In 2011, ECGRA named and made its initial investments in the Erie County Lead Assets—nine place-shaping culture-, heritage-, and recreation-based nonprofits: Erie Art Museum, Erie Arts & Culture, Erie County Historical Society, Erie Philharmonic, Erie Playhouse, Erie Zoological Society, expERIEnce Children’s Museum, Flagship Niagara League, and the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture. ECGRA has committed almost $15 million in grants and endowment funds to the Lead Assets.
While this grant category is not open, like-minded nonprofit organizations may qualify for these IMPACT: Quality of Place grants: Community Assets Grants and Special Events Grants, and/or the IMPACT Municipalities grant: Municipal Collaboration Grants.