Winneshiek County Community Foundation Distributes $133,897 to Local Organizations

Winneshiek County Community Foundation

March 27, 2020

The Winneshiek County Community Foundation (WCCF) announced $133,897 in grant funding to 32 projects of organizations serving Winneshiek County as part of its 2020 grant cycle.

The grant decisions were determined prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on communities and nonprofits. Nonprofits receiving grants may choose to shift funding to general operating support in response to this public health and economic crisis. The Community Foundation will discuss decisions with nonprofits on a one-on-one basis.

“The Winneshiek County Community Foundation is proud to partner with these nonprofits who are making a difference in our local communities,” said Marcia McKelvey, chair of the WCCF governing committee. “These organizations will receive their grant checks now and we look forward to celebrating with them and learning more about the impacts of their work in the fall at our annual grant awards celebration.”

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

Art and Culture

• ArtHaus, Infrastructure for Safety and Accessibility in ArtHaus's Permanent Home, $4,000
• New Minowa Players, Stage Replacement, $5,000
• Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Interpretive Signage for Vesterheim's Historic Buildings, $5,000
• Winneshiek County 4-H Club Foundation, Pine Bluff 4H Camp - Cabin and Shelter Window Replacement, $3,385

Community Betterment

• Calmar Senior Club, Calmar Senior Center Rejuvenation, $3,000
• City of Calmar, Street Lighting Project, $5,000
• City of Ossian, Pavilion Site Development at Ossian's Carey's Park, $5,000
• City of Spillville, Library - Computer Replacement and Update, $2,031

Environment

• Winneshiek County, Conservation Board 2020: Trail Safety Campaign, $3,500

Health

• Winneshiek County, Public Health - Happy Feet Clinic Reboot, $2,725
• Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation, OB Monitoring System, $6,300

Historic Preservation

• Friends of Fort Atkinson, Restoring Historic Fort Atkinson, Phase 1: Developing a Comprehensive Condition Assessment Report, $5,000
• Porter House Museum, Phase 2: Solar-Powered Climate Control System, $5,014
• Winneshiek County, Historic Preservation Commission - Winneshiek County Stone Structure Survey and Publication, $3,000

Human Service

• Barthell OES Home, Activity Room Equipment, $4,500
• City of Fort Atkinson, Fire Department - Helmets and LED Flashlights, $3,896
• City of Protivin, Fire Department - Fire Hoods and Gloves, $1,000
• Decorah Community Food Pantry, A Dual Approach to Providing Better Nutrition for Families, $4,768
• Decorah Quilts of Valor, 2020 Veterans Day Presentations, $3,760
• Decorah Volunteer Fire Dept Association, EMS - Protecting the Rescuer, $5,529
• Decorah Volunteer Fire Dept Association, Rescue Knowledge on the Go, $5,100
• Greater Area Pantry, Air Conditioning Project, $3,580
• Helping Services for Youth & Families, Youth Mentoring at Helping Services, $4,767
• Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Winneshiek County Congregate Home Delivered Meals Program, $5,000
• Northeast Iowa Food Bank, BackPack Program, $5,000
• Ridgeway Rural Fire Department, Road Side Safety, $4,000
• Riverview Center, Winneshiek County Sexual Assault Crisis Response Toolkit, $3,385
• The Spectrum Network, Handicap Accessible Van Purchase, $5,000
• Thunder Rode, Equine Assisted Activity Workshops for Veterans and Their Families, $1,705
• Toys Go 'Round Toy Lending Library, TGR2020 Refresh!, $4,952
• Winneshiek County, Decorah Police Department - Body Cameras , $5,000
• Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity, Solar Energy for a Habitat for Humanity Home, $5,000

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Winneshiek County. Committee members include: Dianne Ameling, Tami Brincks, Rich Gaard, Justin Gullekson, Gary Hildebrandt, Lilly Jensen, Steve Johnson, Mark Kuhn, Sally Leibold, Marcia McKelvey (chair), Emily Mineart, Andy Nimrod, Jana Olson, Jon Pankow and Joe Skretta.

Grants are awarded through Winneshiek 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 Winneshiek County in order to be considered for funding. The 2021 grant cycle opens November 15 with an application deadline of January 10, 2021. The grant guidelines and application will be posted prior to the cycle opening at www.winneshiekccf.org.