Local trust awards $90k in funding to local history initiatives
The W.E. Smith Family Charitable Trust gave nearly $26,000 in funding to local history programs and initiatives this fall. The trust has provided more than $90,000 in funding to organizations across Southwest Ohio this year.
The W.E. Smith Family Charitable Trust has given nearly $26,000 to schools, community outreach programs and other history-oriented initiatives this fall, raising its total grant funding for the year to more than $90,000.
The trust was established in 1997 by Oxford resident Ophia Smith. She named it in honor of her husband, W.E. Smith, who served as chair of the history department at Miami University and was the first director of the William Holmes McGuffey Museum.
The Fund generates approximately $100,000 to be awarded annually to various local museums and organizations conducting historic projects. The Trust’s goal is to “support the promotion of study and appreciation of the local and regional history of Oxford, Ohio, as well as to Butler County, and immediately adjacent counties in Southwestern Ohio,” according to the application document.
This fall’s grants went to 14 different organizations, including Talawanda Middle School to provide scholarships for students going on the Washington D.C. field trip, the Over-The-Rhine Museum Cincinnati to partially fund a self-guided electronic tour project and the Butler County Historical Society to support field trips for elementary schools.
Other grant recipients included Heritage Hall McCloskey Museum, Cummins Local History Room, Lane Library, Delhi Historical Society, Friends of White Water Shaker Village, Hamilton City Parks Conservancy, King Studios Cincinnati, Middletown Historical Society, Preble County Historical Society, Reily Township Historical Society, Smith Library of Regional History and West Chester Historical Society.
The next deadline to apply for grants from the trust is April 15, 2025. Applicants must have the sponsorship of a nonprofit organization.
