Marciana Auxier, Author at Piqua Community Foundation

16 Sep

Richard Donnelly is one of the Piqua city employees who shared in the Mega Millions jackpot in 2008. This unexpected fortune gave him an opportunity to make an impact far beyond his own life. For Richard, giving back to the community he was proud to call home was an important part of that journey. He turned to The Piqua Community Foundation with a desire to use his good fortune to help make a difference for others.

Through Richard’s generosity and commitment to Piqua, several funds were created through The Foundation to support causes that matter deeply to him and strengthen the community he calls home. One of those is The Donnelly Donor Advised Fund, which continues to provide meaningful support to local organizations and programs that serve Piqua residents.

Each year, a dedicated committee made up of Richard, Emma (Donnelly) Ford, Kathy McMaken, Frank Patrizio, and Luke Thoma comes together to review requests and select the organizations that will receive grants from The Donnelly Donor Advised Fund.

In 2026, sixteen organizations received grants from the fund, totaling $36,750. Recipients included:

Piqua Civic Association
Upper Miami Valley Young Life
American Legion Department of Ohio Charities, Inc.
Piqua Arts Council
Piqua City Schools
Protecting our Water Ways
Miami County YWCA
YWCA of Piqua
Miami County ESC
Friends of Mainstreet Piqua
Piqua Compassion Network
Salvation Army
The Edison Foundation
Miami County Dental Clinic
The Bethany Center
Greene Street United Methodist Church

“Seeing how people benefit from it is great. We are able to see doors open for them.”

Richard Donnelly

Donor of The Piqua Community Foundation

From the time Richard won the lottery to now, he has proven to be a substantial contributor to the Piqua community, creating a legacy of charitable giving.

To learn more about The Donnelly Donor Advised Fund or to explore how you can create your own charitable legacy, contact us at 937-615-9080 or via email at info@piquacommunityfoundation.org.

16 Sep

The G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund Awards Support to Local Organizations and Community Initiatives

Marciana Auxier

Uncategorized

Recently, the G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund awarded $47,000 in grant funding to local organizations including: the Bethany Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley, Eagles’ Wings Stable, Elizabeth’s New Life Center, Inc., Friends of the Piqua Parks, Goodwill Easterseals of Miami Valley, Greene Street UMC Day Care & Preschool, Johnston Farm Friends Council, Miami County Dental, Indian Hills 4-H Camp, Miami Valley Nonprofit Collaborative, Ohio State University Extension: Miami County, Piqua Community Kitchen, Piqua Compassion Network, Piqua Fire Department, Rehabilitation Center for Neurological Development, Ronald McDonald House Southwest Ohio, Samaritan Works, Barbershop Harmony Society, TeKonnect, Inc., and The Piqua Caldwell Historic District.

George William “Bill” Hartzell’s legacy is rooted not only in his leadership of a successful family business, but also in his enduring commitment to his family and the Piqua community. As a member of the Hartzell family, Bill played an important role in carrying the family business forward in Piqua. Throughout his career, he provided thoughtful leadership and helped guide the company’s continued growth and success.

Bill’s commitment to Piqua extended well beyond his professional life. He regarded the community as an important part of his life and believed in the value of giving back to the place he called home. Thus, the reason for the establishment of The G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund of The Piqua Community Foundation.

The G. William Hartzell Community Grant awards are made annually from the G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund. This fund was established by the late Bill Hartzell with a bequest from his estate. The grants made from this fund are unrestricted, meaning awards will be spent however best serves the organization’s needs to ensure their sustainability.

"This support from the G. William Hartzell Community Grant means our neighbors in Piqua will continue to receive a warm, home-cooked meal every Wednesday — no questions asked. As an entirely volunteer-run organization, every dollar we receive goes directly toward feeding families, seniors, and individuals facing hardship. We're deeply grateful to the Hartzell family for their generosity and their continued investment in the Piqua community."

Ann Toon

Executive Director of the Piqua Community Kitchen

The G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund is proud to support organizations through grant funding, like the Piqua Community Kitchen, who are making a meaningful contribution to the Piqua community. Through these grants they help provide resources and opportunities to address needs facing our community.

Together, these organizations and the G. William Hartzell Charitable Fund are helping build a stronger community, which represents the true impact of this type of unrestricted grant funding.

5 Aug

Fall Grants Now Open & The Impact of The Foundation’s Grants on Work Force Development

Marciana Auxier

Uncategorized

The Piqua Community Foundation’s standard Fall grant cycle is now open to organizations with a 501(c)(3) or equivalent tax-exempt status for projects benefiting Piqua residents. Applicants should submit applications based on religion, education, scientific, literary, or charitable projects. Applications and grant guidelines can be found on The Foundation’s website, with a submission deadline of September 30.

The impact of The Foundation’s grants reaches far and wide, evident with this past Spring cycle where over $94,000 in grant funding was awarded to local organizations including: Children’s International Summer Villages Midwest Ohio Chapter; Piqua Parents as Teachers; Piqua Community Kitchen; Piqua City Schools; Scouting America, Miami Valley Council; Piqua Fire Department; Awakenings Christian Fellowship; Piqua Catholic School; Johnston Farm; We Care Arts; Piqua Area Chamber Foundation; Lehman Catholic High School; The Salvation Army; Piqua Arts Council; Piqua Young Life; and The Edison Foundation.

One of the projects funded named “CAT-apult Your Career” through Piqua City Schools will have a tremendous impact on work force development in the community with the use of a CAT SimLite desktop Compact Track Loader simulator. This simulator will allow high school students to access career-specific practice of various simulated heavy machinery. Through the use and practice of this simulator, students can determine what career field is the best fit for them.

Kalette Hittle, Executive Director of The Piqua Community Foundation asked Scott Bloom, Curriculum Director at Piqua City Schools “What trends or challenges are you seeing in workforce development across our community? And what was the thought behind the simulator request?”

“We are actually trending in a positive way when it comes to job availability. It is connecting students early to the existing jobs that are here and to align their interest and aptitudes with those openings. That is our task, to help kids go ‘I didn’t even know that existed and I really like that. How do I learn more?’”

By giving students the opportunity to practice and get firsthand experiences through the CAT simulator, this provides them with the initial steps to get started in a lucrative industry, like construction, manufacturing, or other related fields the community has a need for.

This is just one of the many examples of the impact grant making has on the Piqua community.

“If a student has the proper training and knowledge for these industries, it allows them right after high school to have a very livable wage and really the opportunities are pretty endless. We are very thankful for this and what it could bring to our kids.”

Scott Bloom

Curriculum Director at Piqua City Schools