential for Straker Foundation
grants as a last-dollar funding option,
not the first.
“We would prefer that people ask oth-
er people, other organizations, and other
groups, or fundraise. We would love for
people to do some fundraising on their
own. And then we could fill in the gap,”
Susan Holdren, President and Executive
Director for the J.W. & M.H. Straker Char-
itable Foundation, explained.
“We try to follow the dictates of our
founders, who wanted to enrich life in
Muskingum County with a particular in-
terest in the arts, education, character
development, and children. So those
Susan Holdren, Beth Fox, Pam Kuntz, and Pam Kirst (left to right) are pictured in the front yard of the J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation realizations guide our determinations,”
office. Lynette Dotson explained Kirst. “And also, we have only
a limited pot of money to spend.”
The J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable the people who sent them in spent a lot must contact the Straker “To go to people and help them in their
Foundation has been instrumental in of time on them, too. So, we thought it Foundation to discuss possible greatest hour of need, or to build some-
providing much-needed funds to Non- was time to look at our processes and next steps. thing new that could not be possible
profit (501 c 3) organizations, accred- make some streamlining changes. without us, it’s a wonderful feeling,” said
ited schools, and government entities, “This will give people an opportunity to Holdren.
who need a financial boost to make • The Foundation will accept small kind of pinpoint the process that’s best For further information and to stay up-
life-enhancing projects come to fruition. grant requests, up to $15,000.00, for them,” Kirst stated. to-date on grant cycles, visit
From 1994 to 2019, the Straker Founda- from August 1 through August 31, “We also have a small school grant www.strakerfoundation.org.
tion has awarded grants totaling about 2025. A streamlined grant form will cycle that’s ongoing throughout the
$100,000 each year. Since 2020, the be available at strakerfoundation. year. Each school system has $10,000
available funds have grown, enabling org. The Foundation plans to notify reserved for its programs,” added Kirst.
the Straker Foundation to make a great- recipients by the end of September. “These are grants that would cover ADVERTISE IN THE DRESDEN BUZZ.
er impact on the community annually. things like books for a teacher’s library 740-270-2408
The Foundation recently announced • Organizations pursuing grants to
a few changes to its grant processes to taling $15,000.00 to $150,000.00
make it easier for grant-seeking orga- will submit Letters of Inquiry (LOI) in
nizations and the Straker Foundation October 2025 to determine if they
itself. should pursue a grant in January
“In January of this year, we had our 2026. Guidelines for writing the
usual big grant cycle, and we had $1.1 Letter of Inquiry will be available on
million to allot and thought that would the Foundation website, and
be ample,” explained Pam Kirst, Senior requests must be submitted there.
Program Director of the J.W. and M.H. Writers will be notified by early
Straker Charitable Foundation. “But to November whether they should
our great surprise, we received $7.1 mil- pursue writing a grant in the
lion in requests. And the requests ranged January 2026 cycle.
in size from $250 to $2.5 million. And,
of course, it took us a long time to pro- • Those who hope to make large
cess those requests. And we know that requests of more than $150,000.00

Crooksville-Roseville Pottery

Festival continues through

Saturday, July 12

The Crooksville-Roseville Pottery Fes- Saturday, look for the festival to open
tival is being held through Saturday, again at 10:00 a.m., the fish fry start-
July 12 at the Crooksville Village Park, 7 ing at noon until they sell out, and rides
Park Drive, Crooksville. opening at noon. Leaping Lizards Ad-
The three-day festival began with a venture will join in on the fun at 1:00
ceremonial opening at noon on Thurs- bringing a selection of reptiles for a live
day, July 10. A queen pageant, musical animal show. This event is sponsored by
entertainment, and rides rounded out The Perry County District Library. KLB
the day’s events. & Co Band will perform from 3 to 5:00
On Friday, the grounds open at 10 p.m. and the much anticipated annual
a.m. with Pottery Talk and Pancakes parade starts at 6:00 p.m. (line up is at
with Johnathan and pie contest check-in 5:00 p.m.). Visiting Queen Introduction
from 10 to noon. Rides open at noon and parade awards will be presented fol-
and the Present Day Alive band will per- lowing the parade.
form from 2 to 4 p.m. Pie Contest win- Rock This Way band will perform from
ners will be announced at 4:00 p.m. with 8 to 10:00 p.m. and a closing fireworks
a pie auction to follow. A fish fry will run display will conclude the festival around
from 5 to 9 p.m. The Baby Beautiful 10:00 p.m.
Contest starts at 6:00 p.m. with a 7:00
Fire Extraction and a 8:00 performance
by Mark Pennington Duo concluding the
evening.