Marietta Foundation’s New Anchor Grant Bets $30,000 on One Nonprofit’s Leader

MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta Community Foundation is trying a different kind of grant: instead of funding a project, its new Anchor Grant will invest $30,000 over three years in the leader of a single Washington County nonprofit, the foundation announced.

Through the pilot program, one established nonprofit serving Washington County will be selected to receive $10,000 a year for three years, designated as a salary supplement for its executive director, along with professional help in strategic planning, financial management and human resources, according to the foundation’s announcement. The selected organization will be the foundation’s Anchor Grant recipient for 2027.

The foundation says the design is deliberate: in the first year, consultants will help the chosen nonprofit identify two or three strategic priorities, evaluate its financial practices and reporting, strengthen its board’s understanding of finances and review its human resource policies. The remaining two years are for putting that plan into action with continued guidance, according to the Marietta Community Foundation.

“We have always believed that investing in our nonprofit community is one of the most important things we do as a Foundation,” Heather Allender, the foundation’s president and CEO, said in the foundation’s announcement. She said the Anchor Grant grew out of asking what else the foundation could do beyond writing a check for a project or program, and wanting to invest in the leaders so much falls on.

To be eligible, an organization must be an established nonprofit located in or serving Washington County, hold 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, employ a paid executive director — part-time or full-time — and have a functioning board of directors, according to the foundation. The application takes two parts: one completed by the executive director and one by the board chair, plus organizational attachments.

Both applications and all supporting materials are due to Mackenzie Goldsberry, the foundation’s program services director, by Nov. 30, 2026, according to the announcement. Finalists will be invited to a conversation with the foundation between Dec. 7 and 18, and the recipient will be selected on Dec. 22, pending approval by the Anchor Committee and the foundation’s board of directors.

The foundation, based at 100 Putnam Street in Marietta, says the program is an example of what unrestricted donor gifts make possible: the flexibility to respond to needs that fall outside traditional grant categories. Details and application materials are at mcfohio.org/anchor-grant, and questions go to Goldsberry at the foundation.

Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0