Since its inception in 1944 the Mount Vernon Community Trust, and now the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon & Knox County, has had a proud tradition of providing timely financial assistance for important community endeavors.

The following timeline highlights almost 60 years of giving to community projects by the Foundation through its unrestricted funds. The list does not include millions of additional dollars, which have been distributed through designated funds and scholarship funds.

• 1940s-1950s
• 1960s
• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990s
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005

1940s-1950s Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $5,000 for Mount Vernon City Planning Study.
• Two grants totaling nearly $71,000 for Mercy Hospital expansion.
• $91,481 grant for Mount Vernon Hiawatha Park public swimming pool.
• Establish $75,000 fund for the construction of a public library.
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1960s Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $80,000 for purchase of land for the new Mount Vernon City Hall. PHOTO
• $78,800 acquisition of site for Mount Vernon Fire Department.
• Rebuild the 1883 fountain on Mount Vernon Public Square; install lighting and landscaping in the square.
• Begin tradition of annual payments for planting flowers on Mount Vernon Public Square.
• $15,000 for Kenyon College Building Fund.
• Administer gifts of more than $100,000 to Martin Memorial Hospital.
• Grants of approximately $175,000 for YMCA Building Fund, from individual donors and various Community Trust Funds.
• $2,400 for tennis courts and equipment at Mount Vernon Memorial Park.
• Administer $195,000 campaign to buy 200-acre site for Mount Vernon Nazarene College.
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1970s Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $8,400 to renovate tower clock on historic Knox County Courthouse.
• $34,000 for Kenyon College Sesquicentennial Campaign Fund.
• $30,000 for Mount Vernon Nazarene College.
• $33,000 for Moundbuilders Guidance Center.
• $30,000 to start The Station Break Senior Citizens’ Center in Mount Vernon.
• Nearly $8,000 for equipment and renovation at the Salvation Army Day Care Center.
• $7,000 for the Big Brothers Association.
• $52,000 for refurbishing and adding air conditioning to the Memorial Building theater.
• Coordinate raising of more than $200,000 (including $150,000 from the Community Trust) to build Yellow Jacket Stadium complex at M.V.H.S.
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1980s Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $25,000 for runway extension and $30,000 for parking apron at Knox County Airport.
• $100,000 for Mount Vernon City purchase of Plaza Office Building, housing Mount Vernon Police Department and Mount Vernon Municipal Court.
• $7,500 for Downtown Mount Vernon crosswalks.
• College scholarship program established with Apple-ton and Freeman bequests.
• $100,000 grant for Kenyon’s Ernst Athletic Center; $50,000 for Ascension Hall renovation.
• $90,000 for Mount Vernon Nazarene College classroom building; $25,000 for computer lab; and $150,000 for auditorium and fine arts center.
• $13,600 for gifted education program in Knox County schools.
• Grants totaling more than $26,000 for computer education and equipment in Centerburg, East Knox, Danville and Mount Vernon schools.
• $45,000 for athletic facilities in Fredericktown, Danville and Centerburg schools.
• $45,000 for playground equipment at elementary schools throughout county.
• $40,000 for the fitness center, women’s health center, and renovations at the YMCA.
• $30,000 for purchase of new office building for Interchurch Social Services.
• $12,000 seed money for Hospice of Knox County.
• $40,000 for expansion of Moundbuilders Guidance Center.
• $8,600 for improvements at The Station Break Senior Citizens Center.
• $23,205 for New Directions shelter facility.
• $4,100 for lighting at Mount Vernon’s Riverside Park.
• $10,000 for Kokosing Gap Trail development.
• Grants totaling $28,000 for the Kenyon Repertory Theater and Kenyon Festival Theater.
• $50,000 for construction of new Agricultural Museum at the Knox County Fairgrounds.
• $50,000 for the purchase of a building for the Knox County Historical Museum.
• Facilitate $25,000 Cooper Industries grant for public library expansion.
• $5,000 for the Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival.
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1990s Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $9,000 for Hiawatha Day Care Center playground equipment.
• $9,995 for New Hope School’s two-way radio system for transportation.
• $10,000 to Knox County Adult Day Care Center for program development.
• $60,000 for Agricultural Society for fairgrounds improvements.
• $25,000 for expansion of Knox County Agricultural Museum.
• $10,000 for special project to strengthen elementary science curriculum in Knox County schools.
• $30,000 challenge grant to East Knox Schools for athletic complex.
• $20,000 to construct all-weather track in the Fredericktown Athletic Center.
• $35,000 for support of the Dan Emmett Arts and Music Festival.
• $30,000 to Big Brothers/ Big Sisters Association for building acquisition.
• $26,500 for additions to Danville Schools Athletic and Recreation Complex.
• $2,440 for Dogwood Blossoms Chapter of Sweet Adelines for risers to be used in performances.
• $21,468 for Knox County Airport hangar construction and runway extension.
• $157,000 to the Knox County Historical Society for land purchase and new construction.
• $10,000 to Knox County Humane Society for Cat Shelter project.
• $9,600 to Kokosing Gap Trail for improvements.
• $14,640 to Mount Vernon AmeriFlora citywide beautification project.
• $14,442 for construction of two softball diamonds and parking at Memorial Park.
• $40,000 grant for renovation of 4-H building on West High Street.
• $125,000 matching grant for Salvation Army new building construction
• More than $2.3 million in scholarship grants from 1990-2003.
• $250,000 for YMCA “Focus on the Future” pledge for construction of sports center.
• $7,500 for Bladensburg Youth Baseball League facility construction.
• $4,000 for Hiawatha Day Care HVAC system replacement.
• $12,500 to Mount Vernon for Phillips Park improvement and trail extension.
• $150,000 to Mount Vernon Nazarene College for construction of new library.
• $100,000 grant for new Fredericktown Community Library.
• $2,000 for Fredericktown Recreation District’s shelter/ maintenance building project.
• $10,000 for MVHS Academic Boosters to install academic award displays.
• $33,000 toward construction of Mohican Valley Trail, beginning in Danville.
• $4,367 for Project D.A.R.E. computer purchase to promote drug use prevention education in area schools.
• $3,000 for “Focus 2100” planning initiative by the Mount Vernon Area Chamber of Commerce
• $5,000 for Freedom Center repairs.
• $100,000 computerization grant for the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County system.
• $200,000 for Kenyon’s science and music complex.
• $20,000 for the Knox County Career Center Children’s Garden Project.
• $50,000 grant to YMCA for matching grant to update exercise equipment.
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2000 Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $1,000 to American Heart Association to purchase 14 “Heart Power Kits” for area classrooms.
• $2,555 to American Red Cross for 75 blankets and a trailer for supplies.
• $10,000 to Centerburg Music Boosters for new band uniforms.
• $3,000 to Danville High School to increase the size of the weight room.
• $3,000 to Kenyon College Rural Life Center for 13-part radio-series cassette and 32-page booklet documenting “family farming” in Knox County.
• $151,000 to Mount Vernon City Council for Foundation Park land acquisition.
• $1,590 to Mount Vernon/Knox County Chamber of Commerce for “Leadership program scholarships.
• $2,500 to Knox County Educational Service Center for seventh annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
• $6,000 to Knox County Park District, funding one-half the cost of a parks consultant.
• $11,000 to Kokosing Gap Trail for improvements at the Gambier Trail Stop.
• $5,000 to West Side Elementary School for playground improvements.
• $10,000 matching grant to “The Sanctuary” in Danville for building improvements.
• $3,745 matching grant to Village of Gambier for baseball field construction.
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2001 Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $9,000 for Habitat for Humanity tool trailer.
• $10,000 to Food for the Hungry for 2000 and 2001 campaigns.
• $2,000 to Fredericktown Recreation District for multi-purpose building.
• $3,000 to Kokosing Early Childhood Center for Community Assessment Project.
• $20,000 to Mount Vernon City Schools for elementary schools’ library automation.
• $10,000 to Dan Emmett School for playground improvements.
• $901 for creation of WILD School Site at Pleasant Street Elementary School.
• $2,429 to Wiggin Street Elementary School for playground improvements.
• $4,500 to Danville Local Schools for theater lighting equipment.
• $1,600 to Mount Vernon/Knox County Chamber of Commerce for “Leadership program scholarships.
• $3,000 to the Sons of Union Veterans to repair and restore the Gettysburg monument honoring Knox County soldiers.
• $5,100 to the Station Break seniors center to purchase new gas range for meal services.
• $10,267 for New Directions women’s shelter facility.
• $5,000 to American Red Cross for structural, functional and aesthetic improvements to its county headquarters.
• $30,000 pledged to Centerburg Community and YMCA Wellness Center Project.
• $3,500 to Knox County Educational Service Center for eighth annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
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2002 Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $25,000 for Quarry Chapel restoration near Gambier.
• $1,300 for local scholarships to camp for diabetic children
• $20,000 first installment of $100,000 pledge to City of Mount Vernon for purchase of B&O Railroad Station (Special Projects Fund).
• $11,000 to Howard Township Trustees for three new baseball fields.
• $3,000 to Knox County Career Center for purchase of materials for preschool program.
• $3,300 to Knox County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau for purchase of tents, chairs and tables.
• $17,250 to Village of Danville for athletic field lighting project
• $6,000 to Kokosing Gap Trail for tractor purchase.
• $1,000 to Knox County Education Service Center for materials and equipment used for autistic childrens’ curriculum.
• $6,000 to Columbia Elementary School for playground improvements
• $209,000 gift of land for Park District’s new Wolf Run Regional Park on Yauger Rd.
• $14,393 for Fredericktown Historical Society building rehabilitation.
• $5,000 for Food for the Hungry campaign.
• $2,000 for Dan Emmett Arts & Music Festival to establish recurring fundraising project.
• $10,000 Grant to purchase 30 wireless network-enabled laptop computers for Elmwood School.
• $1,000 to co-sponsor First Annual Family Fun Day
• $3,500 to Knox County Educational Service Center for ninth annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
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2003 Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $5,000 for Food for the Hungry campaign.
• $5,000 to East Knox Athletic Boosters for athletic field lighting project.
• $14,393 for Fredericktown Historical Society building renovations.
• $25,000 for Centerburg Community and YMCA Wellness Center Project
• $3,000 for Mount Vernon Girls’ Softball tractor.
• $3,000 to Mount Vernon National Little League for Lamb Park improvements.
• $1,500 to Knox County Regional Planning for “Cost of Services” study.
• $300 to East Knox Elementary School for camp expenses.
• $20,000 second installment of $100,000 pledge to City of Mount Vernon for purchase of B&O Railroad Station (Special projects Fund).
• $1,000 for Leadership Knox Chamber of Commerce membership project.
• $1,000 for Leadership Knox Chamber of Commerce membership project.
• $7,000 to City of Mount Vernon for downtown revitalization landscaping.
• $1,590 to Mount Vernon/Knox County Chamber of Commerce for “Leadership Knox" program scholarships.
• $2,,800 for Danville area “Sew Special Network.”
• $11,500 for American Red Cross automatic external defibrillator purchases.
• $17,250 for Danville stadium lighting project.
• $15,000 first installment of $40,000 pledge for Red Cross multi-purpose building.
• $1,500 for Leadership Knox stage replacement at the Memorial Theater.
• $100,000 pledged for Fredericktown Community Center.
• $2,500 for repaving project at Danville “Sanctuary.”
• $20,000 for new Girl Scouts Camp Cornish lodge.
• $5,000 for East Knox stadium lighting project.
• $4,000 to Knox County Educational Service Center for 10th annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
• $1,000 to co-sponsor Second Annual Family Fun Day
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2004 Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $125,000 matching commitment for Knox Community Hospital "Hope Accelerated Campaign" to create a radiation oncology center. (Payable 2005-2008)
• $1,000 for Leadership Knox Chamber of Commerce membership project.
• $50,000 for Mount Vernon Nazarene University Prince Student Union – Phase I.
• $3,000 for Kokosing Gap Trail maintenance building expansion.
• $3,000 for Mount Vernon Federal Little League improvements at Dan Emmett Park.
• $4,000 to Knox County Educational Service Center for 10th annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
• $3,000 to the Village of Centerburg for the “Trojan Trail” construction between the village and the new middle school/high school complex.
• $2,000 to United Way of Knox County for Community Assessment Project.
• $1,000 to the Asset Builders Coalition to co-sponsor Third Annual Family Fun Day.
• $1,000 to Knox County Regional Planning Commission to support update of Knox
  County Comprehensive Plan.
• $20,000 third installment of $100,000 pledge to City of Mount Vernon for purchase of B&O Railroad Station (Special Projects Fund).
• $1,590 to Mount Vernon/Knox County Chamber of Commerce for “Leadership Knox" program scholarships.
• $1,500 to Danville Local Schools to install sidewalks to promote safe passage between elementary school and other school district facilities.
• $2,000 to Kokosing Gap Trail to support repaving of the trail between Mount Vernon and Gambier.
• $25,000 first installment of $100,000 pledge to Woodward Development Corporation for renovation of Woodward Opera House.
• $6,000 to the Heritage Centre Association to support the publication of a new book by Mount Vernon native Professor Lorle Porter, celebrating Mount Vernon's upcoming bicentennial.
• $2,928 to the City of Mount Vernon to support production of a video series recalling the city's proud heritage on the occasion of its bicentennial.
• $5,000 for the 2004 Food for the Hungry Campaign.
• $15,000 second installment of $40,000 pledge for Red Cross multi-purpose building.
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2005 Selected Grants from Unrestricted Funds

• $9,000 to Knox County Education Service Center to assist in establishing the "Early Learners Scholarship Program" for pre-school tuition assistance.
• $10,000 additional to the City of Mount Vernon to support production of a video series recalling the city's proud heritage on the occasion of its bicentennial.
• $3,000 to the Leadership Knox Class of the Chamber of Commerce to purchase materials for a handicapped accessible dock at Foundation Park, for repairs to the Danville Park picnic shelter, and for the Fredericktown Recreation District basketball court.
• $25,000 to the YMCA for its capital campaign to fund needed facility maintenance.
• $30,000 to the Knox County Historical Society for a building addition project.
• $10,000 to the Mount Vernon Rotary Foundation for its Centennial Playground Project
• $25,000 to Kenyon College for the swimming classroom within its new F.R.A. complex.
• $3,000 to the Community Health Access Project (C.H.A.P.) for development needs.
• $75,000 to Hospice of Knox County for its new administrative and training facility.
• $3,000 to the City of Mount Vernon for its historic district street sign placement project.
• $2,000 to Kenyon College for a World War II exhibit featuring Knox County involvement.
• $5,000 for Food for the Hungry Campaign.
• $2,000 for costumes for the Dogwood Blossoms Chapter of Sweet Adelines.
• $1,000 to Twin Oak Elementary School PTA for playground development.
• $3,000 to the Heart of Ohio Trail for access control and enhancement.
• $3,000 to the Kokosing Gap Trail for repaving project.
• $500 to the National Exchange Club Foundation for the local Healing Fields Project
• $850 to New Hope Industries for portable landscape watering apparatus.
• $1,000 to the Asset Builders Coalition for the annual Family Fun Day.
• $4,000 to Knox County Education Service Center for the 11th annual Youth Enrichment Series (Y.E.S.) concerts.
• $2,000 to Easter seals of Central/Southest Ohio for local development activities.
• $1,500 to Knox County's OSU Extension Service for "Reality Store" pilot project.
• $1,590 to Salvation Army and Red cross for Leadership Knox tuition assistance.
• $16,700 to Knox County Commissioners for Community Wireless Audio Project
• $4,000 to Knox County Education Service Center for Gifted Student Summer Institutes.