Support Geauga Growth Partnership
Support Geauga County with a Donation to GGP
At Geauga Growth Partnership, we bring businesses, educators, community organizations, and industry leaders together to address workforce challenges and create opportunities for our community to thrive.
One of our key areas of focus is our Healthcare Sector Partnership, where local healthcare employers and community partners are working together to strengthen the healthcare workforce. From connecting students to healthcare careers to developing pathways that help attract, train, and retain talent, we are helping address one of our community’s most critical workforce needs.
Right now, your generosity can go twice as far. Through a matching grant with the State of Ohio, every dollar raised for our Healthcare Sector Partnership will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $250,000 in state matching funds. As we work towards that $250,000, our goal is to raise $90,000 by December 11, unlocking an additional $90,000 from the state. Your investment in Geauga Growth Partnership is an investment in the people, businesses, and future of Geauga County.
Have an IRA?
Read below to see how your RMD can double your contribution!
Why healthcare, and why now
Geauga County needed about 650 RNs and LPNs in 2022, and that need is projected to pass 700. Every one of us will rely on those nurses, aides and technicians, for ourselves and for the people we love.
The Healthcare Sector Partnership, launched in 2025 with GGP as its backbone, is Geauga’s first employer-led healthcare workforce collaborative. Its 27 partners include UH Geauga Medical Center, Judson Senior Living and six other employers; Kent State Geauga, Hiram College, Lake Erie College and Lakeland Community College; Auburn Career Center and Excel TECC; five public school districts; and the workforce and community agencies that help people over the hurdles in their way.
In its first year, the partnership held 20 employer-led strategy sessions, surveyed more than 70 healthcare managers, launched a healthcare career video series and hosted a camp at UH Geauga. Together, partners also built custom virtual-reality training with Roundtable Learning, a Geauga County company, including hospital-task simulations and a dementia-empathy module requested by Judson. Funding like this goes to partnerships, not individual employers. No single hospital or senior living community here could have won it alone.
What the match makes possible
In year one, the partnership will award five $5,000 scholarships, presented on stage at GGP’s annual meeting each spring. They cover college coursework through single certificates for students entering healthcare and for current workers, such as dietary and maintenance staff, moving into care roles. Each recipient is connected to the full 27-partner network for support. The scholarship opens the door; the partnership is what gets them through it.
How giving from your IRA works
A gift sent straight from your IRA to a charity is called a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD. Here is how it generally works in 2026:
- You must be 70½ or older on the day the gift leaves your IRA.
- You can give up to $111,000 this way in 2026, and each spouse has their own limit.
- Once you are required to take minimum distributions, a QCD counts toward your RMD for the year.
- The gift is not added to your taxable income. Because of that, you don’t also take a charitable deduction for it.
- The money must go directly from your IRA custodian to GGP. If the money is paid to you first, it doesn’t count as a QCD.
- QCDs come from IRAs. Gifts from a 401(k) or 403(b) don’t qualify directly, and a QCD can’t go to a donor-advised fund.
This is general information, not tax advice. Please talk with your tax advisor about your own situation.
How to give before December 11:
- Contact your IRA custodian and request a qualified charitable distribution payable to Geauga Growth Partnership, Inc., EIN 27-2897243, mailed to [GGP MAILING ADDRESS].
- Ask that the gift be noted “Healthcare Sector Partnership Match.”
- Let us know it’s on the way so we can watch for it and thank you: [CONTACT NAME, PHONE, EMAIL].
- Custodians can take a few weeks to process a request, so please start gifts by mid-November.
Every gift to the Healthcare Sector Partnership is matched, and together we can bring the full $250,000 home to Geauga County.
Why Give?
As a nonprofit organization committed to helping Geauga County thrive through economic growth, GGP provides resources and services beyond what is covered by the revenue generated from its memberships and programs.
Join GGP’s Philanthropy Circle – Where Leaders Drive Change.
Purpose and Mission
The GGP Philanthropy Circle is a dedicated group of community leaders who drive Geauga County’s economic development and workforce readiness through their generous contributions to Geauga Growth Partnership.
Membership in the GGP Philanthropy Circle is granted to individuals or business owners who donate $2,500 or more within the trailing twelve months. These contributions directly impact GGP’s capacity to drive business growth and workforce development across the county. Membership is exclusive to direct donors, ensuring that funds are free from sponsorship obligations.
As a member of the GGP Philanthropy Circle, members will:
- Receive Invitations to Special Gatherings: Opportunities to connect with peers and community leaders at events that highlight GGP’s initiatives and impact.
- Stay Informed with Exclusive Updates: Exclusive updates from the GGP president about ongoing projects and the difference your support makes.
- Be Recognized Annually: GGP expresses gratitude through public acknowledgment of your contributions (unless you prefer to remain anonymous).
- Members will know that every dollar you contribute is strategically used to advance GGP’s initiatives in workforce development and business growth, enhancing Geauga County’s economy for the benefit of all.
Use of Funds
All donations from GGP Philanthropy Circle members are utilized to support GGP’s general operations or specific programs and projects, as directed by the donors. These contributions are essential to GGP’s mission of making Geauga County a leader in sustainable economic development.
With the GGP Philanthropy Circle’s foundation now firmly in place, GGP looks forward to expanding its reach and driving change across the community. We invite you to join the Philanthropy Circle Inaugural members:
- Ted and Beth Bunton
- William E. Conway
- Drs. Vichai and Patra Duangjak
- John and Deb Epprecht
- Rich and Christie Frenchie
- Michael and Kristen Gatto
- Lee Imhof
- Tracy and Bonnie Jemison
- Gary and Beth Ann Laidman
- Neil and Kimm Leininger
- Matt and Bridey Matheney
- Paul and Sarah Ann Miller
- Crist and Regina Miller
- Scott and Kelly Noble
- Pat Preston
- John Steigerwald
- And others who wish to remain anonymous
Your individual donation helps bridge the gap and allows GGP to continue to serve Geauga County businesses ans its workforce. By supporting GGP, you’re investing in a thriving future for Geauga County.
Other Ways to Give:
Mail: Send your check to Geauga Growth Partnership, Inc., 12373 Kinsman Rd., Suites 1-9 Newbury, OH 44065
Sponsorship: Support one of our many programs or events Learn More.
Donate Stock: Contact GGP to transfer stock as a donation.
Plan for the Future: Consider including GGP in your estate planning or as a beneficiary in your will or life insurance policy.
Invest in Our Endowment Funds: Support the Workforce Development Fund in Honor of Frank Samuel or the Geauga Legacy Fund, both managed by the Cleveland Foundation. Your gifts to either fund support the future of economic growth in Geauga County.