Established in 1991, the Wayne County Community Foundation aims to serve the entire Wayne County by offering a platform for a multitude of long and short-range causes. It emphasizes creating a community pool of assets to benefit the county for years to come, through gifts that give back forever. The foundation has attracted a variety of permanent charitable funds over three decades, addressing the evolving challenges of changing times by investing in and administering these funds to support humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations.
The grant program of the Wayne County Community Foundation focuses on supporting innovative and unique programs and projects within the education sector that are beyond the scope of regular school budgets. Specifically, it aligns with the State’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, emphasizing the funding of state-approved programs that upgrade and integrate technology in education. The program encourages businesses to contribute towards educational improvements, offering tax credits in return. The foundation then awards grants to public schools in Wayne County for innovative educational programs that enhance the curriculum or academic program beyond the standard offerings, with an awards process taking place in the late fall annually.