In 1894, Mount Rest Home began in Knoxville as a residence for elderly ladies who had very little funds or family to care for them. The devoted women of the board of Mount Rest Home cooked and sold lunches at Thanksgiving to raise funds to support the home, and they tended to every need of the house and the ladies who lived there. Although the lovely home eventually closed, many of the daughters and granddaughters of the original board members have continued to provide for the welfare of women and children in Knox County. They established the Mount Rest Foundation in 1994 and then the Mount Rest Fund of East Tennessee Foundation in 2004 to continue and secure their families' legacy of caring for Knox County's women and children.

Successful applicants for one-year grants must significantly contribute to the welfare of the women and children of Knoxville and Knox County by addressing one of the following issues: health and well-being, education or training for employment.

When appropriate, proposed projects should address and provide access for women and /or children to current advances in technology, intervene in situations where health, education, or employment training is inadequate, and promote positive behavioral change(s) which will increase the likelihood of long-term positive results.

Mount Rest Fund grant opportunities are only available to organizations that reside within or serve the residents of Knox County.

Grant info:

• One-year grants
• Grants generally range from $1,000 to $10,000
• Supports projects between September 1, 2010 - September 1, 2011
• Technical Assistance Workshop on Friday, April 9, 2010 at the Community Law Office on Liberty Street, 10:30 A.M. - Noon
• Application deadline: Friday, April 30, 2010 (postmark)

2010 Mt. Rest Fund RFP (Click here for guidelines

The PowerPoint about the Mount Rest Fund grants program, which was presented at the April 9th Technical Assistance Workshop in Knoxville, follows:

Mount Rest Fund Technical Assistance Workshop PowerPoint

For further information, please contact Jan Elston (865) 524-1223, toll-free at 877-524-1223 or by e-mail at jelston@etf.org.

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