Howard County Community Foundation Distributes $148,238 to Local Nonprofit Organizations

Howard County Community Foundation

January 9, 2025

The Howard County Community Foundation (HCCF) held its 2024 grant awards celebration at the Lime Springs Community Center on January 8, announcing the distribution of $148,238.51 to 28 projects of organizations serving Howard County through its 2024 grant cycle.

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

Arts & Culture

• Cresco Community Theater - Sound Equipment - $2,830.00

Community Betterment

• City of Chester - Community Center Board - Doors - $2,419.16
• City of Chester - Fire & Rescue - Personal Protective Gear - $9,000.00
• City of Chester - Parks & Recreation - Softball Lighting - $7,500.00
• City of Cresco - Fire Department - Fire Hose & Nozzles - $9,900.00
• City of Cresco - Police Department - National Night Out 2025 - $5,000.00
• City of Elma - Library - Books & Technology For A Better Life - $4,276.00
• City of Lime Springs - Park Board - Ball Field Concession Door - $2,356.27
• City of Lime Springs - Pool Board - Pool Doors - $10,553.35
• City of Protivin - New Park Equipment - $5,000.00
• Firefighters of Elma - Gear Racking Project - $10,000.00
• Protivin Firefighters Inc - Wildfire Truck Skid Unit - $6,500.00

Education & Youth Development

• Elma Early Childhood Center - Furnishings & Materials - $6,000.00
• Iowa College Access Network - Empowering Futures for Economic Growth - $1,000.00
• Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation - NICC Cresco Center - Youth Programming Expansion - $4,000.00
• Riceville Community School - TouchPro - $7,500.00
• Trinity Catholic School - Art Room Restock and School Needs - $3,500.00

Environment & Animal Welfare

• City of Chester - Administration - Tree Removal Project - $5,000.00
• City of Lime Springs - Tree Department - Tree Removal/Upkeep - $5,000.00
• City of Riceville - Administration - Tree Removal - $5,000.00
• Cresco Wildlife Club - Expansion Phase II - $5,000.00
• Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail Association - Preserving & Enhancing the County Butterfly Garden - $3,600.00

Health

• American Red Cross - Blood Services - Riceville Blood Drive Support - $1,000.00

Human Service

• Northeast Iowa Community Action - Howard County Crisis Program - $10,000.00
• Northeast Iowa Food Bank - Feeding Communities, Howard County - $10,000.00
• Riceville Community Foundation, Inc. - Elf Shop - Assistance for Low-Income People - $4,000.00
• Riceville Food Pantry - Equipment Upgrades - $1,303.73
• Riverview Center, Inc. - Howard County Crisis Response Toolkit - $1,000.00

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Howard County. Committee members include Amanda Keller (chair), Alice Back, Kristen Burke, Rosalie Christensen, Becky Fritcher, Ronda Hughes, Jeff Korsmo, Chas Malek, Ryan Manske, Judy Strike, Alvin Voyna, Bruce Weigel, Bart Wilson, and James Zajicek. HCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the grant discretionary grant process are the Shirley Bigalk Davis Memorial Endowment Fund, the James, Dorothy, and Judy Strike Family Endowment Fund, and the Judy Strike Business Education Enrichment Endowment Fund.

Grants are awarded through HCCF’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization or government entity serving Howard County in order to be considered for funding. The 2025 grant cycle opens September 1 with an application deadline of October 15. The grant guidelines and application can be found at http://www.howardccf.org/.