The Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati has announced 2021 grants totaling more than $5.2 million awarded by eight family foundations.

Grants were awarded to organizations focused on arts and culture, affordable housing, civic and community programs, education, health and human services, community reinvestment activities that benefit low- to moderate-income earners, financial literacy, small businesses, and workforce development efforts. Recipients include Episcopal Retirement Services, which received funds from the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust to complete the renovation of The Manse, formerly a hotel where African-American travelers were welcomed during the era of segregation, which reopened in 2021 as a sixty-unit senior apartment community with supportive services; and Stepping Stones, which was awarded a grant from the Stillson Foundation to renovate two cabin lobbies at a campsite providing summer overnight and weekend respite experiences for adults with disabilities.

"We are honored to shepherd the philanthropic foundations of so many families," said Heidi B. Jark, senior vice president and managing director of the Foundation Office. "We work hard to ensure that these organizations fulfill their mission of giving back to charitable causes."

(Photo credit: Megan Hood via pixabay)