The Martens Trust aims to support public, charitable initiatives that ultimately benefit the residents of Fairfield County, Ohio, with a specific focus on Lancaster. Their mission is centered on funding efforts that have a tangible, positive impact on the community.
The grant program backed by the Martens Trust is guided by several key principles: supporting year-round programming and projects that provide direct services reflecting the organization’s core social mission. It prioritizes efforts addressing community needs with demonstrated demand, particularly those with the potential for broad impact or that benefit underserved populations. Additionally, it seeks initiatives with measurable outcomes, a plan for documenting results, a vision for long-term sustainability, diverse income streams, effective financial accountability, collaboration with other organizations, and a complement rather than duplication of existing nonprofit work. Eligible organizations must have been operational for at least 3 years and demonstrate their project or program's measurable impact with at least one complete year of activities before applying.