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Clayton County Foundation for the Future Fund
At a Glance
- Serving the needs of Clayton County
- Your gift keeps helping others
- Awarded $24,000 in grants to 26 nonprofits in 2023
About Us
Clayton County Foundation for the Future was created to inspire giving and build stronger communities in Clayton County. We act as a bridge connecting important community needs and resources. CCFF works with donors, nonprofits, and community partners to improve quality of life for the 17,000+ residents of Clayton County and ensure a strong future for our area.
The Clayton County Foundation for the Future forges partnerships across the community and transforms generosity and insights into actions that improve our county for everyone.
In addition to our current initiatives focusing on brain health, early literacy with the Clayton County Imagination Library, and a study on child care, the CCFF Board awards grants annually to nonprofits that provide essential services and enrich our communities. In the last five years alone, CCFF has partnered with donors to award over $93,000 in grants to local nonprofits to support projects that address significant community issues and build on community strengths. Gifts to our endowment support our annual grants to local nonprofits. We award grants in the areas of:
Health and human services
Education
Neighborhoods and community development
The environment
Children, youth, and families
Arts and culture, including historic preservation.
Mission
To inspire giving and build stronger communities.
Basic Information
Phone
563.880.6044Address
700 Locust St. Ste. 195 Dubuque, Iowa 52001Director
Emily Sadewasser
Director Email
ccff@dbqfoundation.orgSuccess Story
After a successful career in agricultural sustainability in Houston, Craig Watson and his wife, LeAnn, retired in Clayton County to be closer to their four grandchildren and their childhood home.
“We both grew up on farms within Clayton County, so I indeed grew up with that connection to the farm.” he says. “The connection to Northeast Iowa always stuck with us and reminded us of where we came from.”
After years of charitable giving, the Watsons learned about the benefits of using a donor-advised fund to create a private foundation at the Clayton County Foundation for the Future. They established the Watson-Rugland Endowment in 2011 to honor their parents and their lives on the farm.
“Being able to name the Foundation was particularly important to me to not only honor our parents and their life on farms here in Northeast Iowa, but also the names of our family before them,” says LeAnn. “We want our children to continue to have a connection to Clayton County.”
In 2017, their family endowment supported the Clayton County Energy District, a local nonprofit organization focused on developing local clean energy options. The organization led home energy assessments for Clayton County residents, which will help residents improve appliance combustion safety, home comfort and shrink their energy bills.
“It is important to provide more information, so in turn people in small communities can make more informed decisions,” says Craig. “In a small way, these people can impact not only the expenditures for their home, but also contribute to some type of small benefit to the environment.”
LeAnn adds that the personal connection is what set the Foundation apart.
“Rather than just writing a check, we’ve had personal connections with the people we’ve impacted,” she says. “It’s that human connection—even a small amount can be the spark that a group needs to get going and to realize that somebody really does care.”
Read more stories about the impact we’re making in Clayton County by visiting www.dbqfoundation.org/CCFF.
Fund Details
Fund Name
Clayton County Foundation for the Future Fund
Year Founded
2004
Type of Fund
Learn More about fund types
Support This Fund
Clayton County Foundation for the Future Fund