Donating & Membership

Throughout the Covid pandemic, the collective generosity of the Bill Long Foundation's membership has helped community organizations deliver urgent services as well as creative programs to area residents - together making a vital impact on the Oberlin community.

The BLF story. Founded more than 33 years ago by members of the Co-op Bookstore to honor Bill Long, we follow the principles that Bill championed: participatory democracy and local impact. Our members, board, and the organizations and causes we support are all part of the Oberlin community.

The BLF reach. Last year, BLF awarded $48,288 in grants to 19 Oberlin non-profit organizations to help fund 21 projects. Annual meeting attendees pledged an additional $7,330, bringing the total amount to $55,618. The grants awarded funded a range of projects focusing on education, visual arts, social services environmental stewardship, music, childhood literacy, tuition assistance, and community meals, as well as $1,400 in micro-grants managed by BLF's Tools and Training program. The full list of grants, projects, and grantees is available on this website.

The BLF approach. All of our grants go to meet the needs of the Oberlin community. Our organization has no employees and minimal expenses. Our application process is as simple as possible. With a donation of $10 or more ($5 for students), you become a member of BLF.

The BLF Annual Meeting. For the first time in several years, we held the 2023 Annual Meeting at Kendal's Heiser Auditorium. It was exciting and energizing to be together again in person with BLF members and guests. While we appreciated the ability to conduct these meetings via Zoom in 2021 and 2022, the buzz of being there in the same room for presentations from the different charitable causes BLF supports makes a world of difference. 

Next year’s member event will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Kendal's Heiser Auditorium. During the Annual Meeting, we invite you to talk with representatives of the causes about their organizations and missions, after which you get to vote on how to distribute the funds! The event begins at 6:30 pm with a reception. The business portion of the meeting begins promptly at 7:00 pm. Watch our webpage for details: blfoberlin.org.

Join us or renew! It’s easy to do. Complete the Donation & Membership Form and return it with your contribution or contribute through the PayPal button on this website.

Help us spread the word about the Bill Long Foundation. Ask your friends to become members, too!

Sincerely,
The BLF Board of Trustees:
Brandon County, President
Stephanie Mata Granados, Secretary
Kathleen Jackson
Peter Jensen, Treasurer
Del Mason
Sandra Miller
Michael Reynolds, Vice President
Julia Robinson
Jill Sawyer
Brittnei Sherrod

Donate to the Bill Long Foundation
(Link takes you out of this website to a PayPal page)

Donor Privacy Policy: All information concerning donors or prospective donors, including their names, addresses and telephone numbers, the names of their beneficiaries, the amount of their gift, etc., shall be kept strictly confidential by the Bill Long Foundation, its board and volunteers, and will not be shared with any third party unless permission is obtained from donors to release such information.

If you have comments or questions about the Bill Long Foundation’s donor privacy policy, please email blfoberlin@gmail.com or write Bill Long Foundation, PO Box 0141, Oberlin, OH 44074-0141.

(adopted by the Board of Trustees - March 16, 2017)