Centre Foundation

Our own Joy Vincent-Killian, Director of Press Forward Pennsylvania Wilds, recently attended the Press Forward National Convening, where the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Press Forward brought together more than 500 funders, journalists, media leaders, community partners, and Press Forward chapters from across the country to share ideas and explore innovative ways to strengthen local news.

The convening provided valuable opportunities to learn from experts and peers, discover emerging strategies, and build relationships with future collaborators working to create healthier, more sustainable local news ecosystems. We're excited to bring these insights back to the Press Forward PA Wilds initiative, led by Joy at Centre Foundation, as we continue supporting local journalism, amplifying local voices, and ensuring communities across the region have access to trusted local news and information. To learn more about Press Forward Pennsylvania Wilds visit our website at: https://centrefoundation.org/press-forward/

💡 What if your idea could help shape the future of Centre County?

As part of our 45th Anniversary celebration, Centre Foundation is proud to relaunch Centre Inspires, a grant opportunity that will award up to $100,000 to one bold, collaborative idea with the power to strengthen our community.

Past Centre Inspires projects helped launch bold initiatives like Good Day Café, The Rivet, Centred Outdoors, and the Book Benches of Centre County. Now we're looking for the next big idea!

If your nonprofit, school, municipality, or community partnership has a vision that could inspire, connect, and create lasting impact, we want to hear from you.

The future starts with an idea. What will you inspire? To learn more and to apply visit: https://bit.ly/4usJ8TI - Applications close on July 9th.

💚 Because of YOU partnering with Centre Foundation.
Many people know Centre Foundation for grants and scholarships, but what they may not realize is that we also create and lead programs that help local nonprofits access funding, build capacity, and bring new ideas to life throughout Centre County.
Through Centre Gives, our 36-hour online giving event, organizations like Youth Service Bureau are able to raise funds that help young people develop leadership skills and participate in experiences like visits to the Pennsylvania State Capitol, where they gain firsthand exposure to civic engagement, public policy, and community leadership.
Through our Centre Inspires granting initiative, Centre Foundation invests in innovative ideas that strengthen our community. One example is the $100,000 grant awarded to The Acres Project to build an aquaponics greenhouse intended to create meaningful learning and employment opportunities for adults with autism. This program was further strengthened through our Giving Circle, community members pooling their charitable dollars and collectively awarding a grant to this initiative.
One recent grant helped Sleep in Heavenly Peace purchase materials used by volunteers to build and deliver beds for children who do not have a bed of their own, ensuring more children have a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
These are just three examples of the hundreds of grants, scholarships, and charitable investments made possible through Centre Foundation yearly. Together, our donors help direct hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to local nonprofits and deserving students throughout Centre County. By fostering a culture of giving, supporting and empowering nonprofits, and sparking positive community change, Centre Foundation helps turn generosity into lasting community impact. 💚

Centre PACT (Philanthropic Actions Created by Teens) students are proving that philanthropy has no age limit. 💚

This year, local high school students awarded more than $14,600 in grants to nonprofits supporting youth mental health, grief support, emergency preparedness, food access, environmental education, and more across Centre County.

Since 2016, Centre PACT teens have helped direct more than $79,500 back into the community — learning firsthand how thoughtful giving can create real impact.

Read more about the inspiring nonprofits that received grants: https://centrefoundation.org/press-release/centre-pact-teens-award-over-14600-in-grants-to-local-nonprofits-supporting-youth/

Did you know?

In Q1 2026, Centre Foundation distributed more than $776,000 through designated funds supporting nonprofits and community programs across Centre County and beyond.

From healthcare and housing support to arts, youth programs, libraries, and environmental initiatives, donor generosity continues creating lasting impact throughout all of Centre County. 💚

Learn more about how designated funds strengthen our community year after year - Read the full story:

Centre Foundation Distributes $776,893.19 in Q1 Annual Grants from Designated Funds | Centre Foundation The pilot will include 8–12 nonprofit organizations from across Centre County (with a maximum of 15 participants), selected to reflect a range of community needs, geographic areas, and organizational sizes. Space is limited, but an effort will be made to ensure a thoughtful mix across the coun...

Doing more with less isn’t sustainable.

That’s why Centre Foundation is launching the Centre Nonprofit Strength Initiative — a new 18-month pilot program designed to help Centre County nonprofits strengthen operations, build capacity, deepen collaboration, and create long-term sustainability.

Supported in part by funding from the Knight Foundation, the initiative will bring together a cohort of local nonprofits for guided learning, self-assessment, peer collaboration, and flexible capacity-building grants.

Because strong nonprofits build stronger communities. 💙

📍 Nonprofits can express interest in participating by May 31 at centre.foundation/strength

Learn more: https://centrefoundation.org/press-release/doing-more-with-less-isnt-sustainable-new-initiative-helps-centre-county-nonprofits-build-capacity/

State College is #1. Here's the part the rankings don't mention. 🏆

USA Today just named State College, PA, the #1 Best Small College Town in America, and we couldn't be more proud to call this place home.

Visitors see the campus, the festivals, the trails, and the food scene. What they don't see is the quiet infrastructure behind all of it, hundreds of nonprofits across Centre County powering the community that makes this place genuinely special.

The food bank. The symphony. The Festival of the Arts. The emergency responders. The kids' programs. The housing support. The conservation lands. The free library. The health care.

Every one of them is a nonprofit. Imagine State College without them?

The vibrancy that earned us a national ranking isn't an accident. It's built, year after year, by people and organizations who choose to invest in this community.

State College may have earned the spotlight, but what makes this region special stretches across all of Centre County. If you call this community home and want to help shape what makes it #1, we’d love to connect!

🔗 centrefoundation.org

to an incredible 36 hours of generosity across Centre County! 💚

Together, our community generated over $3 million in total support for local nonprofits during Centre Gives 2026 last week. We’re still smiling from ear to ear. 😃Thank you to every donor, nonprofit, sponsor, volunteer, and supporter who helped make this possible. 👏🏻💛

Throughout Centre Gives, there were celebrations, events, pop-ups, and activities happening all across the county hosted by participating nonprofits. The Centre Foundation team stayed busy trying to attend as many as we could to celebrate the amazing organizations that help make Centre County such a special place to live.

Here are just a few snapshots from the whirlwind of community spirit, generosity, and excitement that made this year’s Centre Gives so memorable. ✨