By John Kirkpatrick
The Green River Area Community Foundation (GRACF) has awarded a total of $100,000 in grants to 14 nonprofits serving the greater Owensboro area, marking a significant increase in funding support for the region’s charitable organizations.
The recipients were announced on Thursday during the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Rooster Booster Breakfast.
This year’s grantmaking process began with a community-wide needs assessment, which enabled nonprofits to identify their most pressing financial needs. That feedback helped the grantmaking committee determine which organizations would be invited to apply for grants. In cases where specific funds were tied to certain service areas or causes, the committee matched applicants accordingly. Unmet needs that fell outside the scope of available funds are being shared with other potential funders.
“We love supporting our dedicated nonprofits who serve our community year-round in so many significant ways,” said Amy Silvert, executive director of GRACF. “Because the financial needs of these organizations continue to exceed the dollars we have available, we work to increase our funds available to grant, and also strive to connect the unmet needs with other potential funding partners.”
Frank Hagan, a member of the grantmaking committee, noted that the foundation’s newly created annual grants fund allowed them to boost their total awards from $60,000 last year to $100,000 this year.
“The more donations we receive, the more nonprofits we can fund,” Hagan said. “Every single dollar given to the Annual Grants Fund is distributed to our local nonprofits annually.”
GRACF Advisory Board Chair Mike Weafer thanked those who have helped grow the fund.
“I am grateful to the local donors who contributed to our annual grants fund, allowing us to support more nonprofits who address some of our most pressing challenges,” Weafer said. “The committee sincerely wished more funds were available, as there were several applications we desired to fund or fund more fully. Working together, our generous community can help make that possible.”
The 2026 grant recipients include:
- Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation
- Boulware Mission
- Breaking the Cycle 2.0
- Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club
- Community Dental Clinic
- Goodfellows Club
- Green River Community Food Warehouse
- H.L. Neblett Community Center
- Habitat for Humanity of Owensboro–Daviess County
- HELP Office of Owensboro
- OASIS
- Owensboro Museum of Science and History
- RiverPark Center
- Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center
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