Several private schools in Butler, Venango and Clarion counties have received $23,000 from Friedman’s Freshmarkets and its grocery wholesaler, Associated Wholesalers.

The donations are made under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program that allows businesses to provide scholarship money to help families attend private schools.

On Oct. 10 at the Immaculate Conception School in Clarion, the group presented a check for $23,325 to the schools.

Five of them are in Butler County, but John Minnitte of Associated Wholesalers declined to identify those schools.

“They may want to be low key about it,” he said.

Associated Wholesalers receives a tax credit each year to be used for scholarships at schools. Each year it chooses schools in different counties to benefit from the tax credit.

Through a partnership with BRIDGE Educational Foundation, Associated Wholesalers and Friedman’s contribute to total fundraising efforts of more than $18 million, helping 12,000 families in more than 500 schools participating in more than 59 counties.

Friedman’s is based in Butler.