William Swanston Charitable Fund

The William Swanston Charitable Fund is committed to creating transformative change in the lives of children residing in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio. The Fund emphasizes the belief that children should not be defined by their adversities and that all youth deserve equal opportunities to succeed. Guided by this principle, the Fund focuses its grantmaking efforts on addressing the root causes of disparities and investing in initiatives that support the healthy development and well-being of children. In 2024, the Fund will prioritize funding innovative initiatives that work to prevent or reduce risk factors for children, and that create supportive environments in which they can thrive. Funding will be directed towards projects within three key domains: Health and Wellness, Education, and Children’s Services. Under Health and Wellness, the Fund supports efforts that advance prevention and early intervention in mental and behavioral health, asthma, maternal and infant health, and improving community conditions such as access to food, housing, safety, and physical activity. In Education, grants will target efforts that confront racial and income-based disparities, particularly in areas like kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and high school graduation or college and career preparedness. For Children’s Services, initiatives that address the impact of parental substance abuse or incarceration, and those serving youth engaged with the juvenile justice system, are eligible. Strong proposals will demonstrate a community-centered approach that includes individuals with lived experience in both planning and implementation phases. Applicants are encouraged to define clear goals, use both qualitative and quantitative data, and propose solutions that address the underlying socioeconomic and racial inequities impacting children’s health. Additionally, the Fund favors projects that aim to produce systemic change through policy or environmental improvements and that collaborate with cross-sector partners to develop shared strategies. Funding requests that demonstrate leverage of other public and private financial resources are highly regarded. The Fund is particularly interested in initiatives that support children from low-income backgrounds, children identifying as non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic, those residing in Youngstown, Warren, or similarly disinvested areas, and children with histories involving abuse, neglect, or the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis, but decisions are rendered following three key annual deadlines: April 15, July 15, and October 15. Decisions are typically made within three months following each cycle's deadline. While applications can be started and submitted at any time, they are only reviewed after the next closest deadline. More information on terms and definitions relevant to the Fund's language can be found in their Glossary of Commonly Used Terms.