Winnebago County Community Foundation Distributes $102,357 to Local Organizations

Winnebago County Community Foundation

June 14, 2021

The Winnebago County Community Foundation announced $102,357.50 in grant funding to 29 projects of organizations serving Winnebago County as part of its 2021 grant cycle.

The Community Foundation will not hold its annual award celebration this year. Grant checks will be mailed directly to the nonprofit organizations.

“The Winnebago County Community Foundation is proud to partner with our local nonprofit organizations and support their work to make Winnebago County a better place for everyone,” said Alicea Porter, chair of the Winnebago County Community Foundation governing committee.

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

Arts & Culture

• Brickstreet Theatre, Sounds and Voices, $1,500
• Lake Mills Entertainment, Help the Mills Theater Through the Pandemic, $4,049
• Winnebago County Fair Association, Grandstand Announcer's Stand (Crow's Nest), $7,500
• Winnebago Historical Society, Tractor Museum Upgrade, $1,500

Community Betterment

• City of Buffalo Center, ISICS Radios, $7,000
• City of Buffalo Center, Pickle Ball Court, $5,000
• City of Lake Mills, Park & Rec Department - Lake Mills Mini Golf Course, $5,000
• City of Rake, Fire Department - Fire Truck, $7,500
• City of Rake, Multi-Use Walking Path/Park Area, $2,500
• City of Thompson, Library - Asbestos Abatement, $3,200
• Lake Mills Lions Club, Lions Park Beautification Project, $1,000

Education & Youth Development

• Boy Scouts of America - Winnebago Council, Eliminating Barriers to Access, $1,000
• Forest City Family YMCA, Flooring Replacement in Child Care Room, $5,000
• Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, Winnebago County Girl Scout STEM Discovery, $1,000
• Iowa College Access Network, Winnebago County Career and College Attainment Post COVID, $1,000
• Lake Mills Family Center, Toddler Room Wall and Window Updates, $7,249.12
• North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom, Ag Education for Winnebago County Schools, $2,000
• North Iowa Area Community College Foundation, NIACC Precision Agriculture Tractor, $1,000
• North Iowa Community School, TI 84 Classroom Calculator Set, $1,000
• The Set Me Free Project, Winnebago County Expansion Project, $5,000
• United Way of North Central Iowa, Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) for Winnebago County, $3,000

Environment & Animal Welfare

• City of Forest City, Winnebago River Dam Revitalization Project, $5,000

Health

• Forest City Ambulance Service, Community AEDs, $5,000
• Timely Mission Nursing Home, 3D Ultrasound, $7,494.38

Human Service

• Food Bank of Iowa, Fighting Childhood Hunger in Winnebago County, $5,000
• Francis Lauer Youth Services, Bedroom Basics, $1,865
• Iowa Legal Aid, Updating Technology to Better Serve Low-Income Winnebago County Residents, $1,000
• North Iowa Food for Families, North Iowa Food for Families, $2,000
• Our Savior's Lutheran Church – Leland, Our Saviors Food Pantry, $2,000

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Winnebago County. Committee members include: Beth Ades-Hanson, Cassie Johnson (ex-officio), Mike Johnson, Brad Jones, Chad Kohagen, Jenny Kramersmeier, Shawn Miller, Marty Pins, Alicea Porter (chair), Alexis Richter, Dr. Bob Sarver and Rachel Stensrud.

Grants are awarded through Winnebago County Community Foundation’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 Winnebago County in order to be considered for funding. The 2022 grant cycle opens February 1, 2022, with an application deadline of April 1, 2022. The grant guidelines and application will be posted prior to the cycle opening at www.winnebagoccf.org.