Elizabeth George Foundation Makes Annual Grants

     The Board of Trustees of the Elizabeth George Foundation has made its awards for 2010.
     Included are 11 organizations and 15 individuals who have received financial assistance to pursue their writing talents and their work with youth in the areas of education, health and the arts.
     Funds were awarded to organizations that offer services to disadvantaged youth in the areas of health, education and creative writing.
     Among the groups who were awarded funding are Operation Jump Start, Long Beach, Ca., which provides assistance to students living in poverty intended to help them with their studies, graduate from high school and go on to college.
     Also funded this year is Orangewood Children’s Foundation which assists foster children in pursuing higher education.
     South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, Ca., received funding for its emerging young playwrights program, which fosters young talent allowing their works to be produced live on stage.
     Well-known national organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Central Asia Institute also received grants.
    The Board of Trustees also awarded grants to individual writers who competed for funds to complete novels, poetry and plays.
     The foundation offers financial support to unpublished and emerging writers for a period not to exceed one year. Also offered is funding for scholarships to attend accredited Masters in Fine Arts programs in creative writing.
     Funding is also awarded to individuals to attend writers’ retreats and conferences.
This year, nine writers seeking to work on their novels, five who write poetry and one who is writing a play were awarded grants.
     Some asked for funding to allow themselves to take time off from their teaching or other work, the concentrate on the writing. Others asked for money to travel to research for their works. Others asked to attend seminars and writing programs in increase their skills in writing.
     Awards are determined annually by the five-member board of trustees. The process is already underway for grants that will be made in January 2011. See Foundation Brochure on this website for details.