Stocker Foundation grants $500,000 each to Girl Scouts, LCCC

Editor's Note: this story has been updated to include that Jane Norton was the first executive director of The Stocker Foundation. The Stocker Foundation is donating $1 million in grants to Lorain County Community College and to the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio in honor of Jane Norton, the foundation's late executive director. The college and the Girl Scouts each will receive a $500,000 memorial grant to support programs which exemplify the values Norton prized, the foundation said in a release Monday. "Jane strengthened our community through thoughtful leadership and meaningful investment in people," said Stocker Foundation Executive Director Patricia O'Brien in the release. "These two memorial grants reflect her extraordinary devotion to The Stocker Foundation and the causes closest to her heart — education, opportunity, and girls' leadership — ensuring her legacy will continue to create lasting impact across Lorain County for generations to come." At LCCC, the money will be used to support the college's Students Accelerating in Learning, or SAIL, program. The program provides financial support to students not just for immediate academic needs such as tuition gap scholarships or textbooks, but also more general needs, such as monthly assistance for gas and groceries. SAIL started at LCCC in 2014 and has helped students perform and graduate at higher rates, but has been limited in scope by available funding. The Norton memorial grant would help to increase the scale of the program to all eligible students, LCCC President Marcia Ballinger said in the release. "This extraordinary investment from The Stocker Foundation reflects the very values that have long defined Jane Norton's legacy — access, equity, and belief in the power of education to transform lives," Ballinger said. "Through SAIL, we are expanding proven success strategies so more students can graduate and build meaningful futures for themselves and their families." The grant made to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio will be used to provide financial assistance for membership fees and uniforms as well as "camperships," which enable scouts to attend camps throughout the year. "Jane Norton was a lifelong Girl Scout who believed deeply in helping girls develop confidence, leadership, and a strong sense of purpose," said Jane Christyson, CEO, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, in the release. "This generous grant from The Stocker Foundation honors her commitment by removing financial barriers and ensuring more girls in Lorain County can experience the opportunities, mentorship and growth that Girl Scouts provide." Norton, who died in 2023, served as the first-ever executive director of The Stocker Foundation from 1980 to 1999. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.