News Announcement
For further information please contact
Cheryl L. Kight - Vice President, Marketing

Columbus, August 2008

$20,000 GRANT BY REINBERGER FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT
OFIC FAITH-BASED DIVERSITY INITIATIVE

The Reinberger Foundation, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all individuals, grants funding to programs in the areas of the arts, education, healthcare and social service and has pledged $20,000 to The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) to support OFIC’s faith-based diversity initiative, Bridges. 

Bridges is designed to inform talented urban youth about the value and accessibility of higher education, as well as the availability of financial assistance and support systems.  The program takes an innovative approach by contacting middle and high school youth primarily through neighborhood churches, where pastoral guidance, congregational support, role models and emotional and spiritual resources are readily available.  Contact will also be made through selected urban high schools and middle schools. 

OFIC has piloted this program in Cleveland.  Partnering with OFIC in this effort are the State of Ohio Treasurer’s Office and United Pastors in Mission, a Cleveland organization of approximately 50 urban churches dedicated to improving their neighborhoods.   The program is to be replicated in other urban areas of the state.

The Reinberger Foundation, located in Cleveland, was established by Mr. & Mrs. Clarence T. Reinberger in 1966.  Since the Reinberger Foundation began funding in 1970, more than $81 million has been distributed to the non-profit community.

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 Ohio independent colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll more than 97,000 students.  For 58 years The Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.