The Clinton County Community Foundation: Working to Address the County’s Most Promising Opportunities and Pressing Needs

Helping to grow current and future civic leaders in Clinton County is among the aims of Leadership Clinton County, which has annually received a competitive grant from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Photo by BOB ROLLEY/CCCF

The Lock Haven Area Shoe Bank is a Godsend to many families who find it difficult to afford shoes, coats, socks and more. The Shoe Bank receives important grant funding from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Photo by BOB ROLLEY/CCCF

Emergency first-responders save lives and, in Clinton County, various fire and ambulance services earn financial support from the Clinton County Community Foundation through grants. Photo by BOB ROLLEY/CCCF

The Clinton County Community Dental Clinic provides a critical service to people who cannot afford private dental insurance or who have Medicaid. Each year, the clinic receives financial support from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Photo by BOB ROLLEY/CCCF

LOCK HAVEN – Helping to provide food, clothing and other necessities to children, families and adults in need.

Supporting leadership in our county.

Assisting efforts to teach our youth about good citizenship.

Aiding programs and initiatives to educate our kids about farming and agriculture, history, business, finance and entrepreneurship.

Providing money to create and sustain cultural events that enhance our quality of life.

Giving a financial hand to emergency first responders to help save our lives amid disaster and tragedy.

These efforts all serve the purpose and mission of the Clinton County Community Foundation as it works to address Clinton County’s most promising opportunities and pressing needs.

Indeed, the Foundation is pleased to offer annual competitive grants to eligible nonprofits and municipal entities and is working to find new ways to help the county thrive.

Now entering its 56th year, the Foundation board of directors and staff are undertaking development of a strategic plan to guide the nonprofit into the future to elevate its presence and impact here. 

That effort centers around the 11-member board, but the Foundation also will soon be reaching out to key community stakeholders to include civic, business, philanthropic and political leaders in the county.

“It is more important now than ever for the Foundation to evolve and grow so we can keep up with the expanding needs in the community, and opportunities to improve the quality of life for all of us of here in Clinton County,” said Mark Weaver, the Foundation’s new board president.

The Strategic Plan Development will start with a board workshop on March 11, followed by interviews with community stakeholders to gain their opinions and ideas about the Foundation’s role and future.

The plan is being developed by Elizabeth Arnold of Creative Abundance, and Bob Rolley, the Foundation’s outreach coordinator.

“The Foundation has reached an important milestone in terms of its growth and now has enhanced resources to support the community,” said Rolley. “So, it’s critical that the Foundation mature by developing a strategic plan for the next five years and beyond.”

Among the strategies being explored are the development of a new competitive grant program, enhancing the Foundation’s capacity, establishing goals and growing the charity’s donor base, promoting new endowment opportunities, intensifying the nonprofit’s outreach through social and traditional media, and strengthening investment advisor services.

“Giving, growing and leading are the pillars of our strategic plan vision as the Foundations works to become even more impactful,” Rolley said.

“The need is growing. The Foundation received a record number of grant applications for 2025, with applicants seeking a record dollar amount of funds while also pledging to invest a record amount of money in return,” Rolley explained. “That alone is incentive to grow the Foundation’s assets, capacity and impact.”

“The requests for assistance and funding to the Foundation are exceeding what we can provide,” Weaver added. “Our goal and mission are to grow support for improvements and opportunities while also working to meet increasing charitable needs in the county. To do that the Foundation also needs to grow.”

This year, the Foundation is providing roughly $559,000 in grants, gifts and scholarships. 

Competitive grant awards total roughly $326,400, while committed gifts from donors have reached $182,572 and scholarships will come in at just over $50,000 – all in one year.

“We need to ask ourselves, ‘what more can, and should the Foundation do?’ That’s among the central questions we will be posing to board members and community stakeholders,” Rolley said, as the Foundation leverages its investment income in support of services to meet needs and challenges, and to create opportunities. 

Selected community stakeholders will be contacted by Arnold to arrange an interview.

“Stakeholders’ feedback will be very helpful and we ask those who are contacted to take the time to answer our questions and give us their ideas and opinions,” Weaver said.

Developing the strategic plan will be a months-long process, culminating in recommendations to the board in the fall, Rolley added.

“Meanwhile, we ask the public to watch our Facebook page and the local media for opportunities to comment and provide input,” Rolley said. 

Behind all that the Foundation does are its donors.

The first, Jean Sharp Rempe Hendrich, died at the young age of 63, but not before she bequest $43,000 – half of what she inherited from family – to start what became today’s 501c3 Foundation.

Names like Phillips, Clark, Blesh, Kyle, Gummo, Fromme, Williams, Lugg, Theil, Webber, Remick, English, Elder, Dahr, Emmet, Brandt, Clendenen, Jusick, Gardner, Mellot, Poorman and Lipez – these and many other names grace the list of donors to the Foundation over the years.

“We like to say that community is strength, and it all comes from people who care,” Rolley said. “We hope the spirit of giving will continue.”

The Foundation’s web site at www.clintoncountyfoundation.org lists all of the Foundation’s donors, grants, scholarships and grant program guidelines, along with information on how to establish an endowment.

To support the Foundation, or to learn more, visit the web site, send an email to cccf@clintoncountyfoundation.org, or call 570-220-1038.