News

PRESS RELEASE | OCTOBER 2024

National Thought Leader Rich Harwood Visiting Winchester for Public Event

October 1, 2024 - Greater Clark Foundation is hosting “Abettor Days Ahead: Building a Vibrant Kentucky” to engage community leaders and active citizens around what it means to rediscover and act on our shared aspirations amid challenging times. The event will feature a keynote address from national thought leader Rich Harwood, President and Founder of The Harwood Institute, who has worked deeply in Clark County and elsewhere across the Commonwealth.

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PRESS RELEASE | JANUARY 2024

The Greater Clark Foundation Awards More Than $170,000 in Building Trust and Belonging Grant Initiative

Nine organizations will participate in a year-long learning cohort while implementing trust and belonging community projects.

January 24, 2024 - Today, the Greater Clark Foundation (GCF) announces awards totaling $174,000 to community organizations impacting Clark, Estill, and Powell counties and the Commonwealth at large through a new Building Trust and Belonging (BTB) initiative. The proposal and review process created space for applicants to explore unlikely partnerships, consider how to bring people together across differences, and begin envisioning a new future for their community.

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PRESS RELEASE | NOVEMBER 2022

Greater Clark Foundation Recognized for Its Commitment to Equity with $3M Gift

National philanthropist’s one-time gift will enable continued transformational work in the region.

November 22, 2022 - The Greater Clark Foundation’s (GCF) transformational work in the region just received a substantial boost. Since its launch in 2013, GCF has focused on placing people at the center of community decision-making. A recent one-time $3 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott validates GCF’s approach, including its commitment to equity.

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PRESS RELEASE | OCTOBER 2022

Winchester Minority Leadership Initiative

Community Funders Announce Winchester Minority Leadership Initiative

October 24, 2022 - Winchester, Kentucky, is launching a new leadership initiative thanks to the generosity of a Clark County donor in partnership with funding from the Clark County Community Foundation and the Greater Clark Foundation. The Winchester Minority Leadership Initiative is accepting applications for the 2023 cohort of next generation diverse leaders who live, work or love Winchester or Clark County. Individuals ages 21-45 who identify as nonwhite can apply to participate in the year-long leadership training program facilitated by professional coach Colene Elridge.

The program is intended to empower the next generation of diverse leaders for Winchester and Clark County. The initial cohort will participate in a 13-month facilitated group program, with additional opportunities to receive one-on-one personal development coaching. Monthly sessions will focus on leadership building in the professional and community space. Participants will receive a stipend of $2,500, and following completion of the program, the leaders will have an opportunity to create ambitious programs or projects to benefit the community, funded by a pool of $250,000. Additional information about the program, along with the online application, can be found at: www.winchestermli.org. Applications are being accepted through December 2. The monthly sessions will begin in January 2023.

For questions about the program or completing an application, please contact Halee Cunningham, halee@bgcf.org.

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The Clark County Community Foundation, an affiliate of Blue Grass Community Foundation, was established in 1998 to benefit charitable organizations and residents of Clark County. Since then it has awarded more than $4 million in grants to support nonprofit organizations and charitable causes in Winchester/Clark County.

The Greater Clark Foundation (GCF) is a health legacy foundation located in Winchester, Kentucky at the crossroads of two storied regions — where Appalachia meets the Bluegrass. By inspiring vision and action for a compelling future, GCF acts as a catalyst, connector, and convener to create the conditions in which all people can thrive. GCF has invested more than $10 million in the region since 2013. The Foundation’s investments include grassroots-oriented What’s Your Ambition?! grants, capacity-building leadership through its Public Innovator Labs, built-environment projects including downtown development, COVID-19 relief, and its signature gift to the region, Legacy Grove Park. Learn more at www.clarkambition.org.

Colene Elridge, aka Coach Colene’s decade-plus of HR experience, led to her being known as “the fixer”- she’s called to help organizations and leaders create better workplaces, productive teams, and aligned results. Her career in government focused on Affirmative Action, equal employment opportunity, and diversity. She was a successful investigator of harassment and discrimination complaints and implemented strategies that resulted in more diverse and inclusive workplaces. She is the CEO of Be More Consulting, a boutique agency designed to support organizations in creating cultures of inclusion and developing women leaders. Her first book, “Monday Morning Pep Talks,” was named by Success Magazine as a top book for professional women. Colene is the founder of EmpowHer Conference, a women's leadership event that focuses on building women into leaders both at work and in their lives.

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NEWS | JUNE 2022

Legacy Grove Park

Recognizing Our Roots and Growth For Our Future

Leeds Center for the Arts’ mission is to “energize and educate the community through the beauty and the emotional power of the arts.” Their Youth Advisory Board’s latest project is a shining example of this.

“The kids landed on a mural pretty quickly,” shares Tracey Miller, board president at Leeds Center for the Arts. They wanted the mural to be about our roots, but also growth in the community with the flowers representing individuals, differences and diversity. All this grows from the roots and the history of where we have come from.”

The Youth Board used a What’s Your Ambition?! grant from The Greater Clark Foundation to develop the mural and support the June 4 community event at Legacy Grove Park. Nearly 300 community members came together to paint the 115-foot-long mural and enjoy activities with community partners, including the Clark County Public Library, Clark County Animal Shelter, Winchester Black History and Heritage Committee and Winchester Inspired by Nature.

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PRESS RELEASE | JUNE 2022

CASA of Madison and Clark Counties

Victoria Benge Wins National Award

Director of local children’s advocacy organization wins prestigious national award

Richmond, Kentucky – June 7, 2022 – Victoria Benge, executive director of CASA of Madison County and Clark Counties, a local organization that works with children who have experienced abuse or neglect, has been named Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children. The announcement was made during the organization’s Awards of Excellence ceremony at the National CASA/GAL’s 2022 Annual Conference held June 6 in Seattle, WA.

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