Financial Help for Individuals in Toledo and Northwest Ohio

Updated 07/08

Below is a list of possible sources of funding for individuals in the northwest Ohio area. While it is not exhaustive, it deals with some of the most frequently asked questions about aid to individuals. Foundations under most circumstances do not give grants to individuals, and while there are billions in various government programs, most are not given directly to individuals, but to nonprofits and local and state governments. In both the public and private sectors, giving to individuals tends to be very local, and so directories with a national range have limited value.

There is a new source of information for people in northwest Ohio who need emergency help. United Way of Greater Toledo has made their 211 database available online. It covers such services as emergency food and shelter, legal aid, aid for the elderly, employment, health and mental health services and more.

The Pop/Teen Department has excellent directories of scholarships given to students, but you can also check the Community Information Project file at www.toledolibrary.org under the subject heading “scholarships” to find local organizations that give scholarships. Also, you can find scholarships available through the Toledo Community Foundation at their website.

Federal and State General Aid

A quick way to check for government benefits, grants, pensions, Social Security, Medicaid, etc., is to visit the website: Firstgov Benefits . Links are provided at this site for federal web pages on each of these topics. In order to find out what benefits you may be entitled to is to visit the GovBenefit web page. You click on the general government program in which you are interested, and answer a few questions. The web page then gives you a list of benefits for which you may be eligible, and links that can give you more information. If you want to check into state programs, see the links to states. Click on a state, and follow the interactive screens.

For those who believe that they may be owed money by the government (for federally insured mortgages, pensions from failed companies, savings bonds, settlements from class action suits by federal employees, etc.) will give you links to various federal program. It has links to sites that can be searched for all several benefits.

For people who are searching for unclaimed funds in the state of Ohio, the state runs a name-searchable site.

The Ohio Treasurer's Office now has a website where you can find the nearest location for the Ohio Benefit Bank. Put in your address, and you can find the nearest location where trained counselors can input your financial information and discover which federal and state programs you are elibigle to receive.

Home Fixup and Purchase

The state of Ohio has come up with a new program to help homeowners threatened with foreclosure. It has set up a hotline to link homeowners with lawyers who can provide legal representation, and possibly negotiate with lenders of their behalf. To get assistance, call 1-888-404-4674 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

For those seeking help with a difficult current mortgage, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency has a new program (the Opportunity Loan Finance Program) to replace a mortgage that does not fit your present financial situation with a 6.75% fixed mortgage. You must have an income no greater than 125% of the gross median income in your county ($73,625 in Lucas County). Counseling is required, and there is an option for another mortgage to cover closing and other costs. For more information, see the OHFA site.

For a list of programs from the federal government, including lower-interest mortgages, mortgage guarantees, HUD homes and counseling, see the agency's website.

The Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program is designed to allow homeowners with 80% or less of the Area Median Income to obtain money to bring their homes up to code. The aid comes in the form of a deferred payment loan with a 0% interest rate (payable upon change of home ownership). Homeowners must have lived in their home for at least a year, have home insurance, and property taxes and mortgage payments that are up to date. For more information on eligibility and conditions, please call the City of Toledo’s Department of Economic and Community Development at 419-245-1400.

For people in danger of foreclosure on their property, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation has a toll-free, 24/7 number to call with advice and help. It is: 888-995-HOPE (4673).

For homeowners in the city of Toledo, help is available for home improvements and some first and second mortgages. For more information, call Neighborhood Housing Services of Toledo at 691-2900 or 349-8559.

The City of Toledo offers a downpayment assistance program for first-time homebuyers (those who have not owned a primary residence in the last 3 years) whose income does not exceed 80% of the median income household income in the area. Homeowners much contribute a minimum of $500 of their personal funds towards the transaction. If they sell the house, move, transfers, or the homebuyer dies, the downpayment is subject to recapture by the city. If the grantee defaults, the city may recapture on a prorated basis. For more information, call the city’s Neighborhood and Development Office at 419-245-1400.

For persons buying a home in Lucas County (OUTSIDE OF TOLEDO OR OREGON), there is a downpayment assistance program that offers a 0% loan, deferring repayment until the house is resold, the homeowner vacates, or transfers title of the property. The loan value is up to $6,600. Additional funds may be available for property rehabilitation up to a combined maximum amount of $14,500. Income and asset limits apply.

For people in Lucas County (outside Toledo and Oregon), there is a 0% deferred loan program for housing rehabilitation (up to $25,000 for rehabilitation, or up to $8,000 for emergency repairs. Owner-occupied single-family dwellings, condominiums and manufactured homes qualify. You must make less than 80% of the area median income for the rehabilitation program, and less than 50% of the area median income for the emergency repair program. For more information, call Walden Wilson at 419-213-8060.

For aged (62 years or older) or disabled low-income people who need emergency repairs on their homes, the EOPA Emergency Housing Rehabilitation Program may help. They offer financial assistance for structural, plumbing, and other repairs on homes. Contact them for an application at 419-242-7304.

For people purchasing homes in Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Seneca counties, downpayment assistance is available through WSOS Community Action Commission Get more information on their programs at their website.

Here are more agencies that help with home repairs:
East Toledo Senior Center
Home repairs for low-income seniors in Lucas County.
419-691-1429, ask for Steve Bartha.

Lucas County Department of Job and Family Services
213-8816
Small grants for emergency repairs for homeowners with minor children.

Warm Choice
691-2900
Inspection, tune up and repairs for furnaces and space heaters and insulation.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Toledo. Home Weatherization Assistance Program.
Home inspection, tune-up and repair of equipment, if necessary, insulation, and energy management plans.
691-2900

Low or moderate-income families with children 6 or younger, or pregnant women, who live in houses built before 1978, may be living in structures that are eligible for free windows, siding or paint in an effort to lessen children’s contact with lead. Eligible recipients may include homeowners, landlords, and tenants in the city of Toledo. For more information, call the Department of Economic and Community Development at 419-245-1400.

For people living in the target area of the Northwest Ohio Development Agency, below-market loans and even grants may be available for home purchases and repair. Contact NODA at 243-3734, ext. 110 for more information. For people living in Lucas County, there is a program in which you can start an Individual Development Account (IDA). This allows you to start saving money for home improvements, college education, home purchases, and micro-enterprise start-ups and expansions. For every dollar you save up to $1750, NODA will match it with $2. There are income restrictions – participants must be within 200% of poverty level for their household. More liberal guidelines are available for people who want to start an IDA for a microbusiness or to escape a predatory lending situation. Call NODA at the above number for more information, and see their website. NODA also runs educational programs on home ownership, maintenance, money management, escaping predatory lending situations, and business start-ups.

Fannie Mae has several mortgage products that allow a lower downpayment than average. For information about these products, see their webpage.

Ohio now offers a first-time home ownership program for firefighters, police officers, veterans, healthcare workers, paramedics, EMTs, teachers, and active military. It is the Hero's Program. Rates are one quarter percent lower than they are for Ohio's other first time home buyer program. For more information, see the website or call 1-888-362-6432.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has mortgage programs for first time homebuyers (those who have not owned a residence in three years) and those wishing to buy a home in a depressed area. If you are buying a home in a target area, you do not need to be a first-time homebuyer. The rate includes 2% downpayment assistance. Income and home price restrictions apply. Availability of funds may vary.

For those interested in buying or rehabilitating a home in a rural area, the United States Agricultural Department Rural Housing Service has programs to help. These include loan guarantees and direct loans. They are subject to income limits. For more information, see the USDA website.

For Michigan low-income home buyers, there is help available through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which includes downpayment assistance and low-interest loans. For more information, see their webpage.

Some community development corporations have programs to help homeowners and home buyers in their neighborhoods. For a full list of city CDCs, see the of Neighborhoods website. They are also participants in Toledo’s Neighborhood Department downpayment assistance program. However, they only work within homes within the CDC boundaries. Programs may vary due to the availability of funds. Some development corporations may also offer to rent homes to low to moderate-income people for 15 years, with an option to purchase after that period. However, their rent does not buy equity in the house. For more information on the pros and cons of this arrangement, see the Toledo Blade article on November 2, 2003, on page 1H.

For low and middle-income homebuyers in the city of Toledo, the Toledo Homeownership Center offers loans for purchasing or rehabilitation loans, emergency loans for health and safety issues, and other non-financial aids such as homeowner training. They can be contacted at: 419-691-2900.

The Nehemiah Program, based in California, offers another way for prospective homebuyers to get down payment assistance. Gift funds going towards the down payment of the home ranging in amounts from 1% to 6% are available for qualified homebuyers, if the home seller agrees to make a contribution to the program and pay a small service fee. For more details, see the Nehemiah web site or call: 1-877-634-3642 (1-877-NEHEMIAH).

The Good Neighbors Next Door program at HUD was created to encourage police officer, firefighter, EMS and teacher home ownership in targeted areas. See Hud's website for more information.

For those wanting to buy a home, or any other property, real or personal, for sale by a federal agency, this one-stop shop links to agencies and federal auction announcements

Habitat for Humanity also makes it possible for low-income people to use sweat equity and no-interest mortgages to obtain decent homes. You can contact the Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity at 471-1333 for more information.

The Department of Jobs and Family Services has a housing program for Lucas County residents outside of Toledo and Oregon. It assists homebuyers with down-payment and closing costs, housing rehabilitation, rental assistance to remain in a home or apartment. Income limits apply. For more information, see the website or call Waldon Wilson, Housing Foreclosure Specialist at Jobs and Family Services at 419-213-6340 or e-mail at: wilsow02@odjfs.state.oh.us

For tenants of Section 8 housing through the LMHA, there is a Section 8 Homeownership Option. Qualified tenants may be allowed to use their Section 8 voucher subsidy towards a mortgage on a home, rather than renting. You must be consistently employed for a year (or disabled or elderly), be in full compliance with your lease and other section 8 programs, and meet income requirements. For more information, call the developer of LMHA programs at (419) 259-9549 or see the LMHA website.

The City of Toledo is offering mini-grants of $250-$1000 for city homeowners to install equipment that will reduce basement flooding. The grant will pay for stand pumps, check valves, or sump pumps. For more information, call 419-245-1337.

Restoring the Dream is a predatory lending remediation program designed to help homeowners who are experiencing problems with abusive loan provisions. The Fair Housing Center, Northwest Ohio Development Agency (NODA), and Fannie Mae® have created a partnership to help consumers keep their homes. The program is designed to provide alternative financing to borrowers who may have become victims of abusive mortgage lending practices. The partnership will be able to provide a variety of important services, including : analyzing mortgage loans to determine if there are indications of predatory and/or illegal lending practices, working with current mortgage holders to negotiate loan balances or eliminate fees and excessive charges, providing loan refinances with participating lenders and NODA. Participating lenders provide the first mortgage. NODA provides the second mortgage as needed. First mortgages are purchased by Fannie Mae®. For more information, contact the Toledo Fair Housing Center at: 419-243-6163.

Medical and Home Care Assistance

Many drug companies have programs to aid people who need prescription medications and who are not covered by government programs or private insurance. Qualifications vary by company. For a complete list, see this website or call the toll-free number 1-888-4PPA-NOW. (or 1-888-477-2669) A listing for psychotropic drugs for the mentally ill is available at the NAMI website. Another source of information about prescription help from pharmaceutical companies is RX assist. Free registration required.

Medicare is now offering the opportunity to get agency-approved drug discount cards from selected private agencies. If you are a low-income person ($12,569 or less for a single person, or $16,862 or less for a married person), you could also qualify for a $600 credit on your Medicare-approved drug discount card. Of the private drug card sponsors, 28 will provide drug discount cards for any eligible applicants, and the other 43 who will only give them to their own plan members. For a list of approved private discount card providers, see the medicare site.

The Golden Buckeye Cards are open to all those over 60 or permanently disabled and over 18 in the state of Ohio. Accepted by over 90% of the state’s pharmacies, it cuts 13% off the cost of brand-name drugs, and 20% off the price of generics to eligible users. It also provides bigger discounts to seniors with less than $30,000 a year income as individuals, or $40,000 a year as a couple. For more information, see the Golden Buckeye website.

The newest state program, Ohio’s Best Rx, provides drug discount cards for Ohioans who are over 60, or whose income is less than 250% of the poverty level. This translates into less than $25,536 for a single person, $34,236 for a family of two, etc. Applications are available at participating pharmacies, hospitals, and health centers. Application forms can be requested by calling 1-866-923-7879 or downloaded from the website. Prices and rebates vary.

The Northwest Ohio Pharmacy Drug Network offers residents of its member political entities (Toledo, Northwood, Genoa, Walbridge, Rossford, Wauseon, Oregon, Bowling Green, Haskins, Sandusky and all of Lucas County) the chance to get discounted prescriptions. For more information, call toll-free at: 1-800-329-1469 or see its website. This now includes hearing aids.

Help is available for low income people who need dental care (up to 200% of poverty level). Dental Options of Ohio is a group of dentists statewide that offers discount-priced dental care. See the site of the Ohio Dental Association or call: 1-888-765-6789. Also, Dental Care of Northwest Ohio (241-6215) at 2138 Madison, provides dental care for Medicaid recipients and low-income children and adults. The Dental Hygiene Clinic of Owens Tech also provides some low-cost dental services (oral assessments, X-rays, dental cleanings, pit and fissure sealants, inspection and cleaning of dentures, and fluoride treatments). The clinic operates from September till May. For more information, call: (567) 661-7294 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 7294. The clinic is open various mornings, afternoons, and one evening.

Subsidies exist to help low-income seniors who need financial assistance for in-home health care in the state of Ohio. Potential clients must meet Medicaid income requirements (or be eligible based on the extent of their medical and in-home care needs), be frail enough to warrant nursing home care, and be allowed by their physician to stay at home with proper care. For more precise qualifications and other information, see their website and contact the Area Office on Aging for Northwest Ohio at 382-0624.

CareNet is a pilot program that has been started to help low-income Lucas County residents obtain health insurance. To be eligible, you must be a resident of Lucas County for at least six months, have no other health insurance and be ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and other government insurance programs, and make no more than twice the household income for federal poverty guidelines. For individuals, this means no more than $20,800, or $42,400 for a household of four. Enrollment forms are available at: MCO, 3355 Glendale, Mercy Health Partners at 2200 Jefferson, Neighborhood Health Association at the Cordelia Martin Health Center, 905 Nebraska, River East Community Health Center at 117 Main, or the South Side Community Health Center, 732 South Avenue. Applications are also available at: ProMedica Health System at 2150 W. Central, and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department Clinics at: 635 N. Erie or 330 Oak Terrace Boulevard. For more information, call 419-842-0800, 419-471-5899, or 419-255-7883, extension 237, or see their website.

Free eyeglasses, as well as professional eye exams, are available to people with no vision insurance and income up to 200% of the poverty level, through the Northwest Ohio Chapter of Prevent Blindness Ohio. Y ou must not have used their services in the last 12 months. For more information, contact Prevent Blindness Ohio at 419-327-2020.

A website has listings of over 300 patient assistance programs designed to help consumers find lower cost drugs. You can put your age and drug information into a search engine to find particular programs for which you may be eligible, or look at the discount programs offered by drug companies for seniors. You may also get information by calling 1-877-rx-4-ohio (1-877-794-6446).

Eli Lilly has their own program, also for medicare beneficiaries with less than $18,000 individual income, or $24,000 household income and no other insurance, that provides drugs for a flat fee of $12. To register or get more information, call 800-545-6962.

More health care assistance is available through local and state sources. There is a list of public health services available through the Toledo/Lucas County Health Department. Programs are also available through the state of Ohio.

For people in need of mental health services in Lucas County, who also have financial needs, the Lucas County Board of Mental Health offers some services. Call the Lucas County Enrollment Center at 419-213-4618. For a list of local agencies that aid the mentally ill and their services, seeLucas County's website.

For children in Michigan with special medical needs, there is a Trust Fund for Children with Special Needs. Children’s Special Health Care Services covers over 2,000 diagnosed conditions. They must be Michigan residents.

Free health insurance for low and moderate income kids in Ohio is available through Healthy Start-Healthy Families. It covers regular check-ups, annual physicals, immunizations, dental care, vision care, prescriptions, etc. Families can apply through the mail. The form can be obtained by calling the Consumer Hotline at 1-800-324-8680 or TDD for the hearing impaired at 1-800-292-3572, from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. Income limitations apply. For more information, call the hotline or see their website. For information on children’s health coverage in other states, see Insure Kids Now.

The American Academy of Ophthamology has created several programs to help low-income Americans receive free or low-cost eye care and examinations. These include eye exams for low-income seniors, persons with diabetes, young children, and people at risk for glaucoma. For more information, call 1-800-222-EYES (senior program), 1-800-391-EYES (glaucoma program), 1-800-272-EYES (diabetes program), and 1-877-887-6327 (children’s eye care), or see their website.

Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association, is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May.

VISION USA, coordinated by the American Optometric Association (AOA), provides free eye care to uninsured, low-income workers and their families. Screening for the program takes place only during January of each year, with exams provided later in the year. Telephone: 1-800-766-4466.

Sight for Students, a Vision Service Plan (VSP) program in partnership with The Entertainment Industry Foundation, provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years and younger whose families cannot afford vision care. The phone number is: 1-888-290-4964.

New Eyes for the Needy provides vouchers for the purchase of new prescription eyeglasses. Mailing address: 549 Millburn Avenue, P.O. Box 332, Short Hills, NJ 07078-0332. Telephone: (973) 376-4903.

The Starkey Foundation makes hearing aids available for those who have no other financial resources and cannot afford them. For more information, contact the Hear Now program at: 1-866-354-3254 or write: Hear Now Program, 6700 Washington Avenue S. Eden Prairie MN 55344.

The Corporate Angel Network assists cancer patients in financial need in getting airplane transportation to and from treatment sites by finding and arranging for flights on empty seats on corporate gets. Financial need required. For more information, call toll-free (866) 328-1313.

Disability Assistance

For disabled low and moderate income homeowners in Lucas County, the Ability Center (885-5733) has a grant program to improve accessibility within their homes. For more information, check the Ability Center’s website.

Galladet University hosts a good website on financial assistance for assistance for hearing aids and assistance devices.

The Ability Center, LMHA, National City Bank, Sky Bank, and Neighborhood Housing Services host a series of workshops on home ownership programs for the disabled and their families. In these two-hour workshops, potential homeowners will be able to meet with representatives from these organizations to determine their qualification for programs that might help them buy a home. For a schedule of workshops, please call Shelley Papenfuse at the Ability Center: 419-885-5733.

The Toledo Area Community Credit Union has a program called the Ability Loan, which offers longer term and lower-interest loans for its disabled members and their families to obtain ramps and adaptive equipment like computers and scooters. You can become a member if you live, work, attend school, or volunteer in Lucas County, if you open a savings account of at least $25. For more information and an application, call the TACCU at (419) 841-9838.

For an overall good source of information on disability resources and organizations in the state of Ohio, see the Disability Resources Center link. It has links to all agencies that help the disabled, including state, national, and local resources, and resources for specific disabilities and conditions. PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY MAY NOT GIVE GRANTS, but may give information on difference sources of help. Another source is ConnectMeOhio.

The Social Security Administration has instituted the “Ticket to Work” program for SSI and SSDI recipients. This is a voucher that allows them to get cash benefits while they work, choose an agency to give them job training, education and rehabilitation, and helps with extra work expenses related to one’s disability. You don’t need to physically have the ticket in order to get these benefits, and if you have the ticket, you are not required to use it. For more information, call Maximus, the company hired to manage the program, at , 1-866-968-7842 (1-866-YOURTICKET) or 1-866-833-2967 TTY (1-866-TDD 2 WORK). See their website for more information.

The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission also offers aid to disabled people who would like to rejoin the workforce. They will work with disabled people to identify job goals and provide financial support towards reaching those goals, whether as an employee or as a self-employed businessperson. This may include money for schooling, adaptive equipment, or business supplies. To find out about services available through the ORSC, call them at: 419-866-5811.

The Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability offers resources for developmentally disabled people to create an independent, wage-earning career. Developmentally disabled people may call MRDD at 419-381-8320 or 254-4070 to consult with a counselor and begin a planning process to choose good career goals, and find out how to achieve them. Once this is done, the client may receive financial assistance in reaching these goals, whether it is training or resources to begin an independent business. The planning process and goal setting are prerequisites to getting financial help.

The Ohio Department of the Treasury, in partnership with Fifth Third Bank, is offering Access for Individual Loans. Disabled Ohio residents whose independence and quality of life would be improved by the purchase of assistive technology are eligible, as well as the parent, custodian or guardian of such people. These lower-interest loans can be used for the purchase of assistive equipment, including but not limited to, hearing aids, text telephones, computer talking software, Braille printers, optical scanners, manual or motorized wheelchairs and home and van and home modifications. the Treasury Department website or call 1-800-228-1102.

Veterans' Assistance

Two good resources exist for veterans’ benefits are the veterans’ benefits website, and What Every Veteran Should Know (R355.115 Wha), available at main and most branches. The website includes forms and contacts.

Lucas County has a Veterans Service Commission that offers emergency help for county veterans in need. For those guidelines, see: their website.

Elder Assistance

To find out about assistance programs for the elderly, check the following sources: Benefits Checkup, an interactive website sponsored by the National Council on Aging, in which information about the elder can be input, with a list of possible aid programs and contacts given out, and the Area Office on Aging in Northwest Ohio and the reference book, Resource Guide for Older Adults and Their Families (R362.6 Res), Toledo-Lucas County's Public Library Main library and several branches.

Elementary and Secondary School Financial Assistance

Besides scholarships that might be available from the schools themselves, check the information at the National Association for Independent Schools. It provides some financing options for parents, but be forewarned—many agencies listed on the Adobe Acrobat directory are swamped with applicants and not taking any more for the foreseeable future.

The Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund, Inc. makes scholarships to low-income K-8 grade children in Lucas, Fulton, or Wood counties to attend non-public schools as funds become available. If they are not, parents can apply to be put on a waiting list. When the funds do become available, a lottery is held for the eligible recipients. Maximum scholarship is $1,000, and families must make a minimum contribution of $500 per year. Currently, 71 area schools qualify as recipient schools. Income requirements apply. For more information, call 419-244-6711, extension 219.

For a limited number of children who attend underperforming public schools in Ohio, there are scholarships that would help them attend a nonpublic, noncharter school in their area. EdChoice Scholarships provides the scholarships to children who are attending public schools that have been listed as being in academic emergency or academic watch for two of the past three years. Students that are homeschooled or currently in private schools are not eligible. Students must first be accepted into an approved private school in their area, then apply for the scholarship. See the the Department of Education webpage for links to lists of public schools whose students are eligible, and a link to lists of private schools.

For K-12 Michigan children, there is the Education Freedom Fund, a nonprofit that creates scholarships for children in the state eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program. They may be used at any legally operated school where tuition is charged. For more information, see their website or call them at 1-888-866-8141.

Nature and the Environment

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers financial help for landowners to preserve wetlands and prairies on private property, and to deal with agricultural waste. For more information, see their webpage.

The Rain Garden Initiative is providing financial assistance on a limited basis to homeowners and institutions to set up rain gardens on their property. This is to encourage rain gardens, which lessen runoffs and floods in the Toledo and Lucas County area. To find out more about the grants, see the Rain Garden Initiative website or call them at 419-936-3015 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Other Financial Assistance

Programs exist for low-income people in Ohio who need financial help in keeping their telephone service. Federal programs include Lifeline and Link-Up, and in Ohio Service Connection Assistance is available. For more detailed information on qualifications and benefits, see the Ohio Consumer’s Council site. Besides information on financial assistance, it has a wealth of information on consumer utility issues, such as reading your meter and power bills, and how to complain about utility services. Sprint and Alltel/Western Reserve Telephone also offer a plan to reduce local rates for those receiving some form of public assistance. For more information on these programs, call 1-800-407-5411. Besides information on financial assistance, it has a wealth of information on consumer utility issues, such as reading your meter and power bills, and how to complain about utility services.

For information on home heating programs in Ohio for low-income people, try the Ohio Department of Development site. This site offers information on programs such as HEAP.

For summer home cooling aid in Lucas County, HEAP will be taking applications starting July 1. EOPA of Great Toledo will accept applications through August 31st. This provides electric bill assistance and provides one air conditioner per household for those who didn’t get one in past years. Eligibility ranges from an income of $18.200 for a single person to $62,300 for an eight-person household. You must show proof of income for adults in the household, picture i.d., social security numbers for everyone in the household, current utility bills in the applicant’s name, and documentation from a physician that someone in the home would benefit from an air conditioner. EOPA encourages a call to schedule appointments, since only the first seven walk-in clients will be accepted each day. The number for EOPA is 419/241-2213.

The state of Ohio Department of Human services has resources to help low-income people who work or attend school obtain day care for their children. The level of aid is dependent on income, and copayments may be required. For more information, including income limits and an application form, see their website.

Non-parents, like grandparents and others, who are raising their relative’s children may be eligible for financial assistance. The state Department of Jobs and Family Services provides financial aid for kinship care providers through Ohio Works First (OWF). There are payments to help in the support of children, regardless of the income of their caregivers, (child only cases), which you may receive until the child is 18, as well as benefits for low-income caregivers, for which you have to supply financial information about yourself. For more information, see their website. To apply for any of these benefits, contact the Lucas County Department of Jobs and Family Services at: 419-213-3001.

Victims of violent crime in the state of Ohio can find information on the crime victims compensation program.

Modest Needs is a nonprofit created to help people who have a small, unexpected financial need. They offer very small grants. You must register with the website (for free) to request help.

Published sources

The grantsmanship collection of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has a book, Foundation Grants to Individuals, which lists grants available from foundations by broad subject area. There is also the electronic form at Main library. However, much of the giving is localized, and this may limit its helpfulness. The latest edition is a reference copy, but there is an earlier edition that circulates. For those looking for fellowship money or money for a scholarly project, see Grantselect, a subscription website available only in Main library and branches of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

Artists

Artists might want to check out the website for the Ohio Arts Commission . Of particular interest is a searchable database of grant and work opportunities for artists. There are also some announcements, proposals, scholarships, and grants at the Art Deadlines List. The Creative Capital Toolbox also has some excellent links to information about fellowships, residencies and grants.

Here are some other websites for artists: Michigan State University Grants for Individuals. This site was created by MSU, but has nationwide listings, although it leans somewhat towards Michigan. Look under the headings “art,” “film,” “photography,” “writing,” and “music.” NYFA Interactive lists job opportunities, casting calls, emergency help for artists, residencies, etc.

Business Assistance

While outright grants for businesses and business start-ups are rare, some forms of low-cost loans are available from different sources. The Ohio Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) provides financing for eligible housing projects to expand, preserve, and/or improve the supply of decent, safe, affordable housing for very low-to-moderate income persons and households in the state of Ohio. Funds may be awarded in the form of a loan or a grant, and applicants can be private for-profit housing developers, 501(c) (3) or 501 (c ) (4) organizations or local housing authorities with proposals to create affordable for-sale homes, provide new affordable rental housing opportunities, or preserve affordable at-risk housing. For more information, see their website.

The Toledo Department of Economic Development has different programs for businesses, including a grant to improve a business’s façade, a development loan program, the downtown tax credit program, (the full text of which is in the Financial Help for Individuals folder at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library's BTS desk), and enterprise development loans. For more information, go the city’s website and go to the Department of Economic Development. The Department’s website also has links to state business development programs.

In addition, there is a grant program available for businesses in the Toledo downtown district in an effort to retain and increase businesses and employment. The awards are based on a minimum of $100,000 of new or increased gross payroll and a minimum of five new jobs as a result of an expansion or relocation project in downtown Toledo. For more information, call the Toledo Department of Development at: 419-245-1470.

The city of Toledo and the Small Business Administration have created a program to aid businesses in the city. If an entrepreneur puts up the first 12.5% of equity needed to start or expand a business, the city may match that equity with up to $50,000 in a performance grant. That is, if the firm meets performance goals for each year, one fifth of the loan will be forgiven until the loan is forgiven entirely. Banks could then lend the remaining 75% of the equity at the prime rate. For more information, call the Toledo Department of Economic Development at: 419-245-1470.

Many communities within Lucas County have incentive programs that offer loans to business that are starting or expanding in their cities. For more information about these, see the Lucas County Improvement Corporation website. This lists programs in cities such as Oregon, Sylvania, Whitehouse, Holland, Waterville and Maumee.

The Small Business Administration has a website that outlines all loan programs available through them.

The nonprofit group Assets Toledo, which offers training programs for new entrepreneurs, also offers a chance at microloans of between $500 and $5000 for graduates of its training program. For more information, call Assets Toledo at 419-381-2721, or see their website.

There is a grant program financed by the state of Ohio specifically to improve the physical plant of day care centers. Both for-profit and nonprofits are eligible, but for-profits must provide matching funds. An organization must have been a licensed facility for a minimum of 1 year. Awards are contingent on the availability of funds. For more information, see: the Jobs and Family Services website.

For a list of loan and grant programs available through the state of Ohio, see the Department of Development website.

The Ohio Office of Energy Efficiency has a couple of programs to encourage energy saving and the adoption of alternative energy sources. One is a grant program to encourage the use of alternative energy, the other a low-cost loan to encourage greater energy efficiency. For more information, see the website.

A legitimate federal grant program for small businesses is the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research Program) for small high tech businesses. This is a competitive grant offered by many federal departments. For more information, see SBIR's website. Another program to encourage technology development is the STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer Program), which encourages partnerships between the private and public sector. For more information on this, see the STTR website.

The city of Toledo provides loans to rehabilitate rental housing projects for low-income people (those making less than 60% of median income). This covers property containing 1-4 rental units. The loans can be made to sole proprietors, partnerships, and for-profit and not-for-profit investor-owners. For more information, check the Financial Help for Individuals booklet at the Toledo-Lucas County's BTS desk, or call the Toledo Department of Neighborhoods at 245-1400.

Financial help for new technology development is also available through the Office of Industrial Technologies in the Department of Energy. Their Inventions and Innovations program provides financial assistance to those who need money to more fully develop inventions for new technology. These are competitive grants for up to $200,000 in the areas of agriculture, aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum, steel, power, transportation, or building. For more information, see the website.

For minority, women and small business people, NASA provides technical assistance and procurement aid through its Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative. It provides assistance in the area of technical expertise, product development, SBIR proposal writing, and marketing assistance. See their website.

Employee training grants are available for Ohio firms in the manufacturing field, and for those companies suffering from a shortage of information technology workers. These are available through EnterpriseOhio. Training grant funds will support up to 75% of the total documented eligible costs for training and related services (up to $650 per employee). For more information about EnterpriseOhio, contact Luanne Momenee, the local Network Representative, at (419) 530-3140 or Luanne.Momenee@utoledo.edu.

The Ohio Third Frontier Project provides funding for the development of capital formation, new high-tech product development, and the development of technology to help established industries become more efficient. Many requests for proposals have private firms as partners or even as the target of the grant. For more information, see the Third Frontier website or call 1-800-848-1300.

A good source of information on financial help in northwest Ohio is the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority at 419/243-8251. They run some programs for businesses in the region.

A good one-stop-shop for exploring all the state’s business incentive plans, as well as assistance for women and minority business owners, is the Department of Development. Go to the Department of Development website and hover over “for business,” then choose “business incentives.” It includes tax incentives, loans, and grants. Also try the Small Business Center website.

Locally, the Regional Growth Partnership has some incentives for regional businesses. See their programs. You can call them instead at: 252-2700 or toll-free at 1-800-815-6477.

The Ohio Department of the Treasury oversees the Small Business Link Deposit Program, GROW NOW. It is designed to make lower-interest loans available to small businesses that maintain offices and operating facilities exclusively in Ohio. For more information on this program, see the Treasurer's website or call 614-466-6546.

Low and moderate income residents of Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, Seneca, and Huron counties may be eligible for microbusiness loans from the WSOS Community Action Commission. Prime-rate loans between $500 and $5000 are available for terms of one to three years to borrowers. For more information, call 800-775-9767 or check their website.

Agriculture Assistance

The Ohio Department of Agriculture lists resources available to farmers. One such program is the Ohio Agricultural Security Area Program. This is a new farmland preservation tool that farmers, county commissioners, and township trustees can use to protect at least 500 acres of contiguous farmland in their community for a 10-year period. In return for participating, farmers who own land within an ASA may be eligible for a tax exemption on investments of $25,000 or more in a building, structure, improvement or fixture that is used exclusively for agricultural purposes. The landowner requests for an exemption from the county commissioner and the township trustees for the benefits. For more info, please the Ohio Agriculture Department website.

Another program offered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture is the Family Farm Loan Program. This program helps farmers and agribusiness enterprises secure low interest loans to start or expand a farm or agribusiness. For more information contact the Rural Development Partnership at 614-995-1490 (or toll free at 800-282-1955). You can check out the ag website for more information, an application, and eligibility requirements.

The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has an information resource page for migrant agricultural workers (in English & Spanish) at their webpage or call the Ohio Migrant Hotline at: 1-800-282-3525.

The Ohio Department of the Treasury also has a linked deposit loan program for agricultural and horticultural businesses that offers the opportunity to get lower cost loans. To be eligible, at least 51% of the farmland of the company must be located in Ohio, and must be headquartered in Ohio. For more information, see their website or call 1-800-228-1102.

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