The deadline is quickly approaching this month for several grant opportunities from the Middletown Community Foundation.

March 25 is the final day to submit applications to the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council, a group of outstanding students from Middletown, Middletown Christian, Bishop Fenwick, Franklin, Edgewood, Monroe and Madison High Schools who visit local nonprofit agencies throughout the year and each spring award about $40,000 in grants to applying charities. Applications are available on the Community Foundation’s website at mcfoundation.org.

Nonprofit organizations, churches and governmental entities may apply for two programs that the students oversee: Summertime for Kids grants and Fondersmith Fund for Youth grants. Summertime for Kids programs, with a maximum grant award of $1,000, provide safe and structured summer activities for local children, while the Fondersmith grants are for programs benefiting local children and youth that may take place at any time during the year.

March 31 is the deadline for requests to be considered for the David A. and Carole R. Schul Fund for the Arts and Laura Lou Neuenswander Fund for the Performing Arts.

The Schul Fund provides one grant of $1,000 to a local charity for a project in the field of performing arts (such as dance, music or drama) or fine arts (such as painting or sculpture). The Neuenswander Fund will award one grant of $500 to a local charity for a project in the field of performing arts.

Grants may be used for education, presentation, competition or similar programs. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, schools or religious institutions, and the programs offered must benefit the general public in the Middletown area.

Rather than an application, organizations interested in Schul or Neuenswander grants should submit a letter outlining the program seeking funding to the Middletown Community Foundation noting for which of the two funds the organization is applying, detailing the project and including a budget showing all expenses and sources of other revenue. The letter may be e-mailed to info@mcfoundation.org, faxed to 513-424-7555 or mailed to 300 North Main Street, Suite 300, Middletown, OH 45042.

All Schul and Neuenswander requests are due in the Foundation’s office no later than 5 p.m. March 31, while Youth Council applications are due at 5 p.m. March 25. The Foundation’s next regular grant deadlines for general requests are June 1 for human needs and education and Sept. 1 for arts, recreation, community development, festivals and capital needs/equipment purchases.

Middletown Community Foundation works to improve the lives of those in the greater Middletown area by serving as a permanent source of funding for projects to benefit the community. Founded in 1976 as part of the United Way, the Community Foundation became an independent organization in 1986 and over the past 25 years has distributed nearly $30 million of grants and scholarships to benefit our community. For more information, call 513-424-7469 or visit mcfoundation.org.