On Tuesday, December 22, 2009 the Sheridan/Johnson Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Wyoming Community Foundation distributed $1,000 in grant funds to Sheridan’s Big Brothers Big Sisters. A community based, youth mentoring program.  The funds will be used to support new matches between youth and adult mentors.

The purpose of Greater Wyoming Big Brothers Big Sisters is simply to provide friends for young children.   According to Dave Wooten, Sheridan’s Big Brothers Big Sisters Outreach Coordinator, “This grant couldn’t have come at a better time. As we move into the new year, this will help Big Brothers Big Sisters to continue to expand the number of children served here in Sheridan.”



From its inception, the Wyoming Community Foundation has included local affiliate boards and advisory committees throughout the state to assist in evaluating area grant applications and seek out grant making opportunities.  The Sheridan-Johnson Community Foundation was established in 1997, and even though it is one of the youngest in the WYCF affiliate family, the organization has been very progressive in its evaluation process of area grant applications. The affiliate board members combine their time and efforts to develop resident services and activities in their communities within the two county area.  Site visits are frequently made by board members in order to thoroughly review applications. The Sheridan/Johnson affiliate is committed to helping nonprofits within those counties become more sustainable by awarding meaningful grants that truly enhance community building. Their committed and experienced board actively seeks out and evaluates community needs, as well as educates and encourages vital area non-profits to build endowments that will ensure their effectiveness for years to come.

The Wyoming Community Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization with total assets in excess of $50.5 million.  As of September 30, 2009, the Community Foundation awarded more than $2.28 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across Wyoming. The mission of the Wyoming Community Foundation is to connect people who care with causes that matter to build a better Wyoming.   It will continue making grants that are responsive to the requests of Wyoming nonprofits, which address critical community needs, and that continue to work on multi-year initiatives that address statewide issues. For further information about the Wyoming Community Foundation and its affiliates, or to make a grant application please go the website:  http://www.wycf.org or call (307)721-8300.