The largest, $100,000, goes to justice system reform

Staff report

WARREN

The Raymond John Wean Foundation recently approved five grants totaling $263,421 in its second grant-making cycle of 2015, including $100,000 over two years to the newly launched Ohio Transformation Fund.

The Wean Foundation is the first Ohio-based funding organization to partner with the Ohio Transformation Fund, a collaborative developed by national and local philanthropic organizations interested in improving both the short- and long-term outcomes of criminal justice reform, said Jennifer Roller, president of the Wean Foundation.

“Working together with these grantees and other community partners, we believe we can have a significant and sustainable impact across the Mahoning Valley and the state, Roller said.

Grant recipients are:

Ohio Transformation Fund; $100,000 over two years: Work toward criminal-justice-system policy changes including fair hiring, parole-board reform, re-entry and barriers to employment.

Eastern Gateway Community College: $38,000 to hire a full-time student-resource navigator for one year to help students through college and be a resource in dealing with institutional obstacles.

Warren City School District project, “Effective Transitions: Making a Difference:” $35,421 to identify interventions to effectively move students from home to school (first to second and eighth to ninth grades) and on to college and careers.

Youngstown CityScape: $60,000 over two years to support organizational capacity building, including professional development opportunities for existing and new staff to manage and coordinate several projects.

Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber: $30,000 over three years to support 422 Corridor Redevelopment Project Implementation by hiring a project manager.