Fairfield County Foundation Youth Advisory Committee Awards Grants to 11 Local Organizations

Article presented by The Bean Foundation …

LANCASTER, Ohio – The Fairfield County Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Youth Advisory
Committee of 2025-2026 awarded grants totaling $20,210 from the George and Dollie L. Zimpfer
Memorial Fund to 11 organizations to benefit youth in Fairfield County.

Grant recipients include:

• American Red Cross of South-Central Ohio to support youth preparedness by providing safety
  measures like “Key to Home Fire” lockboxes that support fire and community readiness.
• Berne Township Baseball & Softball Organization to renovate their dugout.
• Breakfast 4 U to support a monthly breakfast program provided to Pleasantville area students.
• Buckeye Ridge Rescue and Retreat to purchase items to implement “Sensory Seekers” play
  equipment as well as an “Explorer Day.”
• Destination Downtown Lancaster for development of the Downtown Youth Passport Program.
• Geneva Hills Group, Inc. to replace their lifeguard chairs.
• Girls on the Run of Central Ohio to support a community team at Gorsuch West in late 2026.
• Rise Up Arts Alliance to upgrade sound and lighting software for productions.
• Salvation Army to purchase items for a new music school initiative.
• YMCA of Lancaster & Fairfield County to purchase books for their “Gift of Time” event.
• Young Life (Southeast Columbus) to support activities during community events and outreach.

“The organizations that were selected are very deserving, as they work every day to make a difference for
the youth in our community,” said Amy Eyman, CEO of the Fairfield County Foundation. “It’s incredible to
see the enthusiasm and dedication of these young leaders, who are really taking advantage of this
opportunity and learning everything they can about the world of nonprofits, grantmaking, and the needs
of their community.”

The Fairfield County Foundation Youth Advisory Committee was established in 2018 to empower Fairfield
County high school students through leadership and community service. Participants have the
opportunity to review projects that support initiatives for youth in their own communities and gain real-world experience, with responsibilities for reviewing submissions, completing site visits and presenting recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The committee, which changes each year, is made up of juniors and seniors from across the county. The 2025-2026 committee consists of 19 students from nine Fairfield County high schools.

Members of the Youth Advisory Committee of 2025-2026 spoke highly of their experiences.

When asked how they would describe the experience to a student who was interested, one student said, “In the Youth Advisory Committee, you get to meet new people, learn new things, explore the nonprofit
organizations of our community, and contribute to the goal of helping our community flourish. Whether that be helping the unfortunate, integrating youth, or creating an environment where all can thrive.”

To learn more about the Youth Advisory Committee, contact Senior Program Officer, Abby King, at 740-654-8451 or aking@fairfieldcountyfoundation.org, or visit: https://www.fairfieldcountyfoundation.org/grants/youth-advisory-committee.