SHARE Grants Committee
Current Members
- Stephanie Delp - Chairman
- Carla Johns - Project Grants Coordinator
- Kelly Winchester - Treasurer
- Barb Steele - Secretary
- Amber Meyers - Outreach/ Social Media Coordinator
- Stefanie Keiffer - Member
- Maura Cowan - Member
- Bruce Dunlavy - Member
- Sue Reyna - Member
The SHARE Grants Committee is always looking for new members to assist with outreach, grant coordination, and planning. If you have an interest in learning more or would like to attend a meeting, please contact Michelle Layton at MsMichelleLayton@gmail.com or send an email to grants@sharefest.org Voting Membership is obtained by attending at least two committee meetings prior to the Award Evaluation Session
2020 Project Grant Application Announcement:
Hello Lovely SHARE Family!
It's the time of year where fall festival is behind us and winter has begun to hint at its inevitable arrival - that means it is project grant season! The SHARE Grants Committee is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for 2020 project grant funding! Throughout this past year, we have been delighted to award over $28,000 in support of 22 environmental projects with ties to the SHARE community. A few projects that benefited from your donations in 2018 include:- Speakers for a two-day, environmental retreat at the Amethyst Retreat Center
- A Biglerville High School field trip to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Green Urban Initiative community garden upkeep
- A Park Forest Elementary School garden
- Hoop House building at Plenty Belize
- A Harvest Hub Farm-to-School food program
- Conservation outreach field trips through the Wildlife Leadership Academy
- a full list of awards can be found below
Grant applications, overview and other documents can be found here
Project Grant Criteria:
- Environmental education for adults and/or children
- Creating a culture of conservation; good stewardship of the Earth
- Art and music with an environmental focus
- Environmental Activism: working towards societal or institutional change that is specific to the environment
- Preservation and conservation of natural resources or habitats
2018 Project Grant Awards:
Educational Grants:
SHARE is committed to promoting the environmental education of our current and future generations.We encourage anyone seeking to educate themselves about environmental conservation, preservation, and sustainability to apply for a grant of up to $500 in support of their tuition or book expenses. Simply complete a SHARE Educational Grant Application and submit via email or through the mail; educational grants are considered on a rolling basis, year-round as our budget allows! We do require proof of enrollment (tuition bill, book receipt etc.) and ask that you submit a report or conduct a workshop at festival highlighting your new skills.
Special Funds:
Throughout the year, we are often made aware of causes, events, and organizations that hold special meaning to members of the SHARE community but fall outside the realm of educational or project grants. We consider recommendations for special funding year-round as our budget allows. Criteria for these special funds are more relaxed than those for other grants but the cause must still exemplify the values of SHARE. In 2018, the following awards were made:- $500 to the Coalitions to Protect Hawn's Bridge Peninsula
- This is a group of concerned citizens in community surrounding Raystown Lake in Huntington County, PA that are advocating the preservation of a currently undeveloped swath of land around the lake that is in danger of being rezoned so that construction can begin to develop a new marina, restaurant, and glamping campground.
- $500 to the Street 2 Creek Coalition - Storm Drain Project
- This group focuses on how liter and chemicals make their way into storm drains and cause the pollution of local waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay. They are working to bring awareness to this issue by creating and installing storm drain murals within the York Community
SHARE the Funds:
In addition to our annual project grants and educational grants, SHARE sponsors six organizations each year (three in Spring and three in Fall) to be voted upon by our general membership! We want to know where YOU want YOUR money to go! Each group will receiving funding, but on a tiered system depending on how much we have available in our budget. As you check in at Greeters, you will be handed a ticket and asked to vote for your choice of organization. At the end of the weekend, the results will be announced and the awards will be completed at the following board meeting. If you would like to recommend an organization to be sponsored, please send an email to grants@sharefest.org explaining who they are, what they do, and how they promote the values of SHARE. Below are the results from our Spring and Fall 2018 Reunions: Fall 2018 "Community"- $500 Rescue Me Animal Rescue Network
- Rescue Me is an online,community-based resource that helps animal shelters match adoptable pets with their new homes. This 501c3 public charity also runs several RescueMe Centers based out of Washington D.C. that help rehabilitate animals with special needs
- $300 Newport Public Library
- Newport Public Library contains over 35,000 materials in its collection and offers a progressive program of library services to inform, enrich, enlighten, and entertain all members of the Newport community. The library aims to be a leading resource for information, a center for lifelong learning, and a meeting place that actively integrates life in the community with change in the world. Based in Newport, PA.
- $200 New Community Project
- "NCP is a small organization with a big goal - to change the world by changing the way we relate to the planet and its people." Based in Arizona, NCP sponsors learning tours and special projects that highlight caring for our earth and our communities. Some of these projects include "If a Tree Falls" - replanting trees in the Amazon rain forest and "Give a Girl a Chance" - helping girls from Myanmar to Sudan receive the education and skills training they need for a better future.
- $750 Red Creek Wildlife Center
- Red Creek has been giving wildlife a second chance for over 20 years. From the tiniest hummingbird, to the largest eagle, from chipmunks to deer, they have been serving Pennsylvania since 1991 by taking in several thousand wild animals annually.
- $500 Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- CBF works to find effective, science-based solutions to the pollution degrading the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. They engage in education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration to turn the tide and leave a legacy of clean water for future generations.
- $250 Spoutwood Farm CSA
- Spoutwood is a non-profit, educational farm that teaches Community Supported Agriculture and uses natural, organic farming methods. They highlight how the land surrounding the food garden is cared for to promote biodiversity and optimal natural cycles and invite people to live harmoniously with the environment that supports us all.
| Organization | Type | Description | Amount Requested | Grant Amount |
| Amethyst Foundation | 501(c)(3) | Speakers at 2 Day Environmental & Music Retreat | $4,800.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Cottage Hill Garden | Volunteer | Cordorus Creek Critter Crosswalk supplies | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Appalachian Trail Museum | Museum | Funding for Hall of Fame Weekend (""Leave no Trace"" theme) | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Biglerville High | School | Chesapeake Bay Foundation Field Trip Environmental Edu. Program | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| FEHTA CSA | School | Fund Staffing & Supplies to develop CSA | $4,700.00 | $2,000.00 |
| GUI Berryhill | Volunteer | Community Garden re-development & expansion | $ 1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| GUI Lacey | Volunteer | Community Garden wooden bed replacement | $6,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Heritage Creek Farm Camp | Farm | Funding for various environmental educational projects | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Harrisburg Inspiring Connections Outdoors | Volunteer | HICO Outdoor Environmental Education (Yellow Breaches float trip) | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Hydration Equation | Private | Energy efficient water mobile unit for festivals/events | $489.00 | $500.00 |
| Lebanon Valley Council of the Arts | School | ReClaim, ReUse, ReCycle Project summer & after-school art classes | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Little Buffalo Festival | Volunteer | Arts, Environmental Awareness & Sustainable Living Event | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Melwood Horticultural Training Center | 501(c)(3) | Irrigation Control Valve & solenoids to save water resources | $1,736.99 | $1,750.00 |
| Mermaid Station | Volunteer | Enclosed trailer, ratchet straps and shelving | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Park Forest Elementary Garden | School | Garden revitalization, planting & supplies | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Perry County Council of the Arts | Volunteer | Environmental Education & Art Project w/Lower Susq. Riverkeepers | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Plenty App 1 Greenhouse | Volunteer | Horticulture project / build hoop houses | $1,025.00 | $1,025.00 |
| Plenty Belize Summer Camp | Volunteer | 4 Day Environmentally-themed Youth Camp | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Prairie Fire Farms | 501(c)(3) | Solar Panel Purchase & Installation for Riding Arena lighting | $1,750.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Project SHARE of Carlisle | Volunteer | Orchard & Farm Tour for Environmental Education | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| SCPA Harvest Hub | Volunteer | Farm-to-School Food Hub program funding | $2,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Tuscarora Wildlife Education | Volunteer | Install Interactive Stations throughout Environmental Center | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Wildlife Leadership Academy | School | Conservation Outreach Field Trips | $2,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
Total Requested: $41,700.99
Total Awarded: $28,975.00