Ogden Circle of Giving

The Ogden Circle of Giving has two grant cycles annually with open application periods each spring and fall. Our Spring Cycle runs from February 14th - March 17th and our Fall Cycle runs from September 21st - October 23rd. Please note, dates are subject to change. Please check back or sign up for the Community Foundation of Utah’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on funding opportunities.

Organizations eligible for funding from the Ogden Circle of Giving must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits and promote positive change through creativity, innovation, education, or enhanced well-being. Organizations participating in the fall grant cycle must serve Weber County to be eligible for funding.

In 2019, a group of friends came together to pay it forward to nurture others, and the Ogden Circle of Giving was established. In order to engage their children in philanthropy as well, the group established the Ogden Youth Circle of Giving for youth up through age 24. Based in the Ogden, Utah region, the Ogden Circle of Giving is a forum for women to pool funding and grant to organizations that are making an impact in their community.

The Ogden Circle of Giving’s vision is an ever-expanding circle that supports others to grow in ways that may not have otherwise been possible. We work to create opportunities for women of all walks of life to share ideas and open-minded discussion while having a significant impact on our community through annual grants.

2025 Grant Giving, Spring 2025:

This year, OCOG received 24 applications from local nonprofit organizations. Following a comprehensive review process by the steering committee, six finalists were selected for full evaluation using a rubric-based scoring system. Based on these results, OCOG has awarded:

$10,000 to Midtown Community Health Center

Midtown’s mission is to open doors to a healthier community through compassionate, affordable, and high-quality care. Since 1994, Midtown has provided medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to more than 25,000 individuals annually across Northern Utah. In 2024, 62.2% of Midtown’s patients were from Weber County and 21.6% from Davis County.

The clinic serves underserved populations, including individuals experiencing poverty, homelessness, or barriers to care. In 2024, a significant portion (59%) of Midtown’s patients are elderly or prefer services in languages other than English. To meet this need, Midtown offers interpretation services in over 30 languages, including on-demand video interpretation and American Sign Language.

OCOG’s funding will help Midtown address transportation barriers through ride-share support and continue its commitment to language-accessible care. Funds will be disbursed in early May.

The next OCOG giving cycle opens September 22nd, 2025. For more information about the Ogden Circle of Giving, please visit the Ogden Circle of Giving.

2024 Grant Giving:

• Giving Report
• Ogden City Arts, Culture, and Events (ACE) Division
• Ogden Downtown Alliance
• YCC Family Crisis Center
• Safe Harbor Crisis Center
• Weber State Women's Center

Ogden City’s ACE Division and Downtown Ogden Alliance Awarded $30,000 Grants for Community Revitalization and Arts Programming

Ogden, UT — We are pleased to announce that both the Ogden City Arts, Culture, and Events (ACE) Division and the Downtown Ogden Alliance (DOA) have been awarded $30,000 grants as part of the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation (at the Community Foundation of Utah) 2024 Fall Fund managed by the Ogden Circle of Giving.

These grants will support impactful community initiatives aimed at enriching the cultural fabric of Ogden and providing new opportunities for residents, artists, and entrepreneurs.

The Ogden City ACE Division will utilize its grant to fund the revitalization of Lester Park in Ogden’s East Central Neighborhood. This project, outlined in the ACE Division's recent proposal, aims to breathe new life into a key public space and foster a vibrant environment for cultural events, performances, and community gatherings. The ACE Division continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating an inclusive atmosphere that enhances the quality of life through diverse programming in arts, culture, and events.

The Downtown Ogden Alliance is also being recognized with a $30,000 grant to support the upfront costs of revamping its multi-day arts festival, along with the necessary infrastructure and programming outlined in its recent proposal. The grant will help advance the ODA’s mission to curate a downtown environment that celebrates Ogden’s rich history and diverse culture, while offering new opportunities for local artists and entrepreneurs to thrive.

“We are thrilled to support the meaningful work being done by both the ACE Division and the Downtown Ogden Alliance,” said the Ogden Circle of Giving Steering Committee. “These grants represent our shared commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive community that uplifts artists, strengthens our local economy, and enriches the lives of all who live in and visit Ogden.”

Both organizations are excited to move forward with their respective projects and look forward to the positive impact they will have on the community, making Ogden a more dynamic and culturally enriched city for residents and visitors alike.

2023 Grant Giving, Fall 2023:

• Giving Report
• Seager Memorial Clinic
• YCC Family Crisis Center

2022 Grant Giving, March 2022:

• Utah for Ukraine Fund
• The Jackson Byck Cancer for College Fund
• Youth Futures
• WSU Women's Center
• Come out and Play

2021 Grant Giving, October 2021:

• Utah Afghan Community Fund
• YCC Family Crisis Center
• Weber State Children's School at the Community Education Center
• WSU Catapult Scholarship
• Saint Martha's Baby Project
• Give Me A Chance

2020 Grant Giving: April 2020, $3,000 to the YCC Your Community Connection

From Margaret Rose, YCC ED:

Thank you, Ogden Giving Circle for giving to the YCC. The intent to empower women is a solution-driven decision and a powerful way to change the lives of women, children, and communities. We see it play out everywhere in the world. If you want to change the status of a community, you change the status of women.

Particularly now, given that so much of our world is communicating virtually, lack of technology is a tremendous barrier. Women who have left their abusers and home generally leave with very little. They are also commonly not working, working in low-wage or part-time work and are often doing so without access to technology. Even women who make a living wage and higher are generally without technology. This would make access to resources, job searches, and communication much easier. Even libraries are currently closed, and that's where many individuals go to access technology, pay bills, communicate with children's teachers, etc.

We have recently been able to purchase Chromebooks for about $200 each. They are durable and include anti-virus software (something we could all use right now!) and have been working well.

If we had access to flexible funds, we would purchase more Chromebooks and use them as incentives for women to make progress, meet with their case managers, attend domestic violence classes. We would combine the computer with basic computer skills, resume and letter writing, email class. They could take the Chromebook with them once they're fully on their own. That's a dang good $200 investment and it would change lives.

Thank you and sincere thanks for thinking of us!

Margaret Rose, MS, MPH

2020 Grant Giving: April 2020, $3,000 to the YCC Your Community Connection (Update)

From Margaret Rose, YCC ED:

Over the last couple of years we've been working to improve our youth programming and outreach. It's a really popular program and I wanted us to maximize the time we have with our young people (ages 10-16 mostly) with a proven curriculum and activities. We also have separate programming in our child care center (babies to age 12) but no formal curriculum. Our parenting classes utilize an evidence-based curriculum. Until now, we haven't had the resources to purchase the curriculum that effectively ties the three age groups together with similar language and learning. With your gift, we purchased an early-childhood through 8th grade curriculum that focuses on teaching children to develop empathy, conflict/negotiation skills, avoid bullying, learn ways to keep their friends while also staying safe, develop social skills, and more. The program is called Second Step and I've used it in the past for years and it's very good. I'm thrilled to have it in place at YCC as I've seen the growth it can help make in children. Better yet, it gives children a language to use that is consistent with the language, expectations and approaches taught in our parenting classes and now gives us cohesive and aligned programming all aimed at developing healthy relationships. We work hard with our moms and kids to break some pretty damaging cycles they're experiencing and this will be another critical tool for us to support that growth. We know breaking the intergenerational cycle of violence is essential for healthier lives and communities.

Please pass along my sincere thanks to the group and please know you're helping lots of women and children adopt healthier, more positive behaviors and relationships.

2021 Grant Giving: April 2021, $1,000 to Weber State University's Women's Center

Dear Ogden Giving Circle,
Every day, Utahns are impacted by sexual and domestic violence, including on our campus and in our local communities. We know that 1 in 3 Utah women experience domestic abuse or intimate partner violence in their lifetime and that 10% of Utahns experience sexual violence in (1 in 6 women, 1 in 2 trans individuals, and 1 in 3 men). As a commuter campus, we know many students both on- and off-campus are experiencing harm at the hands of those closest to them: partners, family members, friends, and trusted leaders.

Our Safe@Weber Advocacy Services program is free and confidential to members of our Weber State community (students, staff, faculty, and guests). Most of the individuals we serve have been impacted by sexual violence, assault, rape, domestic/dating or intimate partner violence, harassment, and/or stalking. We strive to provide survivor-centered and trauma-informed services that focus on safety and empowerment for each person that we work with, and a large portion of which is our Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency Fund. By providing direct payment or funds to survivors, we are able to help empower them to create and sustain safety for themselves and their families. This might mean we assist with purchasing new clothes or linens taken as part of a forensic investigation, paying for
emergency housing and a meal plan, purchasing a safe phone to communicate with others and use to reach out for help, or gift cards to purchase food, gas, pet food or needed household items for their families. There are many barriers that prevent survivors from seeking help, including financial pressures to stay within a relationship or the inability to physically leave an unsafe situation due to lack of resources. This fund is supported entirely by private donations from our community.

Your contribution of $1000 to our Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency fund helps us help survivors. With your donation, we will be able to provide emergency funding to a survivor in a moment of need, and hopefully assist them in creating many more moments of safety. Thank you.