Bryan Area Foundation Grants Given
Since its founding in 1969, the Bryan Area Foundation and affiliate Foundations have issued over $21.2 million in grants and scholarships to a wide spectrum of community-based projects and programs. These encompass recreation, education, athletics, cultural activities, youth and senior citizen programs.
2025 – 2026 Grants
ART Connects Us ($750,000)
- Fully accessible entrance and expanded lobby
- Additional and updated restrooms
- A new ticket counter and information desk
- Community lounge and gallery space
- Upgraded dressing rooms and a green room
- A new scene shop
- Modernized sound and lighting systems
- Contemporary auditorium seating
- And increased parking
Black Swamp Area Council of Scouting America ($5,000)
The Black Swamp Area Council of Scouting America received a $5,000 grant from the Bryan Area Foundation to help pay for phase two of the construction of Cooper Lodge at Camp Lakota in Defiance, Ohio. Once the Lodge with Hubbard Dining Hall was completed in the spring of 2025, several opportunities to enhance the efficiency and smooth operation of its facilities were identified after its first summer in use. These newly awarded monies will be used for sidewalks and lighting to meet the needs of Scouts and staff.
Participating in the check presentation from left to right are Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller, Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee member Larry Harsila, Black Swamp Area Council Executive Board member Doug Saul, Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee chair Mark Miller, and Black Swamp Area Council Scout Executive Marc Kogan.
Edon Summer Ball League ($4,000)
The Edon Summer Ball League was awarded a $4,000 grant from the Bryan Area Foundation for baseball and softball field updates. The funds will be used to replace a dated PONY League mound and purchase new softball pitching mats. These improvements will enhance the quality of practice and games for youth participating in these sports, while also providing a safer and more enjoyable experience for player development.
Pictured left to right during the check presentation are Edon Summer Ball League President Chad Livensparger and Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee Chair Mark Miller.
Hosanna Horse Haven ($10,500)
Congratulations to Hosanna Horse Haven on receiving a $10,500 grant from the Bryan Area Foundation. The funds will help complete the tack/viewing room, fix chronic mud and drainage in the northside barn extension, and build a hay storage lean-to. These enhancements will directly improve safety, protect resources, and support equine-assisted services for 20-30 area students who participate weekly in the Hosanna Horse Haven therapeutic programs. It will also benefit the veterans and first responders, who attend the sessions at no cost.
Pictured left to right during the check presentation are Hosanna Horse Haven Director Lisa Allomong, Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller, rescued and therapy quarter horse Nellie, and Hosanna Horse Haven President Will Allomong.
2025 – 2026 Founders Grants
Founders Museum, The Road to Liberty ($5,250)
Williams County, Ohio, will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America by hosting a Founders Museum, The Road to Liberty, within the historic Williams County Courthouse, which will be offered for years to come. The exhibition, on display throughout the Courthouse starting in April 2026, is for school children, their families, and community members from all over Northwest Ohio.
Megan Hill, Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Junior High School Social Studies teacher, conceived the idea. She worked with the Williams County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Center, other area high school government students and teachers, and county municipalities and organizations, so that visitors will have the opportunity to see portraits and learn about signers of the Declaration of Independence, women of the revolution, key events from the revolution, and more.
The Bryan Area Foundation, Millcreek-West Unity Foundation, and Montpelier Area Foundation awarded a total of $5,250 in grants to support the program, and pictured participants at the check presentation, from left to right, are as follows: Montpelier Area Foundation members Jim Thompson and Alice Miller, Montpelier Area Foundation secretary Rachael Sostoi-Willis, Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Junior High School Social Studies teacher Megan Hill, Bryan High School Career Technical Center instructor Bernie Davis, Millcreek-West Unity Foundation President Patsy Miller, Williams County Recorder Patti Rockey, Williams County Public Library Assistant Director Denver Henderson, Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller and Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making committee members Mike Johnson and Larry Harsila.
Beauty for All Ages ($2,500)
Congratulations to nonprofit Beauty for All Ages on receiving a $2,500 grant from the Bryan Area Foundation. The money will be used to provide free, professional hair services to residents with limited resources staying in partnered assisted living and nursing facilities. Established in 2024, the program removes financial barriers and gives essential grooming services while uplifting the spirits, confidence, and dignity of those served.
Participating in the check presentation from left to right are Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee member Cliff Oberlin, Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller, Beauty for All Ages President and Executive Director Amber Gebers, and Beauty for All Ages stylist Morgan Jones.
Bryan City Band ($2,500)
The Bryan Area Foundation awarded the Bryan City Band a $2,500 grant for commissioned music to help celebrate the band’s 175th anniversary. Established in 1852, the band has been providing musical entertainment to the City of Bryan, Ohio, and is one of the oldest, continuously performing bands in the United States. They play weekly during the summer, and a small ensemble of members plays at special events in Bryan and surrounding communities.
To help commemorate the anniversary, a composer was commissioned to create a unique piece of music for the musicians to perform in the summer of 2026. This composition will give the band members, who range from high schoolers to 80-year-olds, the opportunity to play a piece created especially for them, while providing the audience a “world premiere new music experience”.
Pictured during the check presentation are, left to right, Bryan City Band Director Terry Krause and Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee member Larry Harsila.
CPC Women's Health Resource ($2,500)
CPC Women’s Health Resource was the recipient of a $2,500 grant from the Bryan Area Foundation to help them purchase a new washer and dryer at their Bryan, Ohio, location. As the nonprofit is fortunate to receive donated new and gently used baby items for its clients, on several occasions, those articles need washing. Now with the addition of the new washer and dryer, employees of the organization won’t have to take them home to clean.
Pictured during the check presentation and getting the chance to see the new washer and dryer are, from left to right, Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee Chair Mark Miller, CPC Women’s Health Resource RN Teresa Collins, Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee members Dr. Carolyn Sharrock-Dorsten and Michael Johnson, CPC Women’s Health Resource Nurse Manager Tami Rhodes, Bryan Area Foundation Grant Making Committee member Larry Harsila, and CPC Women’s Health Resource Executive Director Mark Pitman.