$200,000 in Grants, Scholarships Awarded

The Achille Levy Foundation has dispersed nearly $200,000 in grants and scholarships to local schools and programs, the foundation announced.

The grant money, which is given annually from a fund donated by the Bank of A. Levy, was donated to 28 organizations in Ventura County, including schools, museums, local Boys & Girls clubs and the Ventura County Symphony.

The recipients were selected from more than 100 applications based on their contributions to arts and education in the community. The grants range in size from $1,500 to $10,000.

The foundation’s grants totaled 113,000 this year, down from $166,000 last year.

The reduction, a foundation official said, was because of recent economic conditions.

“It’s a very challenging time right now for community banks,” said Barbara Ross, spokeswoman for the foundation. “But we have a strong tradition of giving here. While the money is harder to come by, we still wanted to continue to support community organizations.”

In addition to the grant money, the foundation gave a $1,500 scholarship for a student at each of 16 Ventura County public high schools and seven Ventura County private high schools. The scholarships will be given based on need and academic achievement, Ross said.

The foundation also donated $45,000 to United Way of Ventura County to match Bank of A. Levy employee donations.