Benton County Community Foundation Distributes $107,095 to Local Organizations

Benton County Community Foundation

June 16, 2020

The Benton County Community Foundation announced $107,095 in grant funding to 22 projects of organizations serving Benton County as part of its 2020 grant cycle.

The Community Foundation made the decision to not hold its annual award celebration due to COVID-19. Grant checks will be mailed directly to the nonprofit organizations.

Grant recipient organization, project the grant will fund, and grant amount are listed below by funding areas.

Community Betterment

• Cedar Valley Humane Society, Pet Food Assistance, $2,000
• City of Blairstown, Library - Public Internet Stations, $1,560

Education

• Iowa College Access Network, Building Iowa's Future Workforce, $2,500
• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, Inspiring Future Leaders in Benton County, $3,500
• The Teacher Store, Classroom Supplies for Educators and Students, $2,500

Health

• Area Substance Abuse Council, Benton County Youth Empowerment Project – 2020, $6,000
• Unity Point Health - St. Luke's Foundation, LifeGuard Air Ambulance, $7,500
• Vinton Lutheran Home, Memory Care Improvement, $5,000

Human Service

• Benton County Food Pantry, Benton County Food Pantry Partnerships, $9,500
• Benton County ISU Extension & Outreach, Old School Produce Partners, $2,500
• Benton County Volunteer Program, Medical Transportation Assistance Program, $9,000
• Blairstown Firemans Association, Automotive Accident Response Equipment, $7,500
• Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity, Aging in Place 2020, $6,000
• Families Helping Families of Iowa, Spread Your Wings: Fostering Hope for Iowa's Children in Foster Care, $2,500
• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Leadership and Character-Building Program for Benton County Girls, $4,000
• Horizons, Family Service Alliance, Horizons Family Support, $5,605
• North Benton Ambulance, Power Cot and Load System Project, $7,500
• North Star Community Services, Providing Community Access, $4,400
• Riverview Center, Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Toolkit, $2,930
• Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District, Elementary Schools - Operation Backpack, $9,100
• Waypoint Services, Domestic Violence Safety Net Project, $4,000
Wesley United Methodist Church, Food Pantry, $2,000

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Benton County. Committee members include: Bryce Brecht, Alison Henkle, Rod Kubichek, John Mossman, Mary Pech, Tim Peters (chair), LeRoy Staker, Anna Upah and Nick Volk.

Grants are awarded through Benton County Community Foundation’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of: art and culture, community betterment, education, environment, health, historic preservation and human service. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization or government entity serving Benton County in order to be considered for funding. The 2021 grant cycle opens January 1, 2021 with an application deadline of March 15, 2021. The grant guidelines and application will be posted prior to the cycle opening at bentonccf.org.