Published in the May 27-June 9, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
The Morgan Hill Community Foundation is awarding $11,400 in local grants and $5,000 in high school scholarships this year. The MHCF and community partners operating under its fiscal sponsorship have awarded about $550,000 since its 2002 inception.
This year marks the first the nonprofit is awarding scholarships, which will go to 10 Live Oak and Sobrato high schools students continuing on to higher, full-time education in a range of fields, including agriculture, the arts, and general studies. Many individuals and community organizations donated to make the MHCF scholarship program possible, including the Santa Clara Valley Contractors Association, El Toro Culture & Arts, and the Morgan Hill Sister Cities Association. MHCF offers scholarships through the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s Common Scholarship Program.
MHCF offers grants every spring to qualifying local nonprofits that successfully complete an application and independent review process. More information about the program is available at www.morganhillcf.org. This year’s grant winners are:
• Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley
• Community Solutions
• DUB Foundation Baseball & Softball
• Edward Boss Prado Foundation
• Gilroy Compassion Center
• The Health Trust Meals on Wheels for Seniors
• Home First/Emergency Housing Consortium
• Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2015 “Bright Idea” project
• Live Oak Safe and Sober Grad Night
• Morgan Hill Independence Day Celebration
• One Step Closer Ranch
• Roto Care
• South County California Student Opportunity & Access Program (South County Cal-SOAP)
Also, through its donor advised fund program, the MHCF annually grants invested funds designated for the “Centennial History Trail Maintenance” through the Morgan Hill Historical Society.
“The MHCF works hard to help as many residents as possible live an enriched life,” said Amy Whelan, president of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. “We are grateful to our generous donors and volunteers who make everything possible. Every hour spent and dollar donated adds up to make a difference somewhere, somehow.”
Next for the MHCF is its annual philanthropy and volunteer awards celebration, scheduled for Nov. 13, 2015, at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center. More information about the nomination process will be available in August.
In addition to its own grants and scholarship programs, the MHCF serves as a fiscal sponsor of 11 local nonprofit partners, each with its own mission and community goals. A fiscal sponsorship through the MHCF offers benefits including tax-exempt status, insurance coverage, and tax preparation and reporting.
