The Raymond John Wean Foundation has approved $66,442 for resident-led initiatives in Warren and Youngstown.

Grants will support 19 organizations, including seven new grantee partners, underscoring the Wean Foundation’s ongoing investment in emerging leaders and community-led change.

Each year, the Wean Foundation provides Resident Engagement Grants of up to $5,000 to small nonprofits and grassroots groups to activate and sustain critical neighborhood solutions. Each recipient participates in one of the Wean Foundation’s Resident Engagement Grant workshops, a prerequisite to apply for such a grant, where they have an opportunity to refine their narrative and budget before applying.

“There was immense interest in our Resident Engagement Grant program this year,” said Marissa Price, the Wean Foundation’s program officer for grantmaking. “This program is a great opportunity to engage with the Wean Foundation and learn more about the grantmaking process. And as a new program officer for the Foundation, it gave me the chance to better understand all the wonderful work happening in the Mahoning Valley.”

The Wean Foundation will accept submissions for its Resident Engagement Grants again in spring 2027.

More than 270 unique grassroots organizations have received more than $2.1 million in funding since 2008.

The grants, ranging from $1,475-$5,000, went to:

• Black House Farmz of Youngstown for its youth agriculture and entrepreneurship program.

• Dress To Succeed Ohio in Youngstown for professional attire and hygiene essentials for residents entering the workforce.

• Ebony Ladies Golf and Youth Foundation in Youngstown for its summer enrichment program for youth.

• Hyer Merit Association in Warren for entrepreneurship development programming.

• Lit Youngstown to support outreach for its writing workshops for residents.

• Love Your Community in Warren for its youth life skills and sports mentorship program.

• Mahoning Valley Reentry Coalition for community resource pop-ups.

• Manna House Refuge in Youngstown for its community pantry on Youngstown’s East Side.

• Ministerio Caricias de Amor in Struthers for a community resource fair.

• Oak Hill Collaborative Inc. in Youngstown for a youth computer coding skills program.

• Small Steps Forward in Youngstown for youth life skills programming.

• Somos Youngstown for community resource videos for Spanish-speaking residents.

• Spanish Evangelical Church Assemblies of God Inc. in Youngstown for a community resource fair.

• The Greater Youngstown Community Dialogue on Racism for an infant vitality community resource fair.

• Top Hat Productions in Youngstown for youth arts programming.

• Trumbull County Youth Organization for a youth-led community gardening initiative.

• Unstoppable Dreams in Youngstown for youth workforce development.

• Walking in My Truth Inc. in Youngstown for a socioemotional youth mentorship program.

• Youngstown NAACP for a resident-led civic engagement initiative.